Joy!!

I don't think anyone is "throwing stones". I am dissapointed - again - that "color" and "How I can "improve" my work" has dominated the critique ...
I'll say it again... my "WORK" is Fine Art Photography - whatever the hell that is - largely for Gallery Exhibition - NOT satisfying everyones desire for an image to be "perfect" on THEIR monitor. I do NOT - and WILL not correct anything from an evaluation on a monitor. Monitors are FAR too coarse for what I do.
"Running away"? Think what you want to think. I am not.
"Give some thought" - You don't think I have -already?

The answer to my "Esthetic Reaction" question was, "I now get to tell you what YOU MUST do.."

In twenty-four hours - or so - this image will be removed.
No wonder why I am the only one to submit figure studies in color.

Ed, you actually asked for my reaction, I could have been more specific and said that I believe the colour filtration is incorrect, and that if you added 10Magenta, 3Red and 5 Yellow, you would be very close to correct colour.

I have just run my Kodak Color Print Viewing Filters over this to check out what my eyes thought.

Technically you are correct in that you didn't ask for any technical information, just a critique.

But I gave you my reaction to what I think is a very good picture!

Mick.

I am drawn to her hands( gesticulating and describing something), open and full mouth( describing something animatedly) and finally her hair casually falling across her eyes.

It says she's engaged, open, enthusiastic but not an intense person, in the usual sense of that word. Intense people are often too aware of themselves. Her aura says she is not pre-occupied with herself.

Could all of this have been conveyed as well if she had been clothed? No. Her nudity is of no concern to her and serves to emphasises her personal qualities I feel the portrait conveys to me.

Joy is close but doesn't cover it all but if I had to settle on one word, this would do. Joie de vivre might be closer but that's three.

I think the best way I can sum up my opinion here is: I wouldn't have done anything differently. I like how this turned out (as least, from where I'm sitting).

But of course, I'm not a very technical person; my aesthetic doesn't require it.

In the best possible sense, it feels like somebody just cracked a joke and she's trying to be serious with the pose, but can't help herself laughing. I think the spontaneous pose is fantastic. The feeling I get is one of warmth, beauty, and humor.
You teach me how important the relationship with the model is.

I don't care about color all that much, for all I care, it could be in black and white. It's the expression, and the look on her face that gives the image color. Would love to see it in person, Ed. Thanks for sharing, and please do keep posting. There are not many of your photographs that I did not find brilliant.

- Thomas

This is going to fly in the face of everything that was already said about this picture.

This may, or not be the actual case, but I see this pose as being one of UNcomfortability. The off balance "pose" and her hands in front of her chest do nothing beneficial for the composition. It looks less like spontaneity, and more like haphazardly pressing the shutter.

Addressing the hands: Often the hands are raised in front of one's chest as a sign of insecurity. That is contradictory with the smile, but smiling and laughing can be a defense mechanism in the face of an uncomfortable situation. Again, I am not saying that this IS the case, but unless you have a text panel to explain the context of a photograph, you can only know what you see.

I must also think about the reason for making this photograph. I generally disagree with most of the feminist writing of the 1970's and 80's, and their criticism of the motives behind photographing the nude. But, I can't help to think if they are applicable here.

This a great portrait, very animated and the hands are perfect. As to colour balance, that is always problematic in that the colour itself becomes a very important element whether we want it or not.
The other problem is everyone has a different idea as to the correct balance, believe me I know, having been in the colour printing business for around 20 years.
Tony

Ed:

I didn't notice the colour at first, but now that so much has been said about it...

On my monitor, the shadows are green, but the highlights may be less so.

I wouldn't normally react to the colour, given the vagaries of the scanning and upload process, but green and nude women may be a particularly noticeable combination.

The colour is a distraction, which is too bad, as the photograph deserves to seen without distraction.

If I were to see the print "in the flesh" (pun intended) and it appeared this way, I would wonder if it was either shot in mixed light sources, or with an (off scene) coloured reflector or whether there was a problem with crossover in the process.

I would reiterate, however, these would be thoughts about a source of distraction, not the photograph at its core.

Please post more.

Matt

Ed,
I give up! To me the color of an image posted in a fineart gallery needs to be as perfect as it can be to compliament
the image/art work itself. If it is not I will notice it! Most others will also! I am extremely sorry for ever mentioning the error of your ways to you. I shall not make that mistake again.

It is not possible for any of us on this list to judge or critique any image without viewing it on a monitor. That is all we have! We don't have a print in hand, so we do the best we can with our monitors. No one else posting color images seems to have the color shift problems you have. It makes no difference weather it is a nude or a lollie pop. It still should be presented in the best way possible.

The content of your images is excellent as I have said before. I said before, I love the images you post, but I do wonder why you don't want to present the best color possible. I guarantee that I feel you are running away from the issue because you don't recognize that you actually have a problem. In the future, I will place you, your postings and comments on "ignore" Again, I apologize for upseting you by trying help you, and most of all for wasting both my time and
your own.

Good luck in the future, I hope all your trails are smooth and are free from all problems.

Charlie...........................................

When I first viewed this image the colour was not a factor I considered, I was absorbed by the image.
Is her name Joy or is it an expression of joy?
If the former then it shows the character of an animated person unclothed and involved in conversation, at ease and relaxed with the photographer. If the latter then it shows how the model expresses her emotion of happiness to the photographer and I think that he has managed to capture this. How has this image affected me? It has introduced me to the work of Ed Sukach, and given me an image of a smile from a pretty girl that expresses her enjoyment of life.
Thanks for posting,
Regards
John