Anya: low key (18+)

Nikolai · February 21, 2009

After we were done with the high key stuf we decided to give a try some old good side lighting, kinda along the lines of one of my latest WA classes. You'll be the judges how we did.

#1: IMG_0376.jpg

#2: IMG_0358.jpg

#3: IMG_0364.jpg

#4: IMG_0366.jpg

#5: IMG_0367.jpg

#6: IMG_0356.jpg

#7: IMG_0375.jpg

#8: IMG_0371.jpg

#9: IMG_0372.jpg

#10: IMG_0368.jpg

Enjoy! C&C welcome!
This post was made with the assistance of Star*Explorer

sweet caroline · February 21, 2009

5, 6, 9, and 10 are my favorites, but I like them all. Great lines with effective lighting! These would also be great in black and white.

urbanaries · February 21, 2009

1, 5, 9........ :drop

Love this set, beautiful lighting choices, these feel like figure studies much more than the high key set.

Fantastic!

Darren Troy C · February 21, 2009

Superb!

djames · February 21, 2009

Definatley like the low key set better. My favs are 1,2,6,10

BradfordBenn · February 21, 2009

I think I prefer these to the High Key photos. Very nice work.

Nikolai · February 21, 2009

sweet caroline wrote:

5, 6, 9, and 10 are my favorites, but I like them all. Great lines with effective lighting! These would also be great in black and white.

Thanks! I tried bw, but really not much difference...:D

Nikolai · February 21, 2009

urbanaries wrote:

1, 5, 9........ :drop

Love this set, beautiful lighting choices, these feel like figure studies much more than the high key set.

Fantastic!

Thank you!
HK wasn't figure studies.. They were just great fun... and nowhere else to pose them

Nikolai · February 21, 2009

Idlewild wrote:

Superb!

Thanks!

cmorganphotography · February 22, 2009

These are just stunning, Nik. If I were in a sporting mood I'd say they'd almost get me to shoot nude... almost.

Wonderful light sculpture. She has some fantastic bones.

Nikolai · February 22, 2009

cmorganphotography wrote:

These are just stunning, Nik. If I were in a sporting mood I'd say they'd almost get me to shoot nude... almost. Wonderful light sculpture. She has some fantastic bones.

Thank you!

What stops ye?

cmorganphotography · February 22, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Thank you!
What stops ye?

It does nothing for me to be in a room with someone nude and shooting them. I did say I would like to try bodyscapes someday. That said I did partner with a couple who did some weird bondage and hot tying. The best part of the caper was when she had to go let someone in the door and neither of us could get the stupid door unlocked and he was hogtied on the bed squirming and shouting but really no help. It was one of those kodak/sitcom moments.
It still cracks me up.
Plus, you do a good job, and I'm afraid I wouldn't so much.

zoinkz · February 22, 2009

I love the lighting in these photos. Looks great.

kejago · February 26, 2009

Wow. Truly truly superb.

Nikolai · February 26, 2009

zoinkz wrote:

I love the lighting in these photos. Looks great.

Thank you, sir!

Nikolai · February 26, 2009

kejago wrote:

Wow. Truly truly superb.

Thank you very much, appreciate it!

codiac2600 · February 26, 2009

Hmmmmm... these tips come from being paid a lot per nude style like this for art to placed on walls and private collection and also being a teacher lighting posing.

1 and 6 will make you good money and shows strong lighting and posing from you the photographer. Everything about those 2 are showing excellent execution in where the lights were placed, how you posed the subject based on the light and are flattering poses that can grace a wall of most peoples home.

The thing I notice most when judging photography for PPA and other photography schools is that when most people shoot nude work especially low key style they forget to be graceful and as such the images turn out to be lewd and much to provocative to be placed up as art, but tend to be more smut than anything else.

I congratulate you on making art here and not porn as I find more of the later on forums which is why I never comment on it unless it's so in the wrong direction I have to.

Here are critiques to help you on future shoots that aren't always noticed when the person has no clothes to hide the bodies slight imperfections.

