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Featured in Hands 2 (Response #66)

Featured 395 Days Ago by Hummingbird - - 16 comments

Photo © Hummingbird (Anna)
Unauthorized reproduction not permitted.

User Comments

Lange said 399 days ago:

The hand models. I enjoy the background especially as a way to give the hands an almost surreal/magical quality.

pog said 399 days ago:

My only real quibble is that the text isn't sharp...

King said 399 days ago:

Now this is getting ridiculous! Two photos in this theme appear to be directed at me. I'm a usually a quite generous rater. You don't have to butter me up.

If I had to guess (don't make me!), I'd say that ChriZ had a hand in this (chuckle). There's a term in the paper box business...KD. It stands for "knocked down" (or folded into a compact form). Prepare to be knocked down by KD.

If the box were your product and this were an advertising product photo, the first thing to do would be to prepare the box. Maker sure the lid is not bowed as it is (tape it down with double-sided tape) and the box is to tipped without some reason for it to be tipped.

The bottom of the box is not relevant, so tip the box or adjust the camera height until you are looking either straight on or slightly down on the box.

Rotate the box so you can see a bit of one side, to reveal the third dimension. If three sides of the box are visible, each should have a different tonal value.

Once the fixed in place, use your studio tools (mirrors, flags, reflectors or, if necessary, Photoshop) to add a gradation of tone across the face of the box. If the paper is glossy, there should be a reflection to emphasize the glossiness. I can see a hint of that in the upper right-hand corner.

Afer everything is all set, bring in your high-priced hand model, which I see that you have done--good for you. Make sure that s/he doesn't nudge the box out of position. If s/he is a pro, s/he won't.

Time to compose the hands...the box is done. Your hand model is doing a good job. The hands are clean and well cared for, the nails manicured. Make sure that the right arm exits the frame gracefully...better not to have the arm parallel the top edge of the frame.

Okay, you've decided to shoot against a black background so the torso of the model is invisible. If you don't have black velvet available, then be sure that your masking doesn't leave any telltale artifacts as appears to be the case around the thumb and under the left hand.

Good work! High marks!

King said 399 days ago:

Hah! Fooled me completely (and I was warned!).

The long critique was aimed at ChriZ, who has some aspirations to make money at this sort of thing. Now I know you were just pulling my chicken leg.

What's also funny is that the other photograph that refers to me personally was posted by one of your relatives--do you know about it?

Thanks for the laugh. I needed that.

And I really did give this high marks, except for a 3 in composition.

Tanja said 399 days ago:

;-)

Hummingbird said 399 days ago:

@King, I am now doing the cookie dance because you took my image seriously enough to actually critique it:) Jack and I were in a bar on Friday night and for some reason these boxes were on every table and I decided to work this in the theme somehow just for fun. I wore one of Jack's black t-shirts for part of the background and as you can tell photoshopped the rest. As for a well manicured hand model. These hands wish they were manicured. Positioning of my hands was actually luck of the draw. I would set the timer and then run and get into position. This was the best, but it was a joke. I'm just very happy that it was a joke that worked.

It also, amazingly, got better ratings than I usually get. Apparently, I shouldn't take things seriously and I'll get better.

As far as Carl's funny, I didn't even know it was his until after I rated it.

King said 399 days ago:

Good story. Ratings are a peculiar phenomenon, aren't they.

I'm glad you took my critique in good spirits. So Jack didn't help with this, as you helped Jack with his featured image?

Paula says we might as well not do the shot I planned with her bosoms/my hands because it will simply look like a copycat of yours (plural) and be discounted by the raters. I assured her that our photo would be sufficiently different and that most of our male raters don't easily tire of seeing undraped bosoms. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I don't think so.

mysight said 398 days ago:

I will guess this is not King,but a tribute?
Cool how the hands are not attached.
That upper hand is in such a classic pose.

mysight said 398 days ago:

Good one Anna.
King that was some serious proffesional advice.
Have you taught a photography class,
if not I think you certainly could.
I know you would have very grateful students.

King said 398 days ago:

Carl,
I've only given a few guest lectures at photography courses taught by others--one is coming up in the fall. However, I am an "Honorary Professor of Photography" at Texas A&M University, Commerce.

As you pointed out elsewhere, I'm old school. I can give you pointers on lighting the Great Pyramid at Giza or the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon (not kidding, actually), but I can't tell you much of anything about digital photography.

Hummingbird said 398 days ago:

Thanks to everyone who rated this and especially to King for taking this seriously. You have no idea how happy it made me to have actually gotten a real critique on one of my shots. It was better than a feature.

kadenajack said 398 days ago:

Delightful.

Hummingbird said 395 days ago:

Amazingly, I just looked and my ratings for this are higher than for the image of mine that got featured. This is also the most ratings I have ever gotten on an image. I am shocked.

Ana said 395 days ago:

you said,
"Apparently, I shouldn't take things seriously and I'll get better."

* wink *
Yep.

King said 395 days ago:

Have you considered a career as a hand model?

King said 395 days ago:

oh...and congratulations, Anna. Two in a row!

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