Here’s one for comments and suggestion of a title. At the moment its working title is “The Angel and the Vampire”.
After comments from Ken, here is version 2. I have brightened the vampire’s face, toned down the lighter windows a bit and brightened up the angel. It all gets a bit subtle to see here though.
Can’t see any “halos” ??? I love the colour and composition but find the windows to the left of the lady! a bit distracting I would have also darkened the small windows to her right to just concentrate on the large one and maybe darkened her chest to keep the attention on the face ( and that from a man)- but you know this and will have decided what you are going to do with it – Love to see the end version -For a tittle I find it a bit tricky trying to avoid the religious overtones that could offend but thought of “choose your communion”- or a more longwinded caption Our new vicar isn’t half pulling the men in these days
Ken
Thanks for that Ken. Hey, you’ve disturbed the tumbleweed in here!!
I’m not sure I want to do any more with her chest (it was very white when I started and I’ve done quite a lot of work on it already) but I’ll have a look again at the windows. I considered darkening them and decided against, but it’s worth another look. At this size it looks like the angel window wants brightening a bit too.
Someone said today that I always take my photos in Oldham…well, it’s not quite true, but I did take the vampire woman in Oldham…you do meet some interesting people there on a Saturday afternoon!!!
just thought of another tittle “fancy a bite for lunch” I did not realise you had worked on it already Is the lady put into the the image then – I have tried cutting out on a couple of my images it took me about three hours on each a pixel at a time – Cant wait to find the easy way – I agree about brightening the main window – theres one good thing about modern society it provides us with many photo opportunities – even in Oldham
Ken
Yes, it is a montage. The woman was photographed outside the library in Oldham and the window is at Victoria Baths in Manchester. There isn’t really an easy way to cut out in most cases, unless it’s a vase or something else with “hard” edges. Most cut-outs of people involve hair and that can be a nightmare. If you don’t retain the fine hairs against the background it looks like a wig, so it’s worth spending the time.
Unfortunately, some of the fine detail has been lost in the conversion to a small jpg, especially shadow detail, which is there in the original.
But I’m going to do a bit more work on the windows today.
It might not make a difference between a 7 and a 9 though!!!!!
Chris
Here we are Ken, version 2. The changes don’t show as much as they should at this small size. However, brightening up the face and darkening the light windows has definitely helped. We’ll have to wait to see the full size version in the next quarterly to see if if makes a difference between a 7 and a 9.
But as to title…I’m looking for something that reflects the contrast between the two elements in the picture…wickedness and purity, good and evil….and possibly also communicates the similarity in the 2 subjects too…ie the similarity of colour and shape.
Chris if you ask your dad about some of the sayings that May West use to come up with ( you will be to young to remember her )
You might find a title for your picture ??? like
ITS NOT THE MEN IN MY LIFE ITS THE LIFE IN MY MEN
although on second thoughts they are a bit on the long side How about
VALKYRIE
from the Norse Legends
I’m toying with the idea of “Fallen Angel” at the moment. But at the end of the day, if the juxtaposition of the woman and the background don’t work for the judge, the title won’t matter a jot
I think it’s time I dipped my toe in this ‘ere bloggin’ !!
I have to say that this is my sort of picture – and I think any adjustments are only going to fall into the category of ‘tweaking’. The fine tuning will only be seen and appreciated in a print or a projected image.
Being a ‘bit slow on the uptake’ I wondered where I was supposed to be looking for ‘haloes’ as I couldn’t see evidence of over-sharpening – then light (not a halo!) dawned! Perhaps I should be concentrating on understanding humour instead of Photoshop!
Back to the picture ………….. I think the vibrant colours work extremely well together; the purple basque, the provocative pose and the demurely covered arms send all sorts of contradictory and challenging messages! Both the figure and the backgound glass are beautiful but hold out different promises; one of excitment and danger the other of reflection and gentleness. I’ll leave you to guess which I think is which!
I like the position of the ‘lady’ in front of, and dominating, the ‘angel’ in the stained glass. I also like the way her face and head are positioned, against the darker frame of the window panels, and don’t have to compete too closely with the colours of the stained glass.
The decoration on stained glass has an Art Nouveau look about it which I love.
As to a title – the best I can come up with at the moment is, ‘Promises of Heaven ……. and Hell’
Hi Sheila. Thanks for the positive take on the image. I rather like your idea of “Promises of Heaven and Hell” which exactly reads the picture as I intended it to communicate ….contrasts between 2 ideas…a slightly different take to “Fallen Angel” but in the same ballpark.
Hi Chris,
The only problem that I had with the ‘Fallen Angel’ title was that the angel in the stained glass doesn’t have the usual ‘heavenly features’, such as white garment, wings and halo that we normally associate with angels. Is the winged figure a depiction from mythology?
Hi Sheila
The winged figure in stained glass is not really an angel, but apparently Fyfe Robertson dubbed her the “Angel of Purity” when he did a TV piece on the Victoria Baths in the 1970’s and the term stuck. In fact she’s a secular figure and she adorns the Turkish Bath waiting area. She is modern, as are the stained glass colours in which she is painted and no-one seems to know her origin.