Merit competition entry, thoughts please...

This is going to be one of my entries for our next camera club merit competition (no subject).

Suggestions for improvement gratefully received, as I've followed PU users advice in the past and I've done well.

Thanks.

Lovely image, but...

I find the catch lights slightly distracting because they're not identical.

Also, I'm having problems with the various shadows cast on the models face by the pearls, plus the uneven lighting.

Thanks John.

Catchlights can be fixed.

Lighting was from a single light, in the model's rather small lounge with the walls acting as reflectors - it was making the best from an abandoned location shoot!!

I can remove the shadow from her right cheek, and lighten her left cheek, do you think that would improve things?

I'd think so, but be interesting to see what other feed-back you get first. We all see things so differently.

I agree about fixing the catch lights but do the shadows matter as the beads cast shadows all over the place anyway? I think I would be more concerned about the shadow on the left shoulder (as we look at it) which is harsher than the other side.

Bit late to ask I fear but how does in look in B&W or even more desaturated?

Nicely conceived shot if a bit fussy with quite so many beads.

Mike

Thanks both.

I didn't want it to be exactly symmetrical, and I hate 'glamour' lighting without any shadows whatsoever.

I think I will even up the shadows on the shoulders.

It is quite desaturated already but I could do it more, but it a colour print competition, otherwise I had thought of doing it in mono.

Wasn't sure whether to darken the edges slightly to hold the image in?

Getting a good quality mono print from that mob Lilly uses should be simple enough. Personally I hate any form of vignette so I won't express an opinion on the idea of darkening the edges.

as its a club competition, I think the answer is to find out what the judge(s) tastes and views are...

personally i find the image flat and almost completely 2-dimenisonal, but maybe that was the idea? backlight and a more contrasting background would have helped, and I'm not sold on chopping the top of the head off as well, were the fingers being held doing something elegant...? would certainly place the pearls/beads in context better. But of course, you know far better than any of us what the judges like, it might be perfect!

Thanks for your comments Richard.

I try not to play to the judges likes/dislikes as it can easily backfire, and I prefer to produce images for me rather than the judge. Very often judges will pick something atypical for them - ie a landscape worker will pick a wildlife image.

I have to enter 3 images for the competition, and I have the other 2 sorted, so I was looking for a portrait as the 3rd - I always struggle with the 3rd one

The idea was to produce a high-key image, so I want everything to be a similar tone, except for the eyes and lips, and then there is the pattern of the pearls.
I did have the hands in but there are more pearls there, as well as the chain/clasp, and its all a bit too messy, hence the crop.

I do appreciate the comments, as it allows me to check my thinking, and adjust as necessary. I have just warped her left hand shoulder to make it the same shape as her right hand one in response to an earlier comment.

I find something odd about her eyes, they don't quite look the same shape, the right eye also looks slightly bigger than the left. It might be the light. I think the image would look better in B+W, and perhaps with a bit more contrast.

A great image Tim I agree with the others there might be something about the eyes. Her left eye looks a bit wrong somehow, not sure if it's just the different catchlight, or if it looks slightly less sharp than her right eye. I also find that I keep noticing she is slightly off centre. Not sure if that is good or bad Is the image leaning over to the right slightly? The larger space above her left shoulder catches my eye.

Thanks all.

Would love to convert to mono but its a colour competition

I have warped her left shoulder to make it the same shape as her right - only just started using this tool its great!! And dodged/burned to make them similar.

Will have a good look at the eyes tonight, and maybe measure them with the ruler and warp one of them!!!