. (Also the right side is a little too overexposed and blown).


Mr P you have excelled yourself here.... i think you have added something to the melting pot of 52s... i was awestruck by the first, the dipped head, mono, the part reflection in the floor captivated me... then the rest...
i think the only thing that distracts me about number 6 is simply that she looks ??? static...the background seems to punctuate her grace.. i am comparing it to number 5 where the swish of the hair adds to movement in my eyes...
overall...EXCELLANT!!![]()
First up I really like the mono and the lighting and focus. Really had a good and willing model there.
Works well for the 'hidden' #1
Although I could not do even a smidgen of what she is doing there, the rest of the pictures don't support the theme too well (in my view).
That said, I really like #4.
#5 isn't the best side of her. Ok shows concentration and brilliance at getting horizontal in the air, just not too flattering on the model (head area)
#3 the colours look a little off? Plus the brighter lighting appears to blow
#2 Is cool and nice dof
#6 really good use of flash, and the black background helps bring her out. Lighting isn't too harsh
As I said, just my view, take with a pinch of salt
The first shot is fantastic. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with any of them but the first is really really good. If you had put up a colour version of the first shot I don't think it would be anywhere near as striking, very good conversion and use of vignette. Might also have looked good with more of the reflection included but presumably the reflection dropped off with the light?
Great interpretation of the theme.
You're done really well on the focusing and they're nice and sharp.
For me, I like the form of #6 especially with the black background.
I also like the symmetry of #5.
Cheers.
Hi Patrick, that's a cracking set. Number 1 is just brilliant, the head position and mono conversion really do it justice.
Wow, some great shots here for Hidden
Love shot 1. Good use of B&W, nice subtle vignette. I may have been tempted to crop a little on the left, just to even her feet out against the edge of shot, but other than that, this is a great shot capturing her expression, and her pose. The whole shot has me wondering what she is thinking. Cracking.
Shot 2, great pose, and shot. Not too keen on the colour of the bg wall, seems dull and flat, maybe this would work with the B&W treatment you gave shot 1. Great expression and pose, and good composition though.
Shot 3, great expression and pose capture, but not too sure the colour cast on her skin is right, she seems a little bluish on my monitor. Do not like the position of the skirting board (plus it is not level :nonoand it bisects her in the wrong place (IMHO) as it draws your eye across into areas that shouldn't be the main focus.......:thumbsdown:
Shot 4, not my fave. The drama of the shot is missing a little from your shooting position. Maybe shooting from a lower position would add more ummph! I think it maybe because I can't see her face, Im left looking at other aspects, and other than the sheers skill and determination of her holding the pose, there isn't anything left for me to engage with. (Also the right side is a little too overexposed and blown).
Shot 5. I'm not too sure about this. The pose is very striking, and the shot is a fantastic capture, but something is niggling me. I think it might be the background offers no clue as to her movement or height off the ground. There also appears (on my monitor anyway) to be a slight ghosting around her front (shadow maybe, or some PP residue?). The more I look the more I think it is the lack of context within the background that I find slightly displacing....... Sorry.
Shot 6. Same as 5 regarding the background, but a really dynamic pose and fantastic expression on her face.
Overall, Shot 1 and 2 are my faves (with 2 in B&W) and a great collection. Good shooting
![]()
Thanks Tina.Adie said anything I would and a lot more besides![]()
Hi Patrick
what a superb set of shots for Hidden
Love them all & all crit/comments have been said already but number 1 is just superb in B&W & number 6 is the best for , beautiful
Great work Patrick![]()

You're nuts!
see what the 52 does to us You're nuts!
Sorry, just couldn't resist that
The motion blur is just right.
I'd rather the full table was filled with nuts, the top of the frame looks empty.
The DOF is good though.
Is there a Photographers Anonymous?Well thought out and nice application.
It would be icing on the cake, or nuts, if you could have asked someone to blow the nuts a bit so they show some motion.
Cheers.
see what the 52 does to us
Hiya Patrick,
Well done, I really like this photo for 'broken', I like the dof and the motion .... all adds to the image. Good composition and great execution.
I haven't seen monkey nuts like that since I was in Amsterdam years ago ... at one of the cafe/bar .... can't remember the name now .... but the floor was covered in these nut shells .... it was tradition to eat the free nuts they provided and just discard the shells on the floorIt made a great crunching sound though
Cheers
Dawn![]()


