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Bed Head
Bed Head
Elemmennope

Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Nude II (Advanced Editing II)
Camera: Olympus C-750UZ
Location: Bed by Window
Date: Aug 20, 2004
Aperture: 4.0
ISO: 50
Shutter: 1/6
Galleries: Nude
Date Uploaded: Aug 20, 2004

 Self-portrait. Natural morning light coming from the window I was peeking out, mostly diffused by the sheer curtain. A small amount of light comes from a second window behind the camera that had a dark shade covering it.

Cropped. Converted to B&W (walls are a weird green color that distracts the eye -- plus I think light is often better examined in a B&W format). Small amount of cloning (little body flaws that nobody probably would've noticed but me) and dodging on the hair to bring out a little detail. (I wish it was longer and lighter blonde like it used to be just for this photo. I cut and colored it red about a week before this photo, so the dark still looks very strange to me.) Adjusted levels. I like this photo a little darker than it appears on my monitor, but it seems having your photo be a shade or two lighter than you think it should be is beneficial for votes. I'm sure there's more than could be done with PS, but it's beyond my abilities at this time. I'm learning slowly.

As I have never shot or displayed a photo like this of myself I kept the hair in front of my face partially to make me a little more comfortable with submitting the entry. I'm not particularly modest or unhappy with my body... but it's weird, you know? I expect comments about the hidden face though. I have a second version that has better hair (still tossled but less fuzzy), and shows a bit more suggestion of face but the body pose doesn't look as natural. I keep going back and forth on which to submit and probably will continue to do so right up until the deadline. If anyone is interested, I can upload the second version later.

There's a few things I would've changed had I used a model that I could direct. As it was, it was pretty impossible to get everything exactly perfect when I couldn't see through the camera as I posed. I got in and out of that bed about 40 times and took many, many shots to get one I liked at all, each time trying to remember everything I disliked from the previous shots: "sit about a foot behind window" "right hand just higher than shoulder" "make sure elbow is bent" "keep fingers spread a bit" "wrinkle the sheets" "make sure navel shows" "hide remote in left hand" "sit up straight so stomach isn't all creased" "rotate chest slightly towards camera" "let left arm hang naturally" "turn towards the light" "ow, ow leg cramp from weird position" "click" "tilt head a bit" "click" "sit up straighter" "click" "oops, remote is showing" "click"... etc

Good experience overall. I love the play of light on skin, and would like to do more studies of nudes. More fun than I thought it would be. :)

Outtake shot that I didn't use --


Statistics
Place: 10 out of 87
Avg (all users): 6.7983
Avg (commenters): 8.0000
Avg (participants): 6.3951
Avg (non-participants): 6.9211
Views since voting: 23474
Views during voting: 1153
Votes: 347
Comments: 56
Favorites: 33 (view)

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AuthorThread
 08/22/2006 09:45:25 PM
****Stunned****

Photographically? Uhhh. nice work on the fine texture and DOF of the sheet.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 10/08/2005 03:42:20 PM
Beautiful shot, the tones and light...wow.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 10/04/2005 05:22:21 PM
Beautifull sensual shot. I realy like the difused light bouncing of the curves of the body.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/29/2005 12:34:05 AM
beautiful pair of...hands
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/18/2005 11:02:20 AM
Very nice use of light and texture (in the bed covers) This is really a lovely photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/18/2005 01:15:48 AM
great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2005 11:04:21 PM
Meant to comment on this a while back when I added it to my favourites. Great shot, both this and the out take.

Overall I prefer this one of the two, mostly due to the lighting. I do like the other for the fact it shows a little of your face though. However, I disagree with your comment on this shot about the hidden face being a potential problem though, as to me it looks very natural as that is the way your head would point were you looking out of the window, so all very natural. The hidden face to me is only an issue if it looks deliberately and unaturally hidden.

Lovely shots, and it certainly paid off being brave :) Hopefully you'll pluck up the courage to do some more in the future as I love both os these.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2005 10:37:04 PM
This is art. Great job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 10/13/2004 04:30:01 AM
Hi-ho,

Just surfing around looking at stuff, as you do..

I think this is a great image, and I like your narative just as much.. If only everyone posted as much info with their entries! ;-).

