... well it's not really as I took this photo about 3 years ago. I decided to print it as a test to check my darkroom kit which I put back together again last week. I thought it was a fitting picture to submit to you lot to critique as I've not posted one before.

It was taken with my SL and f2 'Cron 50 and I used Ilford SFX with an orange filter (stupid me lost my red filter that afternoon).

Ok guys and gals flame me!!!

-- Philip Woodcock (phil@pushbar.demon.co.uk), March 05, 2002

Answers

oh yes the enlarger is a Durst 370 with a Leitz f4.5 lens

-- Philip Woodcock (phil@pushbar.demon.co.uk), March 05, 2002.

The photo has a certain dixonesque quality about it.

Dennis

-- Dennis Couvillion (couvilaw@aol.com), March 05, 2002.

Nice portrait. I have my own inadvertently "Dixonesque" shot from last year (well @ least it shows babes in a bar!):

-- Chris Chen (Washington, DC) (furcafe@cris.com), March 05, 2002.

I like these kind of shots, Philip. A Super Model? No. A Real Person with flaws and character? Yes. I also like the way it's framed off balance - gives it the tension appropriate to her appearance. I think the lower-right corner should be burned in though.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), March 05, 2002.

For future reference, a portrait of this woman will be more flattering if her mouth is either closed or in full smile--but not partially open. She has an interesting look about her, which makes a simple shot of her so effective.

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), March 05, 2002.

Philip:

I like it a lot. SFX, as well as true infrared do fascinating things to eyes.....a mystical quality. Nice work old boy!

Ben

-- Ben Hughes (ben@hughesbros.com), March 05, 2002.

Hi, Philip:

Good work, indeed. I was wondering wheter you have cropped the image since the lenght to width ratio seems to be somewhat unusual.

Only item to note: IMHO it lacks some more detail concerning the texture of her skin in order to match Mike's usual postings (by the way I think that, in general, the portraits Mike posts here are better than the ones he shows in his own site).

Strongest point in your image: composition, I think. I liked it. Keep posting, please.

Regards !

-Iván

-- Iván Barrientos M (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), March 05, 2002.

Thanks for such quick positive response guys!!! cheers I think my scanner has a bug which seems to slightly alter the aspect ratio as the image is full frame and I use an oversized mask to give true full frame.

I will keep posting now that I'm back up and running, already a queue of young women are wanting my long lost skills.

I wanna be like Mike... isn't that a line from 'Bad Boys'?

-- Philip Woodcock (phil@pushbar.demon.co.uk), March 05, 2002.

I like it, too (and not just because you're saying nice things about me). Very direct. I do agree about burning in the blown out corner. . .

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), March 06, 2002.