#2: She is looking so forward she has a double chin... also there is a sharp point at the shoulder blade from the difficult pose here and for this style it's typically safer to stick with curves as it's more pleasing.

#3: You've missed the lighting opportunity and lit her legs much brighter than the rest of her giving it a staged look. Also the pose has one flaw and that is showing the bones in the shoulder blades... You did an excellent job trying to keep her legs/feet intact in the scene and also good hand work in an artistic way. It's not a complete miss, but would be hit hard by people looking deeper into the photo.

#4: The only nitpick is a combination of posing and lighting issues... the barren chest region all spun in complete darkness hurts the image more than you may think. It makes her seem soulless and void of any heart. A reflector to fill in the chest slightly would have helped greatly in the composition as I love the daring pose.

#5: The belly being so bright just seems odd to me and take it down from being another great photo in this series.

#7: The pose is much stronger than #6, but she had to put her leg behind the table to fashion it and when we talk modeling and missing limbs it looks as if she has been amputated at the thigh which is less than flattering. I still believe it's an excellent pose and better lighting and character than #6, but has that one fault.

That is about all I'll say in terms of faults, but you have a perfect model for this style of photography in Anya and I hope you two can work together more often and grow. I find it difficult to find the right person to shoot in this style as the body tends to play tricks on us when try and pose people in different ways and it's either a win or a loss in terms of excellence. You've done an amazing job here no doubt and I applaud the effort in the more difficult poses. I truly feel these are much stronger than your high key work as the math in those tends to be a bit off and the skin tones seems to fall apart, but here you've shown near perfect lighting with the style. I would say if you want to make the background completely disappear than move your subject farther from the backdrop so the light falls off more making the black background completely void without any need for post processing later on.

I am finally going to do a personal series on art nude and it's starting with low-key so hopefully next month I will show some of it here as my other work in this field is all private work. Thank you again for sharing and I'm awaiting your net series.

Nikolai · February 26, 2009

codiac2600 wrote:

Hmmmmm... these tips come from being paid a lot per nude style like this for art to placed on walls and private collection and also being a teacher lighting posing.....

Chris,
thank you very much for your time, deep attention and thorough critique!

This was probably my first serious attempt at body scaping. I intend to do more, and I'm sure to implement your corrections..:-)

Looking forward for your series! :-)

Justiceiro · February 27, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Chris,
thank you very much for your time, deep attention and thorough critique! This was probably my first serious attempt at body scaping. I intend to do more, and I'm sure to implement your corrections..:-)
Looking forward for your series! :-)

Hey Nicolai, I find the light in #3 interesting. It appears as if the light source is "under" the model (this is what I wanted to do for the challenge and the Chiaroscuro thing a while back.) How did you "throw" that light? A snoot?

Nikolai · February 27, 2009

Justiceiro wrote:

Hey Nicolai, I find the light in #3 interesting. It appears as if the light source is "under" the model (this is what I wanted to do for the challenge and the Chiaroscuro thing a while back.) How did you "throw" that light? A snoot?

It's just a stobe lying on the floor. I used a couple of little pillows to secure it. And since it's behind the bench, it's pefertly hidden..:-)

Vanquiz · March 20, 2009

Impressive ...

After seeing your high key, I dont think I will be impressed easily anymore, but the low key sets are even stunned me more ...

My fave is #7, great pose, great lighting, you nailed it Nikolai ...

Nikolai · March 20, 2009

Vanquiz wrote:

Impressive ...

After seeing your high key, I dont think I will be impressed easily anymore, but the low key sets are even stunned me more ...

My fave is #7, great pose, great lighting, you nailed it Nikolai ...

Thanks, man!
Anya is a great model, very easy to work with! Follows directions to a "t" and offers her own. Plus she's studing to be a MUA, so no issues in that department.

ehughes · March 23, 2009

Love #7 Nik, great work...

Nikolai · March 24, 2009

ehughes wrote:

Love #7 Nik, great work...

Thanks Ed, appreciate your stopping by!

Anya: low key (18+)

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