Compositing critique please

[eratanun]

Been browsing around here and there on here recently, and it looks like there's some talent! Just did a shoot with a friend this weekend who wanted to capture the them "Beauty is Pain". We shot her in a few different positions and stages of make up, and then composited it all together. Let me know what you guys think, good or bad!

Thanks!

Ed

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3558/...b241f5c5_o.jpg

[plantphoto]

Hi Ed,
Not sure what effect you where looking for (e,g photo realistic).
I think the corner edge on the chair look a little soft and a little too harsh on the surgeon especially around the hair.
Hope this helps a little.
Simon

[mikedimples]

Interesting idea, what was the intended purpose of this picture? For practice? For stock?

Here are some problems I see:

1. The slight black area around the doctor indicate that the glowing face is casting significant light, although the doctor seems all but unaffected by the light. She's lit evenly. She also appears to be wearing a Yamica (sp?).

2. The light from the floating face should make the top of the patient's breasts lit, and the underside shadowed. It looks like it's reversed.

3. If you intent wasn't to have the mask that bright, then the strange black halos around the doctor and the patient have to go.

4. The detail in the background is much too strong -- in fact it's the sharpest part of the image, bringing it forward and making the image look flat.

5. Using pure black for shadows looks fake. If the doctor is lit with that warm yellow light from the floating face, the shadows would contain subtle cool blues and purples, not black.

6. Are the doctor and the patient supposed to be the same person? Since it doesn't really fit with your concept, I'm going to guess no. I'd photoshop out the tattoes on the patient, or at least make them different. If they ARE supposed to be the same person, then make it more obvious. Right now it looks like an oversight.

7. This isn't really a retouch critique, but composition. The object in the upper right corner is drawing more attention than it should. What are the silver objects on the table? They almost look like tin-foil oragami. If they aren't relevant to the concept, I'd get rid of them.

8. I'm confused as to why the doctor appears to enjoy inflicting pain on the patient, who's face seems serene and calm. It doesn't seem to fit the concept "Pain is beauty" to me, but maybe I just don't understand what you were going for.

Besides that, nice work.

[eratanun]

Thanks guys! It's mainly for practice, and just something a friend wanted to shoot... I do know that one of the big things I need to concentrate on is light, as that's what can make an image look totally fake or so real you feel like you're in the image.

Again, thanks for taking the time for the comments, it definitely helps out alot!