Congrats on the 10th place, well deserved.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/18/2004 06:09:25 AM
Beautiful, soft photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2004 09:12:27 AM
Quite an attractive image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/30/2004 11:06:07 PM
I thought this would do well:) a great image. congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/30/2004 12:03:17 PM
An exceptional entry in every way. I would not have been surprised to see it ribbon. Great work and I look forward to seeing more of you(r work). :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/30/2004 12:24:32 AM
Congratulations on your 10th placing. A very subdued but lovely image with tones so beautiful. Nice work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/30/2004 12:05:28 AM
Congrats on your top 10!!!!!! I loved this one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/29/2004 11:11:03 PM
This one gets my highest score. Very sensual. Love the gray scale.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/29/2004 10:55:15 PM
I'd give a lot to have my breasts look like that again . . .sigh nice use of light & shadow
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/29/2004 09:45:53 PM
This is a wonderful study with beautiful tones. I would have brought the left hand into a better position to obtain perfection. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/29/2004 04:19:13 PM
nice photo......great muted black & white with vivid tones of grey......just enough to highlight your subject.....the shadows are just enough!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2004 11:50:53 PM
Should be in the top 3, good use of light
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2004 11:18:35 PM
nice job balancing the light from the window with the other ambient lighting. would like to see more of a hint of the face.. looking a bit cousin IT ish.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2004 10:11:00 PM
voted yesterday, cant bump this one any higher I gave it a 10. I think its just perfect, Great Job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2004 07:49:17 PM
This is my favouritest picture of the bunch. I like the way you used the window as a light source and the choice of b&w. Excellent job! Bumped you up from a 9 on my first round of voting to a perfect 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2004 03:13:08 PM
A beautifully lit picture, I would have liked to see a little of her face.
Good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2004 02:54:50 AM
very nice, very subtle, and a beautiful image
I think this would work just as well with the bottom cropped off in line with the bottom of the curtain
Tastefully done and beautiful work 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/26/2004 04:09:23 PM
I like the added element of a story being told. Her action add heaps to the shot. The lighting is soft and peaceful. I might have cropped a little bit from the bottom as I find it doesn't add to the photo. Good shot! 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/26/2004 01:29:19 PM
Lovely lighting, I just wish the crop were a little tighter to focus more on the model. Also, seeing a little bit of the face would be nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2004 11:36:58 PM
I too used window light:) but you did a much better job than I with balance and shadow. the B&W brings it home!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2004 07:13:14 PM
II had a definite reason for all my top picks this time except this one. I'm still not sure what moves me here, maybe the untold story of why she is looking out the window. In any case it gets a 9 from me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2004 03:24:31 PM
A classic, with nice soft window light matching her beatiful body. I think you could have gone a bit closer and avoid the view of the wood and the corner of the room.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2004 02:44:02 PM
wonderful use of light
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2004 12:20:37 PM
Nice lighting
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2004 08:57:38 AM
beautiful natural shot, you captured something so lovely well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 11:43:20 PM
Excellent lighting... I imagine she's looking outside, longing for the lover who just left her. :) Just the story it tells me. Great job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 10:38:12 PM
How soft and lovely!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 10:35:25 PM
That is so naturaly. simply amazing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 09:28:42 PM
very charming :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 06:04:12 PM
A little story behind this well done photography. Good soft and natural lighting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 11:15:49 AM
Wonderful shot with a great mood. Your model has a great figure, and looks comfortable in front of the camera. Great exploration of light and shadow, I love how the light plays with the crumpled sheets.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 08:45:57 AM
nice photo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 08:45:09 AM
Nice B & W shot. I would have cropped it a bit tighter, especially the bottom part. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2004 07:56:58 AM
soft and innocent is what i get from this photograph - a closer crop wouldn't hinder this photo by any means, and a touch of contrast would certainly help it.

That aside there are many positives to be taken from this - well done and I look forward to seeing whom created this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 10:47:32 PM
Very nice pose and set-up for teh shots, the breasts seem to effortlessly sit high and in the light. THe hair could be darkened abit because the light makes the hair look thin at one angle and it is distracting even as an illusion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 04:53:13 PM
This image tells more of a story than many. Who is she looking for? Has she been sleeping alone? is she waiting for someone. Is she looking forward to their arrival or not. Or perhaps someone has just left her? The composition works well for me - I like the vertical white of the curtain against the dark vertical of the background. I like the very directional gentle diffused light. I like the texture and shapes of the crumpled sheet. A great image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 04:32:02 PM
Beautiful shot. This image positively radiates energy, emotion, and sensuality. Very compelling too, with the glance out the window. Suggests a lot of thought and work in the composition. A top entry into this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 04:07:36 PM
Great work here, really like the light and Composition
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 02:39:04 PM
Beautiful composition, pose, light and focus. Love this idea. Well done. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 01:40:49 PM
This has almost a vintage feel to it - very cool. I like the spontaneous feel to it (although I know it was anything but spontanteous! A lot of work I am sure went into this.)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 12:37:30 PM
classic shot well executed. Might have been better with white sheet, but it's just a detail... ;-) beautiful! 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 12:06:42 PM
I like how she's looking out the window, and how it is the only light source. I like how you can't see her face so you don't know what she is thinking. And I like how you did the composition of the body, bed, and window. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 11:22:23 AM
Great lighting makes this really work well. Try covering (or cropping out) the bright window - it makes the image stronger yet. If the title would be something like "Is he home yet?" implying that she's peeking out in anticipation, it adds some mystery and emotion. Nonetheless - it's an excellent submission.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 11:08:42 AM
Simple but effective and quite beautiful
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 09:36:15 AM
The lighting in this image is fantastic. I like the pose as well. The only thing I might change would be cloning out the bedpost in the background as it doesn't rea;;y add to the image. Might even try taking the image a second time with a different angle the gets it out of the frame. Excellent work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 05:46:05 AM
Absolutely love the lighting here, it does beautiful things to the girl's skin. Lovely model.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 12:41:46 AM
nice light, should have cut the right part (head of the bead.. ) a8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2004 12:27:14 AM
i love the lighting this is the shot i had in mind but i had no pretty girl willing to take thier clothes off for the web
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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