# White White Girl With A Black Black Soul ~ Black Crystal



## JohnKokWithAdSLR (Feb 19, 2011)

My story is that I just got my very first dSLR not too long ago

Over time I have made some progress in terms of sharpness but I still have much to learn, particularly when it comes to compo, lighting and bg.

I still use live view, have to use manual focus because AF too slow in LV.

This is Black Crystal, shes a pocket sunshine ;-)

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C & C welcome, please be harsh as possible, I want to learn fast as possible.

EXIF
1/160, f5.0, ISO 800, 50mm f/1.8

Self criticism: 
#2 - got some kinda black thing sticking out of model's head ( damnit ) 
#4 - shooting done in haste, should have paid more attention to bg compo

Oh and I hate flash and I have undying love for ambient lighting.

Sorry about the small pictures, got _ bigger ones here_


Artistic Side of Things 

I am mainly here for technical improvement but please allow me the opportunity to share a little bit about my actual work. 

All these photos that I posted all along are actually from my invention of an article that I hope can help us, through pictures and words, understand another person to a certain degree.

The full article for Black Crystal is here -> _ Full Article_

See all the photos and the small written words in between them. Then in your mind, try to see the big picture and reconstruct an individual based on the combination of all of these emotions and impressions both visual and written. If what you have constructed in your mind is at least 20 % of the real person then my experimental article is on the right track. The "flair" section is like a small guideline to this process, maybe its kinda unethical to try to summarize another person in a word or two but I do it with utmost empathy I promise.

I am grateful for any feedback at all at this artistic side of things too if possible because it is still experimental, any opinion or feedback at all in that department would progress the whole project further thank you =)


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## dxqcanada (Feb 20, 2011)

You need to look more at the things around the subject ... don't loose track of the fact that everything in the image adds words to the story, not just the girl.


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## JohnKokWithAdSLR (Feb 21, 2011)

dxqcanada said:


> You need to look more at the things around the subject ... don't loose track of the fact that everything in the image adds words to the story, not just the girl.


 
you are absolutely right, my attention to detail certainly begs to be improved.


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## Patrice (Feb 22, 2011)

An old british series called 'Last of the Summer Wine' has a character called Compo, but I take it you are not referring to that. You must mean composition and do you mean background when you write bg?

As for the images, they are ok but not great. The focus is a bit soft and they seem a touch overexposed. The composition has been commented on already.

You cut off the top of her head in one and three. Really tight cropping is popular with the younger crowd right now.

You cut off her feet in number four, this just looks bad on a full body shot.

Why are you using live view to focus?


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## JohnKokWithAdSLR (Feb 23, 2011)

Patrice said:


> An old british series called 'Last of the Summer Wine' has a character called Compo, but I take it you are not referring to that. You must mean composition and do you mean background when you write bg?
> 
> As for the images, they are ok but not great. The focus is a bit soft and they seem a touch overexposed. The composition has been commented on already.
> 
> ...


 
haha Last of Summer Wine sounds like a very dreamy series

Indeed, right on on all of the shortcomings of this series, I really have much to learn. Thank you very much for taking your time to point them out for me, I will redouble my efforts.

I was using Live View because I have been photographing for 10 years using compact cameras ... its a habit that I have to kick


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