Hi Patrick
brilliant shot for Broken....the motion blur is spot on & the detail in the broken pieces is great .Possibly a little to empty at the top of the shot but really good capture
They had a bar in Sharm were the tradition was as per Dawn's comment , eat the nuts & drop the shells on the floor...couln't bring myself to do it though
Think Neil has about said it all re the Bright capture..Portraits are not my thing so I'll go with what he said & add that her nose in the re-edit does look better , so well done to you for taking the advice & trying it out![]()
Hi Patrick
Sorry I've not been here for a while... Broken is spot on... Love it!
My main coment on the portrait is the background just looks completely out of place... historic castle type scene and a fashion type shoot portrait it just does not work for me... I think a plain colour indoor shot would be much more WOW. As for the girl herself... see nothing wrong with it at all... I think she looks a little on edge but thats not really your fault. Overall its a great shot if your new to portraits like I would be... so tell me to shut up as I'm being over critical on reading again... but I do think the background just does not work for me at all.
Mark
) Great sense of motion.Had fun doing thisNot a sledgehammer and not walnuts, but you get the idea
![]()
Re-edit to take on board some the points above.
Thanks for your detailed crit Neil - there's a lot to think about there. Not sure about the sky. It's not "blown" (according to my histogram), but perhaps overbright for some people's taste.
![]()

Hiya Patrick,
Glad you decided to do another take on BRIGHT.
I did like parts of your first bright photo ... but there were parts that I didn't as others have already pointed out. And it didn't quite shout BRIGHT to me either, except for the OE sky.
I like your triptych ... and have commented on same in Flickr before I saw it here. However I will, for sake of those who are not on Flickr, post my comments again here:
I would have been tempted to add a different photo on the left .... something more in tune with the colours of 2 and 3 as the bright yellow of the first image is great I don't feel it fits with the paler colours of the others. D
As for sharp ... I think your photos are good in that regards. I just think that they need to be better balanced with composition and colours. I may be wrong here ... as I am still learning too.
Funny thing with flowers .... well from what I have gathered from recent comments on my montage is that some photos seem to stand better on their own, rather than collective.
Out of the three from your triptych I have to say I like #3 the best, especially for this theme of bright ... the flowers are lovely and are well complimented by the bright background. There is a lot of detail and perhaps from a technical (rules which I despise) point of view may not be right ... but I like it
Well done to you though for persevering and giving it another bash.
Cheers
Dawn![]()
Hi Patrick,
I think you are right to repost, while the portrait was nice, it didn't quite hit the theme.
As for the flowers.....
I may have been tempted to chase the bugs on the first and second image. Overall, I prefer the third one for the same reasons as Dawn.
There was an article a few months back in the magazine I subscribe to that covered photographing flowers. They recommended diffusion and reflection to help get the detail, I think a little of that may have helped here, especially on the second where there is a deep shadow.
hi Patrick... broken is a bit spacious... get tighter nuts if i were u..
bright flowers...not sure.. like the third image..the other two.. muted is more the word.
your 'model' would have been my choice for bright... though looks like you caught her answering the phone..
good effort![]()

Hi Patrick, rally like your broken image. Cracking for the theme! (no pun intended......) Great sense of motion.
your edited version on the portrait is much better, helps the model stand out just that little bit more.![]()
Patrick,
WELL DONE for getting the flash off camera and playing with light
Obviously, shooting outdoors and mixing natural light and strobes provides it's own chalenges, and I think you have tackled them well.
There are a few areas for improvment IMHO.
First, before any light is used, the pose/composition needs work.
You have lost her left arm, which looks, well just odd. I can't see your EXIF data, but i'm not sure about the focal length used. She looks a little distorted. Maybe that's just the effect of the right arm possition.
But the crop and possitioning within the frame are good.
I'm also guessing one strobe camera right? You have done well to expose her for the strobe. In this there is no such thing as correct exposure, but I think the sky is a little too bright in places. Maybe a stop down and use dodge to bring back the details.
You have lost a little separation on the left of the shot. A reflector or another strobe would of helped there.
But her eyes have it. For me, that would be my focus. Great catch lights, and they say to me bright.
A warm smile and bright eyes.
Again, well done. Strobism, it's adictive isn't it?![]()
More stobist shoots? Anywhere local to me LOL
Adie
Thanks Neil. I think you're right about the portrait.
I quite like the bugs - I actually went round looking for flowers with insects on them! I also like #3 best.
Not sure what you mean about diffusion/reflection, but I'll look it up. Unless you've got any links to suggest?
Patrick
"get tighter nuts if i were you ..." if I had a pound for every time someone has said that to me in my life... I'd have one pound
Glad you like the third flowers shot - it's my fav too. I can see now that they don't quite match as a triptych.
Natasha is quite a new model and was a bit nervous - and maybe my directing skills need working on. There some others of her here which I think are a bit better http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=3757493&postcount=7

so what are you are going to do with your pound..![]()
