Coralie
Wednesday, July 20. 2005
Lexington, MA (Jul 15, 2005)
This is Coralie, who is a very talented violinist. She is the sister of Natasha from the previous post. This photo was actually easier to take than the previous one, because of the stronger illumination of the spot where she was playing her solo piece. The stronger light allowed a shorter exposure (1/40 if I recall correctly now) enough to drastically reduce the softness of the photo, but was also a source of more complications. As you can notice, the light was coming from a couple of reflectors directly overhead, causing the strong shadows that are still visible under her eyes, and the strong highlights on the violin. Some selective dodging and burning solved part of the problem, but having a softer light would have been certainly better, as I am still a little bothered by the remaining shadow. What do you think, should have I done more dodging, or the shadows are acceptable now?
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i actually like the shadows. it gives a lovely contrast to the soft light. another brilliant shot, massimo 
I think the shadows are acceptable at this point. I think any more dodging would begin to look unnatural. Again, I think the 1/40 shutter spead worked in your favor, as the slight motion on the bow is quite effective at bringing this frame to life. But, speaking of burning and dodging, I think I would have burned in the background to complete black, effectively getting rid of the cello case, and making the canvas total negative space. Still, both this and the previous shot are great representations of the “feel” of this setting, and not strict documentation. Very nice, both.
Lovely image. I, too, think the shadows are acceptable, but the only one I would think of trying to soften would be the edge between the two shadows under the violin on her chest. Everything else about this image is soft (in a good way), but this transition seems a little harsh. Again, this is only a very minor quibble -- this is a wonderful image, and very nice work considering the lighting conditions at the time. I know how hard it is to shoot performers.
I think the shot is magnificent as you have posted it. I’d have to try more dodging and burning before I could say if I liked it better or not. The subject matter is delightful and I think you did her justice.
Another very nice portrait. I agree with Matt re the dodging of the shadows. There’s a fine line between enough and too much, but a huge chasm in the results. I think you found the balance point here.
Those shadows are perfect! What a beautiful shot - it’s simply stunning work.
I really like this image, the light coming in looks nice on her, and I didn’t notice the shadows under her eyes. I agree about darkening the background though, because I wasn’t sure what that shadow was on the right (the case). beautiful though!
Thanks again for the comments. I didn’t notice the harsh shadow of the violin but it is true, I should have softened it a bit (I’ll do that before making a new print). Regarding the background... I don’t think that darker would work, because at that point her hair would merge in the background. This is the darker I could get while having her still separated from the background.
Very nice, well-balanced composition, Massimo. I even like the cello case in the background on the right. The highlights on the violin look fine to me. As for the highlights under her eyes, I agree that ideally they shouldn’t be there, but one can’t always have studio lighting conditions when taking candids in normal surroundings, and this is a nice potrait which I’m sure your subject appreciates.
very nice composition. and u pick the right choice to put it in b/w. beautiful!
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