Critique Welcomed My floating head & mona lisa...

[Adam Lewis]

Got bored earlier so had a play with low key technique.
Was only happy with 1 out of about 15 photos (because I have 2 cold sores & a red nose which is cracked and peeling (just had a huge cold and/or a virus).
I'm not sure if I like my floating head, but here it is anyway:


And my Mona Lisa-esque:


Both edited using the beloved Snapseed which I only just found a button that opens up a whole new world of possibilities to me lol.

 

[Paul Lange]

I think they both work well and are rather good. The head does loom out of the dark a bit on the first but I think it make it dramatic. The shadow on the cheek and neck are a bit hard on the second maybe they need lifting slightly?

 

[Brian Moore]

I agree with Paul. Both are good. First, thanks for concealing in shadow your cracked red nose.

I like the chiaroscuro effect of the first one. It lends drama and impact. I like the tones in the second--if someone told me it was an album cover for a solo musician I'd willingly suspend disbelief.

 

[Paul Lange]

When I posted before I was upstairs on my main computer that has a calibrated screen. Now I am downstairs on a net book that is not calibrated and the shadow is a lot lighter and not a problem.

 

[Adam Lewis]

Paul, thanks for that, I totally see it now, I had my iphone screen on as bright as it would go and it looked ok, but since in-brighting it, it's too dark.
I tried to fix it on snapseed again but it just looks even worse trying to fix - the limitations of a phone lol.

And Brian, you really would be thankful that I've concealed it in the shadows lol, I look like a mutant

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

I also like the processing onto the light used and can see it being something to explore or at least a good skill to have to repeat where it's affects work well, and are needed.

 

[Adam Lewis]

Well Julian, the light was up there in the corner, though it didnt cast into the walls behind me (I left lots of room), so I could've literally had a head floating in darkness, however I edited in the cast from the flash (onto the wall). I exposed for darkness. And was a good 6ft from the wall see. So the removal of my tshirt and the cast of flash are edited in

- - - Updated - - -

Oh yeah - I also have edited myself more hair in the Mona Lisa shot, can anyone notice where? Lol

 

[Kev Pugh]

I think they both work bbut for me I would like a crop from the right hand side so that you are looking into open space, I think that would add more mystery and intrigue, especially to the second as the first has it by the fact that you are just a face...

It's good to take boredom to the next level don't you think?

 

[Adam Lewis]

Like this Kev?


Any less of a crop and I'm left with a distracting white line at bottom right (from tshirt shoulders)
Perhaps I shouldn't have been centre to camera in the first place lol

 

[Kev Pugh]

I think so Adam now it I think it has an Alexander Rodchenko feel to it

 

[Pete Askew]

I'm with the general consensus here Adam although for me the floating head is the stronger of the two images. As with the suggestion for the second, I would crop some from the left though.