Nude

[Peter Lewin]

"Charlotte" looks like she just stepped out of Helmut Newton's "They Are Coming" image!

[Amedeus]

I second this ;-)

Thank you, everyone -- much appreciated. Kelsey Dylan is the model, and a good one at that -- recommended: http://www.modelmayhem.com/1223875

[Randy]

Looking at both images on the previous page (204) brings to mind a question I have had but haven't really looked for an answer - is there a "rule", or guideline for cropping body parts off, namely arms and legs? Is it better to crop at the joints (knees and elbows) or between the joints?

[Emil Schildt]

Looking at both images on the previous page (204) brings to mind a question I have had but haven't really looked for an answer - is there a "rule", or guideline for cropping body parts off, namely arms and legs? Is it better to crop at the joints (knees and elbows) or between the joints?

there is...

"Always crop above a joint..."

Under or at the middle of an arm or leg the result looks amputated...

That said, someone once said "There are no rules... break them"...

[Alan Gales]

there is...

"Always crop above a joint..."

Under or at the middle of an arm or leg the result looks amputated...

That said, someone once said "There are no rules... break them"...

This is the rule what I was taught by my figure drawing teacher at art school.

I was also told on this forum that rules are for Neophytes who don't know what they are doing.

I'll go along with what Emil is telling you. Of course all rules can be broken at one time or another. You have to decide when it works.

[Leigh]

The standard in the trades (machinists and such) is:

The Apprentice learns the rules
The Journeyman follows the rules.
The Master writes the rules.

- Leigh

[Randy]

For me, the crop Ed used works very well. Flash's crop is a tad, I don't know...distracting...uneasy...unnatural? Makes me think that if you are going to crop that far down the legs, may as well of shown the feet.

Or is it just that I am into feet

[Alan Gales]

The photograph with the cropped feet felt unnatural to me too, Randy.

[Alan Gales]

The standard in the trades (machinists and such) is:

The Novice learns the rules
The Journeyman follows the rules.
The Master writes the rules.

- Leigh

Well, I guess that would make me a journeyman photographer but a novice large format photographer.

I was a journeyman sheet metal worker but it didn't really matter. All of us followed the bosses' rules or you were down the road. Every shop had it's owner and a different set of rules.

[Alan Gales]

Not exactly a nude, but it seems more nude than portrait to me. 5x7. Dallmeyer 3B.

This is a very good example where the rule is broken and the photograph works out quiet well. Leigh would say that Ed is a master and I would quite agree.

I think that maybe Leigh and I's argument may be about splitting hairs.