This photo has taken me a long time to process but it is not to the liking of those who are viewing and rating it which is a little frustrating so I would like some honest expert opinion.

It is a photo taken in a studio in which a model adopts a pose as if she wants to free herself from some ropes, hence the title.

The processing is remotely inspired by German expressionist cinema between the wars. I put a brick background and a wooden base to give a prison-like feel and finished it in black and white with a touch of light brown to enhance the reminiscence of German expressionism. I have doubts about the composition and the final finish and would appreciate any further input.

I used Photoshop and Exposure to edit it.

Thank you very much for the critique.

Hello, Toni

Welcome to our forum and thank you for reaching out for our advice. I had given you some advice on the previous image and I checked out your portfolio. I can see that you are mainly influenced and inspired by the expressionist style. I also can understand that your aim is an adverse approach to war and imprisonment as well as mishandling women or let's say people. Honestly I thought a lot about this image and how to be of help. Yet I have just one answer. I think this image has a ton strong emotional connection with the history and the impact of war and enslavement as well as the mishandling of human life. This why I won't be able to give you advice on it. It is my personal opinion and I want to say that it is the first time I do it. I am sorry. Sometimes curation results try to imply something without words to us photographers. Best regards... Cicek

Hi Cicek

Thank you very much Cicek for your comment. Certainly what you have perceived is the story that the photo intends to tell. I think it is very good but it is not being liked in other forums and I don't understand why.

Toni

Hi, again 

considering the connotations this image bears, I think different people have different reasons not to like the image. Some could have technical objections because of the aspect ratio and the composition and others might be against the idea and what it makes them feel. It might be because the scene you try to set up and the ideology behind it might not express the situation truly or sufficiently realistic, and others might not like. The act of the model and the way she stands and is portrait. While speaking of this reasons, I myself. have a little bit of all. I wish I could light. And I want to say keep exploring....Cicek

Dear ToniTorras,

I was tempted to comment your other shot with her, but couldn't decide which way to go to be of assistance. Here I'm afraid I won't be as well, but it's obvious you had a goal in mind, brought everything together, presented and commented your work and there is litle feedback. 

I struggle with your work, and if you hadn't described it, even more. So let me at least share some personal thoughts that may give indications what does not work for me, given I know your plan. The pure photograph would probably not give me that occasion. For the following reasons.

It's a staged shot, obviously. You had the chance to express your intention by light, pose, requisites, environment. 

- The wooden floor and stone wall gives a jail-like atmosphere, but the floor ending within the frame gives a stage-like feeling to it.

- Your theme is surpression, the bright light does not support a dark modd. It's a rather friendly setup, despite walls and floor.

- For me it does not look like she just freed from ropes, it looks like she just found them hanging in the room and acts playful with them

- The rope is far to thick to bind or keep a person, that may also hinder me thinking she was attached to it before. It's more like a ship rope. 

- She's naked, which distracts in my view. Did she have to be for your intention? 

- Her pose I find difficult to interpret. Yes, her glaze is demanding, fits your description of the scene.
  But her body posture does not tell me anything. It looks like she finished a move, but I can't see what sense it made. 

Ultimately, the photo leaves me puzzled. Without a description or title I would be completely lost. If you plan a moody shot with a difficult expression, I can recommend digging into Pinterest and create a modd board there. Pinterest is very good in finding related and similar works, no matter if you're looking for special light, colors, poses, modds, expressions. It's a good method to share this with your model before the shooting, so he or she knows the direction you want to go. In Germany there is a saying, a picture tells more than 1000 words. Here's a starting point for the mood at least.

https://ar.pinterest.com/pin/497577458846432647/

A search for "rope" and "escape" leads to bondage-related content, as you can imagine. You look for the opposite, still some aspects can be an inpiration also for your goals, I believe.

Best regards,

Mike

Dear Mike, 

Thank you very much, Mike for your inspiring comment. When a photo has taken you a long time to create and you see that you don't like it, it's a bit frustrating. I understand perfectly what you are saying and I couldn't agree more. I'm going to completely rethink this work.

Thank you very much for your Pinterest recommendation. The truth is that I don't use it much but I agree that it is a source of inspiration.

Sincerely

Toni