Andre's comment is so good and detailed that there's not much I can add, except that I love it! A very appealing image. Her costume is wonderful too, extravagant and sexy yet tasteful and elegant.
Hi all .. thanks for the comments. Hi Andre Fersen... thank you so very much.... Yes I have been using studio flash units (Eilenchrom 23) in my work with softboxes, umbrella and other accessories as per requirement. This particular picture so as few others posted have been from an extensive shoot for the graduating fashion designers. All dresses had been modelled by the student designer themselves or other co-students. Since this was for a CD brochure, white as a background was selected except a few I had shot using black as white on white would not have come out well. The final image used was 200x300 pixels, a pretty small size for my taste. There was a whole variety of dresses both ethinic Indian and Western. Some students had given good poses but from the rest I had to coax them for the poses. Since there were about a thousand pictures to be shot, I may have due to paucity of time overlooked a few things to get the best from the part time student models. Professional models do learn over a time the varoius movements and placement of the feet. Here it was quite a tough time as I did not want the camera shy students from backing out. Extra accessories could not be used as I had shot in a very cramped room (9 x 14 feet) of the director of the department. I couldnot place lights at the required distance from the model or the background. Well the whites usually require some tweaking most of the times.
Yes it is a nice photo but I think more meaningful comment is needed. First, the use of white background is perfect to set off the bright costume of the subject. Perhaps I only say this because I'm rather fond of white backgrounds myself. Personally I shoot my subjects against an off-white wall (not a choice, but a necessity - it's the only wall I have), then use Levels in photoshop to brighten the background till it becomes white (it comes out sort of grey in the photo to start with). I think you have a rather more sophoisticated lighting set-up than mine - I have only a swivel/tilt flash (but a good one, the Canon 550). I also have a reflector, which I use as creatively as I can (it creates interesting shadows).
Then I like your use of costume on the model. This is really a fancy-dress model shot, after all - we are looking at a dazzliung red and black costume, and a little bit of sex appeal - and the costume and pose have to be handled just right. That's not easy. I actually rely on one of my models to give suggestions - how useful to have a model with artistic telent! But I think yuo do this yourself.
I like this kind of photo where eroticism is present but understated - it's the most effective way.
Ok, I guess I can look for things to criticise in a negatoive fashion - I find the hand hanging by her side a little lifeless, especially if yuo compare it to the other hand, so provoocatively clinging to her hip. How about holding a black fan, or some such prop? Give it something to do...
Really, I like your work because I see (or think I see) that you are working with similar artisitic ideas to me. Different subjects (of course), but some similarity of approach. Interesting.
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