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girltripped In reply to Taragon [2008-04-02 17:17:29 +0000 UTC]

Eh I disagree. The lower blue is the shadows is a complimentary color which I don't think detracts but helps overall with the snowy blue/white feel, and without the white blowouts, it wouldn't look nearly as icy (since obviously it isn't real snow but shot in studio). We hate cropping tops of heads, it usually does bad things to foreheads and anyway the top of the mask is stunning, and horizontal wouldn't have shown any extra detail. We have lots of other versions of this photo but this is the one we like best. Thank you though.

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Taragon In reply to girltripped [2008-04-02 18:15:00 +0000 UTC]

I'm almost starting to think that you don't really like constructive criticism..hehe. The top of the mask is out of focus, so cutting it away wouldn't really ruin much. Aren't complimentary colors the opposite color in a color wheel anyway?

It's very much possible to do a cold icy look without blowouts, just take a look at this: [link]

Your photo isn't bad at all, it's just that I think it's possible to improve it even further.

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girltripped In reply to Taragon [2008-04-02 18:26:43 +0000 UTC]

Complimentary colors aren't always opposite, no. Atleast not in my book. The blues are in the same family of colors. Also, the top of the mask being out of focus adds dimension, you can still see the design and I wouldn't want it cropped.
I didn't mean it was impossible to take it without the blowout, obviously it is, but with the backdrop we had, it was necessary to give it that ice feel. I don't really like it when people show us examples... if we had wanted it to look that way, we would have made it look that way. We achieved what we wanted. The photo is exposed correctly if you look at the rest of it, what you think is blowout is just very white sequins shot at 1.4 to give them a falling sort of look. Highlights on the mask were added. Yeah, well, we have critique discouraged, so... We take a lot of photos each photoshoot, and we pick the ones we like best, so when people critique, they either A) aren't applying their knowledge to the situation we were shooting in or the shot we had in mind B) not thinking technically or considering lighting. These can be frustrating when we like the photo 100% the way it is and thus have critique discouraged.
I'm not trying to be rude in any way, I just strongly disagree with you when I consider what we wanted, the lights we used, the backdrop we used, etc.

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Taragon In reply to girltripped [2008-04-02 18:54:44 +0000 UTC]

Well in that case I believe we think of complimentary colors in completely different ways..hehe ^^ Ok, I guess I respect that Even though it kinda sounds a little like everyone commenting on your photos are wrong, and you're always right... Personally I think constructive criticism is important, no matter how experienced a photographer you might consider yourself being. And it's also an excellent way to improve. I mean...how else can a photographer improve, if he only takes his own opinions into consideration? The worst thing that can happen is that you stop improving...

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girltripped In reply to Taragon [2008-04-02 19:35:52 +0000 UTC]

I agree to an extent. But as I've said before, most of the photographers on DeviantART (not all of them, many are amazing) are amateur photographers who critique in ways that either make no sense or are just silly opinions like "i hate her hair color". I'm not going to pretend I'm learning from critique if I just plain disagree with it. In the past, we've gotten a few critiques where I've told the artist that they're right and thanks for pointing it out. But, in general, people act young and inexperienced with their commentary, and I'll check out their gallery and they aren't even professional photographers. In this case, I do believe I'm right because it's our photo and this is the result we wanted, so whether there is overexposed white spots or not, it was intentional, so it's just an opinion to say you don't like them, it isn't necessarily a way to improve the photo (in my opinion) since I don't feel it would be improved without them. There are many artists on DeviantART that, should they critique our photos, I'm sure I'd learn a lot from because they probably would point out little technical details and I admire their skills. I think we are improving. We take in the opinions of those we admire, not just those on DeviantART. We mostly just display our work here.

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Taragon In reply to girltripped [2008-04-02 19:48:43 +0000 UTC]

Well.. Just like you guys, I also work as a photographer I agree there are a lot of inexperienced artists here on DA, but experience or not...they might still have something useful to say. Btw, are you educated photograpers, or self-taught? (I couldn't find info about it on your webpage)

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girltripped In reply to Taragon [2008-04-02 20:03:48 +0000 UTC]

Well, we've been around DA a long time, as you have. We get all sorts of thoughtless comments that are supposed to be critique. If they're saying something useful when they say "Sexy but I'd add two other girls and different clothes", I must be missing it. We post on here the photos we feel are finished pieces, and we create mostly for ourselves and our love of it. Improving is great, I love it when that happens, but we're doing something that we love and to be honest, between the two of us, I think we're pretty educated... we work with a lot of clients, publications, etc. It makes us happy. I think a lot of people are just nit-picking and telling us how they would have done it. Art is expressing yourself. Art isn't perfection in the eyes of one viewer.

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