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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge 74: The Golden Hours >> Challenge 74: Exhibition > Bikini Sunset
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May 2004 Richard Higgs

Bikini Sunset

I thought I'd add some "body langauge... Lonnit style" to this challenge :-)


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ctfchallenge06-Feb-2005 19:41
You guys have never seen anyone lying on the beach late? Maybe the story is that she fell asleep - she is all alone. And so what if there was fill flash? Ok, yes, technically a reflector would have been a better choice to have 100% sunlight, but the flash was only for fill to lighten the shadows, so lighten up! LOL! I mean, by that standard, you can't take a shot that shows any buildings with interior light coming thru the windows! As for the "fakeness" people seem to be imagining, I'm certain it comes from the use of fill flash. As for the composition throwing people - I've got no problem with the centered horizon; in fact it adds to the calmness and peacefulness of the shot and this would be a strong case for breaking the rule as was done - if the shot was taken from a few steps back to allow more headroom it would give a greater feel of relaxation and expanse to the image. To have her so tightly cropped when she's got all the room in the world to stretch out, is a bit of an oxymoron. Fabulous shot otherwise - the rest of you are wrong. ;) LOL! ~ Lonnit
ctfchallenge06-Feb-2005 18:49
Ok, Rod... yes, bad anology but, I think I got my point across, yes? Julian: It's very difficult for you to say with certainty if this person was still sunbathing / relaxing at this time of day but I'm thinking maybe what you are finding "wrong" with the image, is that the woman seems very large in proportion to the shot itself? When I first viewed the image, I thought the same thing... something looks unconnected but, I'm not the photographer so unless the photographer comes out and says yes or no, who am I to determine real or faux? Regards, Markjay
Julian Hebbrecht06-Feb-2005 15:01
OK, OK it's one image but it's not surrealistic, and no matter how it was made, something feels wrong about it. Apart from the horizon being smack in the middle, (no matter how you try to justify that, it still looks bad), it's probalby the sunbathing at sunset, something nobody ever does. Sometimes, trying to be too clever backfires. The bridge at sunset is superb, no question about that, but somehow this image feels wrong to me. The only thing I like in it is the young model. LOL
Rod 06-Feb-2005 06:52
Cubic zirconia is popular for people that can't afford the real thing (like me) Cubic zirconia does not look as good as a diamond. So maybe your analogy might be off here Mark:-)
ctfchallenge06-Feb-2005 06:01
Julian, Julian... we meet again :-)
This happens to be a very beautiful and surrealistic image. I can see where one might deicide it's two images "stitched" together but really, what's the difference if that's how it was created?? What matters, is the final resulting image IMHO. That's how the cubic zirconia became so popular.... looks good, yet it's man made. Markjay
RH Photography06-Feb-2005 04:33
Ah but!, your honour...The golden sand has been illuminated by the golden light... So technically it is on topic, as your honour....I have a physical subject matter in the photo illuminated by the golden light :-)... I move that all charges are dropped, your Honour, and that my photo not be burnt at the stake!
Rod 06-Feb-2005 02:18
So the lady, the bleeding focal point of the whole shot was illuminated with a flash & not the Golden light called for by the moderator. I think you're in trouble again Richard:-)
Julian Hebbrecht05-Feb-2005 22:31
I guess that's what feels wrong about it - that it's all set up. The next images - the horses and the bridge feel right - very right. Congratulations.
ctfchallenge05-Feb-2005 18:41
nice shot, wonderfully excellent exposure. Beautiful colors. I'd like a bit more room to the left of her head, but that's the only "negative" comment I have. I assumed the fill flash or a reflector was used. There's also some lens flare right on the horizon line so I knew the sky and sand had to have come from the same shot. What part of the shot did you lock exposure on - or did you use an external meter? Great job! ~ Lonnit
RH Photography05-Feb-2005 13:37
Julian.... Of course the girl is not sunbathing at this time of the day during a sunset, because my beautifull model posed for me. This is not a candid photo, it was set-up:-)
The horizon line divides the photo in two only because I have cropped the top part of the sunset to create a 16:9 aspect ratio as you would get from a 3:2 dSLR. The proof of this is the fact that the photo was taken with a Canon S1IS which of course can only take pictures in the 4:3 aspect ratio. Secondly, I did not wish to follow the rule of thirds in this composition, which is how a good landscape without people should be taken.
As for there not being any long shadows cast by the low sun at that angle, you would be correct, except you are forgetting one thing....A good photographer uses fill in flash:-)
This is the ONLY way a photo of this type can be taken. Think about it.... If you expose for the sunset by pointing at the sun (even a setting sun), the lens aperture will close down, meaning the girl would be underexposed, even a sillhouette, like my next shot of the horses :-)
Rod 05-Feb-2005 12:41
Well I stand corrected, I thought it was two images.
Julian Hebbrecht05-Feb-2005 12:08
What made me think that this is a combination of two images is that it's unlikely that someone would be sunbathing at this time of day (no UV rays) and that, given the distance which creates atmospheric perspective, the horizon shoud be lighter than the foreground sand instead of darker. Something looks wrong to me in this picture apart from the fact that the horizon line divides this image exactly in two halves. Wouldn't a low sun like this cast much longer shadows behind the girl's body as well? The shadows as they are now suggest a much higher light source.
RH Photography05-Feb-2005 10:36
Julian, this is one image taken in Hawaii last year. I actually entered this in a mini-challenge last year, and I had straightened out the horizon for that entry, as I felt that it would look better without the lens distortion. I did this using the "warp" function in Photoimpact XL, and is the only way to do this. If one were to use the "lens distortion" tools in Photoimpact, then it effects the whole picture, thus everything becomes undistorted. Using warp allows you to effect only that portion of an image you want to change. However, Rod accused me that I belong to the "world is flat society", or something to that effect:-)... So knowing that Rod would probably raise that issue again here :-), I put back the curved horizon, and I think this maybe what is causing you to think it is a combination of two images.
ctfchallenge05-Feb-2005 05:09
A little padding never hurt. LOL Clever image. Shu
Rod 04-Feb-2005 23:52
Julian really, are you accusing an Ozzie of manipulating his shots? ......Besides, since Richard fixed the horizon you can't tell:-)
Julian Hebbrecht04-Feb-2005 23:19
I may be wrong but this looks like a combination of two different images to me, the sunbathing girl and the sunset.