Delicate

[Pete Askew]

Another shot from the solarising session (http://www.realphotographersforum.com/people-portraits/10051-solarised-portrait.html). Inverted in PS as before but a slightly different approach to toning and enhanced grain than was used before.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

The grain certainly makes a difference. I really like it, Pete. Nice composition too, of course. Delicate is the word. And beautiful.

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks Rob. Yes, the 'prints' need a bit of texture I feel although I'd probably use less for a printed version I think. The negatives themselves, being based on photographic paper, have very low grain. This is a crop of the eye only.

 

[Hamish Gill]

what doe the whole image look like smooth?

 

[Brian Moore]

Very nice, Pete, but for me I think I want to see just a wee bit extra of the frostiness at the edges that solarization brings. It is very nice, though.

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks Brian. This is from the first negative shot in the session and is where I worked out that I needed more tonal difference between skin and background to get a Mackie Line; as you can see the hair shows signs of solarisation but not the face and shoulder except where her shoulder is adjacent to her hair. The focus is also off but I liked the delicate tones that this all created and the way it contrasted with the solarised hair.

 

[Pete Askew]

As promised, here is the version without the grain and toning simulation.

 

[Paul Lange]

It just seems to sit on the borderline of figurative / abstract and there is certainly a softness to it when the grain is added but the non grain version is pretty good too.

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks Paul. I shall probably print this one I think (30 x 30cm) and for that version I will aim somewhere in the middle.

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Pete both versions are superb. I would take the second over the first only because the grain in the first for me is slightly to uniform adding to the flatness and pulling the right side forward.
These are great ideas and superb images and as you say make great prints. A touch of Art Nouveau in them for myself.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Smooth for me Pete - lovely abstract art