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Russian Mother Takes Magical Portraits of Her Two Boys and their Animal Friends

Discussion in 'Open Discussion' started by addieleman, Jan 19, 2014.

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  1. addieleman

    addieleman Passionate amateur Subscribing Member

    2,976
    Nov 13, 2012
    Netherlands
    Ad Dieleman
    addieleman, Jan 19, 2014
    #1
    • Like Like x 10
  2. Deadbear77

    Deadbear77 TalkEmount Hall of Famer Subscribing Member

    2,275
    Sep 14, 2012
    Northeast Ohio
    Kevin
    Lovely stuff. Has to be a lot of photoshopping. They almost seem Rockwell equse... Almost like what Poki would do with portraits instead of landscapes. Lol

    On a serious note, it's some of the best portraits I've seen
     
    Deadbear77, Jan 19, 2014
    #2
    • Like Like x 1
  3. NickCyprus

    NickCyprus Super Moderator Subscribing Member

    6,127
    Oct 11, 2012
    Cyprus
    Nick
    Saw this link on another site yesterday - Excellent photos!!! "Magical" is indeed the appropriate word here :thumbup:
     
    NickCyprus, Jan 19, 2014
    #3
  4. Jefenator

    Jefenator TalkEmount Top Veteran Subscribing Member

    877
    Nov 23, 2012
    Oregon, USA
    Jeff
    Absolutely stunning!
     
    Jefenator, Jan 19, 2014
    #4
  5. davect01

    davect01 Super Moderator Subscribing Member

    7,244
    Aug 20, 2011
    Fountain Hills, AZ
    Dave
    Worthy of publication for sure.
     
    davect01, Jan 19, 2014
    #5
  6. WoodWorks

    WoodWorks Super Moderator Subscribing Member

    4,658
    Dec 12, 2012
    Ashland, OR, USA
    David
    Woof! These photos serve to remind me why I don't even attempt portraits very often. There's just no way I could ever come within spitting distance of these.
     
    WoodWorks, Jan 19, 2014
    #6
  7. José De Bardi

    José De Bardi Assistant in Virtue Subscribing Member

    1,000
    Aug 31, 2013
    Dorset, UK
    José
    +1 to that!

    I'm trying really hard to get into portrait tho - nothing I'm willing to share yet!
     
    José De Bardi, Jan 19, 2014
    #7
  8. Bill

    Bill TalkEmount Veteran

    359
    Oct 22, 2012
    Brisbane, Australia
    Bill
    This is not a criticism of Elena, as I love her finished images. But the images did raise some questions for me personally.

    They seem heavily photoshopped. It looks to me like she's masking out her subjects and then working on the backgrounds in separate layers. And it appears that she's adding more than just a Gaussian blur. It appears to me that much of the mist/fog has been painted in. And, as they say, there's nothing wrong with that.

    She has not asked anything of us, except to consider the finished product. And her results certainly work. But in admiring (envying?) these, it made me ask myself whether I'm a photographer or a computer illustrator—and where's the line for me?

    The landscape photographer John Anderson made this observation: "The thing about digital photography that I think is in some ways troublesome is that it starts to erode the illusion of reality that photographs contain; and if it loses that completely, then its a different medium."
     
    Bill, Jan 19, 2014
    #8
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  9. Deadbear77

    Deadbear77 TalkEmount Hall of Famer Subscribing Member

    2,275
    Sep 14, 2012
    Northeast Ohio
    Kevin
    I completely agree. Great illustrations.
     
    Deadbear77, Jan 19, 2014
    #9
  10. WoodWorks

    WoodWorks Super Moderator Subscribing Member

    4,658
    Dec 12, 2012
    Ashland, OR, USA
    David
    I think I understand what John Anderson, and you, are questioning, Bill. But for myself, I don't find this illustration/photography conundrum troubling in the least. I don't see myself as a documentarian when I snap the shutter. I'm not trying to deceive anyone by claiming that what I eventually choose to show them is supposed to represent a two-dimensional facsimile of the "reality" that I saw through the viewfinder. By framing, exposing, choosing a depth of field, timing the shutter click, and yes, by post-processing the images at home in front of my computer, I am interpreting what I saw. At best, I am trying to recreate what I felt when I snapped the shutter. And if I slather on layers of digital manipulation to achieve that, well, who is harmed? Others are fee to enjoy, detest, or shrug at what I came up with. I'm happy if they like it, but feel no loss if they don't. I know that it's a subjective game.

    Now, were I a photojournalist, tasked with attempting to objectively document a newsworthy event, that's an entirely different thing. But the rest is all just art. Call it photography, illustration, or whatever you choose. I really don't see much distinction between the two. I believe that all photos are manipulated to some extent, even if it's just in the framing. It's just a matter of degree. Or, as you say: where's the line?

    For me, the most troublesome photos make me feel nothing. And these images definitely don't do that.
     
    WoodWorks, Jan 19, 2014
    #10
    • Like Like x 2
  11. alaios

    alaios TalkEmount All-Pro

    1,197
    Jan 11, 2013
    Düsseldorf
    Alex
    Actually I wanted to see her photoshop skills and how she worked on each image separately.
     
    alaios, Jan 20, 2014
    #11
  12. Bill

    Bill TalkEmount Veteran

    359
    Oct 22, 2012
    Brisbane, Australia
    Bill
    David,

    I accept what you're saying. I think I enjoyed her images as much as anyone. I tried to make sure that my comments were only about the question that it triggered for me.
     
    Bill, Jan 20, 2014
    #12
    • Like Like x 1
  13. TonyTurley

    TonyTurley TalkEmount Hall of Famer

    2,116
    Apr 24, 2013
    West Virginia, USA
    Those photos are indeed extraordinary. While they do exhibit some heavy PP, there is no denying her skill, nor her apparent passion.

    Tony
     
    TonyTurley, Jan 20, 2014
    #13
  14. Zanner

    Zanner TalkEmount Veteran Subscribing Member

    404
    Aug 19, 2013
    Wisconsin, USA
    Suzanne
    Beautiful
     
    Zanner, Jan 20, 2014
    #14
  15. BJW

    BJW TalkEmount Regular

    109
    Sep 30, 2011
    USA
    Bruce
    I would most definitely agree with you. No matter where her journey took her to arrive at these images I would, if I had the ability, take the same journey!
    Bruce
     
    BJW, Jan 20, 2014
    #15
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  16. demiro

    demiro TalkEmount Regular

    121
    Mar 2, 2012
    Nicely put Bruce. That is the test, isn't it?
     
    demiro, Jan 20, 2014
    #16
  17. TClair

    TClair Guest

    Beautiful images!
     
    TClair, Jan 20, 2014
    #17