Strike *Warning contains violence* [Archive]

moomike

07-12-2007, 10:52

Was in a rather odd mood yesterday & decided to step out of my comfort zone & go for an unusual emotional image - will obviously not be to everyone's taste I understand.

Sidelit using a single off camera flash for atmosphere.

C&C is welcome & appreciated as usual :thumbs:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/1064/SP_self_abuse.jpg

Cheers for looking at me punching myself in the face :lol:

photoden

07-12-2007, 11:03

Hi Mike, I like it in an odd sort of way, but I have to say that if I didnt know better I would say you were a mean ugly looking b****rd

Cuddy

07-12-2007, 11:03

Powerful image great expressions, i think you should step out of your comfort zone more often.

moomike

07-12-2007, 11:15

Hi Mike, I like it in an odd sort of way, but I have to say that if I didnt know better I would say you were a mean ugly looking b****rd

:lol::lol: PMSL Den, cheers for that mate :thumbs:

Powerful image great expressions, i think you should step out of your comfort zone more often.

Cheers Cuddy, had great fun doing the shot (would have been really funny to watch too :lol: :thumbs:

Messiah Khan

07-12-2007, 11:22

I like it. I would however like to see a different composition/stance. Id prefer if the character being punched had his torso twisted round clockwise more. at the momen't he looks like he's being punched from behind which doesn't quite look right to me. Other than that, nice shot. :)

moomike

07-12-2007, 11:32

Cheers mate - I totally agree about the punched from behind comment & was originally going to call the image "ambush" & add in some kind of alley scene.
I have a full memory card of different poses/stances (including the sideways twisted ones & falling backwards) but felt that this one worked best out of all of them & decided to go with it. If more feedback says the same & it does look really awkward then I'll take a look at some of my other poses & see if any of the others work (not looking forward to trying to match that facial expression again though :lol:)

Cheers again for the feedback mate, much appreciated :thumbs:

Si Micklewright

07-12-2007, 12:10

i love that, fantastic PP, must have taken you ages, well done, very film noir
Si.

gibbo

07-12-2007, 12:14

Powerful image great expressions, i think you should step out of your comfort zone more often.

I agree, brilliant shot :thumbs:

moomike

07-12-2007, 12:19

i love that, fantastic PP, must have taken you ages, well done, very film noir
Si.

Cheers for the feedback Si - I am aiming for shaking hands with myself for the next shot :cuckoo: :thumbs:

I agree, brilliant shot :thumbs:

Cheers mate :thumbs:

^^Gord^^

07-12-2007, 12:29

In the words of Louie Walsh, I like it!

moomike

07-12-2007, 12:33

:lol: Cheers mate :thumbs:

Jaykay

07-12-2007, 12:47

I like this a lot, I'd definately like to see you try more shots like this, keep it up!

moomike

07-12-2007, 12:49

Thanks for that Jaykay :thumbs:

Geordi69

07-12-2007, 20:42

Very different, very powerful image.

I like.

oldgit

07-12-2007, 20:57

powerful, moving, excellent!

moomike

07-12-2007, 20:59

Very different, very powerful image.

I like.

Cheers for that Geordi :thumbs:

powerful, moving, excellent!

Thanks Paul, very much appreciated mate :thumbs:

Jimmy_Lemon

07-12-2007, 21:01

Saw this earlier but couldnt comment, really like it! Doesnt look like you at the back though :p Very nicely done though :thumbs: hope we get to see some more ;)

..MD..

07-12-2007, 21:03

mike mike mike..
that is just how i feel at the moment .:lol:

must say i like the idea alot needs some tweaks imo but the idea is fantastic and almost very very well executed all imho

dave:thumbs:

Snake Man

07-12-2007, 21:05

Fantastic. Love it.

moomike

07-12-2007, 21:33

Saw this earlier but couldnt comment, really like it! Doesnt look like you at the back though :p Very nicely done though :thumbs: hope we get to see some more ;)

Cheers Mr.Lemon, I've had a haircut so that's probably why it doesn't look like me - it's my "I forgot to take it off ISO3200" face :lol:

mike mike mike..
that is just how i feel at the moment .:lol:

must say i like the idea alot needs some tweaks imo but the idea is fantastic and almost very very well executed all imho

dave:thumbs:

What would you do to change it Dave?
Cheers for looking :thumbs:

Fantastic. Love it.

Cheers mate :thumbs:

Mikharper

07-12-2007, 21:53

Very well done, love the lighting, any "strobist" info to share? I agree with Messiah Khan about the pose but that can be a work in progress, really like it.

Dark Star

07-12-2007, 22:51

Thats one unusual and creative image! I saw that and thought 'Album cover!'

Really good!!!

moomike

07-12-2007, 23:05

Very well done, love the lighting, any "strobist" info to share? I agree with Messiah Khan about the pose but that can be a work in progress, really like it.

Cheers, the image was very straightforward actually, one flash off to the side fired with a trigger (not diffused to give harsher contrast) dialled down in power so as to maintain detail in the highlighted areas. I left the door slightly open to allow a trickle of light in to just faintly outline the shadowed edges too. I found the point of focus to be the most awkward thing about this image, actually throwing the punch & pressing the trigger at the same time to try to capture the feeling of motion.

