Kris

This my third critique for this artist and my third critique overall. Each one has been for this model. One of the things that I have liked universally is, other than the exceptionally beautiful model of course, the backgrounds. This one is my favorite background by far. I love the depth of field, how in the foreground there is the peeling paint of the door frame in sharp focus and how this is beautify contrasted by the backgrounds soft focus. Add to this the lines of the floor boards which start in sharp focus and end in soft, and I have to say that this background is amazing. The other thing it does is contrast the model. All of the background is composed of straight lines and mostly 90 degree angles. This is in direct contrast to the chair and the model. This is a brilliant use of background to create a sense of design, of making the model stand out against what is really a dangerously interesting background to my mind. I think if it had been photographed in focus it would have taken away from the model here, but it does not. In fact I feel it adds a great deal to this photo.
I also like how the model is leaning forward in the chair, the way her toes are pointing so that her feet are not a flat on the floor. It adds a sense of tension to her body that says she is not at rest even though she is sitting. I also like the way her jeans are folded up and there distressed nature. It makes her seem somehow childlike and light of spirit as though she may have just come in from playing in a meadow of flowers.
The one thing that I didn’t find worked for me is the look on her face. It seemed somehow in conflict in relation to the illusion that this photo seemed to be building. I suppose if I am to be honest, to the illusion I was building by way of the photograph. To me it lacks the childlike wonder that would complete the illusion as I see it in my mind or if you wanted to take it the other way, it lacks the sense of sexuality to make it alluring in that sense. Others may disagree, in fact I welcome it. I am aware it is possible I am being hard on the photographer and maybe even the model as well, but that is only because I have seen what each of them can do together and now expect near perfection from them both.