Think I'll go back over my images & see if there are any that would fit better that I may have missed. Cheers for the feedback :thumbs:

Thats one unusual and creative image! I saw that and thought 'Album cover!'

Really good!!!

Cheers John, much appreciated mate :thumbs:

PapaLazarou

07-12-2007, 23:06

InaGlo

07-12-2007, 23:20

Think I'll go back over my images & see if there are any that would fit better that I may have missed.

Nooooo! stop beating yourself up Mike *groan*

I really like this, the expressions are spot on, & I love the processing.
At first I thought the angle of the (agressive) Mike seemed a little off and that he needed to come slightly more from the left, but then the fist wouldnt be straight on to camera.

Hmm! I know it sounds wrong but I like it with a (very) slightly tighter crop along the top & on the right .... oh ignore me... composition isnt one of my stronger points! ;)

moomike

07-12-2007, 23:33

I like it a lot Mike, I think it would look much better if the punch came from the side. It would give it a more impact, looks a bit stage from the back. Great shot though dont get me wrong, it might just be me.

Cheers Mark, I do have a few side on shots & will see if it improves the image. Cheers for the c&c :thumbs:

Nooooo! stop beating yourself up Mike *groan*

:shake: :p :lol:

I really like this, the expressions are spot on, & I love the processing.
At first I thought the angle of the (agressive) Mike seemed a little off and that he needed to come slightly more from the left, but then the fist wouldnt be straight on to camera.

Hmm! I know it sounds wrong but I like it with a (very) slightly tighter crop along the top & on the right .... oh ignore me... composition isnt one of my stronger points! ;)

Thanks for the feedback Glo, I'll see how it looks with the crop too :thumbs:
Sounds weird saying the aggressive Mike, no, the other Mike, you have the wrong Mike :lol:

07-12-2007, 23:37

Really great idea - well thought out - just needs a bit more care in the planning and execution. As already said the body angle of the victim looks a bit off, but the most obvious thing for me is that the attacker, whilst having a great expression of aggression is looking directly into the lens not at his victim which feels all wrong.

It's well worth pursuing this Mike the idea is sound, but the execution is never easy and really needs planning through before you start.

It's a shame Pook doesn't post here much now - he posted one of the best examples of these complicated setup shots I've seen, I dunno if it's still in his gallery.

..MD..

07-12-2007, 23:39

:thinking: well ive had a look as i do.and imo

nah this is a very good image mike .but if i was being totally picky......

the 1 st image is great , really like the focus.

but when you put the second image in which in itself is vey very good imo. you look at one shot as two not as one i know this may sound funny but thats the feeling a get ..

there must be something to do with the angle of the fist when fully extended and when it should hit the face and the angle of it when it looks like it has

hope this makes sense as i know what i mean..

but i do like the image as i said...

md:shrug:

moomike

07-12-2007, 23:44

Cheers CT & Dave, comments taken on board & I think that I'll try to set up another version of the shot over the weekend if I get the time - the conditions were less that ideal as I didn't have a black background to shoot against & had to mask everything - will have to go & get a decent backdrop & play with some different angles too - try to make it look a bit more flowing & natural (not that hitting yourself in the face is natural :lol:).

Cheers again :thumbs:

07-12-2007, 23:49

LOL - good work on the flowing snot/spit mate - genuine or shopped? :D

..MD..

07-12-2007, 23:52

LOL - good work on the flowing snot/spit mate - genuine or shopped? :D

agree with ct here as a shot its super and well caught...:thumbs:

InaGlo

07-12-2007, 23:54

LOL - good work on the flowing snot/spit mate - genuine or shopped? :D
I was impressed with that too ... even more so now I know you dont have a black bg, Mike!

Btw, Just looked at Pooks site, very talented.
Saw the image I think you referred to CT clicky (http://www.david-gregory.co.uk/self-big.htm)
I do like it, and again very clever ... but Mike's grittier processing suits the aggression more for me.

08-12-2007, 00:00

Pook's gallery seems to have gone from here - shame. That's not the shot I was thinking of Glo, it was an incredibly complicated shot all done in one exposure with an exposure time of around 15 minutes I think. I'll see if it's on his site anywhere.

08-12-2007, 00:02

This is the one - I just love it.

http://www.david-gregory.co.uk/death3.jpg

The model had to keep still throughout the whole exposure which was by candelight. At some stage, the bottle on the floor was given extra exposure with a hand torch, Pook walked into frame and painted in the red bits on the cross and the blood with a laser pointer, then stood still lomg enough to just give the ghostly image at the end.

moomike

08-12-2007, 01:21

Cheers for the extra info & comments everyone, I had not seen Pooks site before but had known that he did some really nice images from here. Had not seen either of the linked shots posted here though, weird that we both went for the same kind of tone, dull greens & blacks must represent aggression in some way as the colour just seemed right for the shot.

The snot/spit was taken from one of my water polo images (well, it was the Mersey so not far off hey :lol:)
Think I could definitely get into this photo collage/long exposure thing more, my gf bought me a mini maglite for this & I've still not used it properly :bonk:
Watch this space :lol: :thumbs: