weekly pjm1's 52 in 2015... 8 (Relax) added

Bruja said:
I agree with the comments about the champagne bottle, it just doesn't feel right and, from a girlie point of view I find it distracting that the bra is inside out as you cab see the 'gripper tape' and my eye is drawn to that. I do appreciate that a man would not notice the finer points once a bra has actually been removed however :rolleyes::naughty::naughty:
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Hi Jill, thanks for looking & commenting. You're spot on with your crit and I'll know next time that the "gripper tape" (didn't realise they even had that!) needs to be hidden :)

I think my week 2 submission is going to have to be in colour as well, now!
 
Pattern - I like this and the choice of converting to mono is a good one. The darker lighting at the top and the purposely lack of focus at the front makes the yes immediately fall into the middle sharp area

Bliss - Super image. I'm not bothered about the subjects being cropped as the image tells a (naughty;)) story and provides a feeling of this not being set up but of course it has done rather well. Lighting is good as is the conversion which I prefer to the SOOC colour version. I like this a lot.
 
Bliss indeed Paul.

Nice shot that definitely works better in the mono version. You are off to a great start, obviously your experience from last year is standing you in good stead. I just hope I can pick up the pace quickly in my first 52 project.
 
I think others have said what I would have said, so just wanted to say that it was a good concept :D and certainly fits the theme well! The conversion is definitely better than the colour.
 
Hi
Bliss
like the black & white treatment and that the bedding is out of focus. thinking i would have liked for it all to be soft/hazy focus to portray feeling of bliss ( everything must have been a bit hazy after drinking that bottle of champagne :))
may take me some time to understand your explanation about the lighting etc, but it all helps to learn something new.
 
Delta Skies said:
Pattern - I like this and the choice of converting to mono is a good one. The darker lighting at the top and the purposely lack of focus at the front makes the yes immediately fall into the middle sharp area

Bliss - Super image. I'm not bothered about the subjects being cropped as the image tells a (naughty;)) story and provides a feeling of this not being set up but of course it has done rather well. Lighting is good as is the conversion which I prefer to the SOOC colour version. I like this a lot.
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Thanks Peter - your standards are impeccably high so that means a lot... but I think you've being nice because I've been particularly gushing over some of your recent pics!! Thank you and looking forward to Fragile (which will be landing imminently here!)

fadingisight said:
Bliss indeed Paul.

Nice shot that definitely works better in the mono version. You are off to a great start, obviously your experience from last year is standing you in good stead. I just hope I can pick up the pace quickly in my first 52 project.
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Hiya Russell. Yes, the mono works for this I think... experience helps but being a better photographer would make it a lot easier still ;) Good luck with yours...

gbmphoto said:
I think others have said what I would have said, so just wanted to say that it was a good concept :D and certainly fits the theme well! The conversion is definitely better than the colour.
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Thanks Graham - onwards and upwards.

anitacv said:
Hi
Bliss
like the black & white treatment and that the bedding is out of focus. thinking i would have liked for it all to be soft/hazy focus to portray feeling of bliss ( everything must have been a bit hazy after drinking that bottle of champagne :))
may take me some time to understand your explanation about the lighting etc, but it all helps to learn something new.
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Hi Anita

Thanks for looking. I don't disagree with you about the entire thing being OOF... I think that could well have worked. An idea for another week perhaps!
 
Ok, Week 2 fairly quick off the blocks as I have a busy week ahead: London till Wednesday evening and then on Thursday I have my (very exciting) induction to a studio & film facility I've joined (dark room, processing etc.) - bit cheeky taking time out of the working week to do it, but if there weren't any benefits to having your own business then it wouldn't be worth doing!

When I saw the theme pop up yesterday I decided I didn't want to shoot something physically fragile, but something mentally fragile. That got the brain muscles working a bit harder... This was what I came up with:


02: Fragile by pjm1 (Paul), on Flickr

There's only one thing in focus: the pills. Not the box, not the OJ and certainly not the subject. That's pretty much how I remember hangovers... there's only one thing which helps!

I wanted a low contrast, high key scene: the sort of "worst case scenario" for a hangover where everything's just bright. We're fortunate to have a high gloss table which sort of blends in to the walls if it's bright enough, which I thought would work for the scene. The crop chosen (partly in camera) was deliberate: I find cropping the top of the head lifts the tension slightly (the other way would have been to have me looking out of the frame). I said I needed to do a colour shot this time and I've stuck with it. A gritty B&W conversion would, I'm sure, work well for this concept but I've done a couple of B&Ws so enough is enough for now. BTW, I've set and reset the white balance over & over - I think it's the slightly magnolia walls which throw the eye off especially when viewed on this site against a near white background. Looks whiter on Flickr!

The good news is no brain cells were damaged in the making of this photo :)

Here is the SOOC shot as always.

Edit: nearly forgot the lighting. Dead simple and my biggest reservation is perhaps that it is too simple in this instance. I have a single flash behind me bouncing up the wall behind - that's it. Part of me thinks it might be stronger with some fill (quasi window light as there is a window there) from a big softbox camera left, but my concern there was it would kill the reflections in the table (which it probably would, even if I gridded the box). Hmmm... decisions!
 
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Oooh that'll be a good 'un paul... Really super, I'm not a massive fan of a white BG but here it really suits, giving the look of a sleek modern white walled kitchen, which fits with the table nicely.

Touch under exp on the SOOC but at ISO 100 you can pull that up as required, and a bit of CA most noticeable round the table 'leg' and underside. LR is pretty good at CA removal.

Like the fact that you can't even face pouring the OJ yet. :)
 
Great shot! Spot on theme. We've all been there when all the lights are too bright and sounds too loud :)

Interesting theory re the crop - I hadn't really noticed until I read your post again as the focus is definitely on the pills.

The only thing that I do find I keep going back to is the slightly distracting halo effect around the edge of the dressing gown and to a lesser extent, the table in the foreground.

Looking forward to the next one (y)
 
ooooh I like that Paul. It's really well thought through and it's bang on theme. I like the high key - I can almost feel a headache coming on just looking at it
 
Love the idea for the theme - my last fragile night was over 15 years when I was so so fragile the day after I gave up drinking.

Back to picture and I think it sums up everything, good night, bad morning ;-)

Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
 
Nice one Paul !!!

Done a cracking job at that, love the high key look, works for the shot as you say perfectly, my eye does keep getting drawn to your RH arm outline but part of the effect of the brightness I think... Great idea with the DoF and Focus point, a bang on shot for the theme, I like how your dressing gown is even colour co-ordinated to the chair (y)

Oh yes... have a great time at your induction day, sounds exciting indeed :)
 
Wow - quick feedback too! :)

overbez said:
Oooh that'll be a good 'un paul... Really super, I'm not a massive fan of a white BG but here it really suits, giving the look of a sleek modern white walled kitchen, which fits with the table nicely.

Touch under exp on the SOOC but at ISO 100 you can pull that up as required, and a bit of CA most noticeable round the table 'leg' and underside. LR is pretty good at CA removal.

Like the fact that you can't even face pouring the OJ yet. :)
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Hiya Graham... glad you like it. I did have to move most of the kids' toys out of the way because our breakfast table is in an area that seems to have become their playroom!

You're spot on with the SOOC being underexposed. I need to reduce the brightness of my LCD as that should have been a clear sign that I need some fill light from the place I suggested in my lighting comment. It's annoying when you only realise these things afterwards (or someone points them out!) Again, this is the purpose of the challenge for me: I want my SOOC shots to be better. Good point re: the CA - for some reason I completely forgot to check that box when I applied the LR lens corrections!

Leebert said:
Great shot! Spot on theme. We've all been there when all the lights are too bright and sounds too loud :)

Interesting theory re the crop - I hadn't really noticed until I read your post again as the focus is definitely on the pills.

The only thing that I do find I keep going back to is the slightly distracting halo effect around the edge of the dressing gown and to a lesser extent, the table in the foreground.

Looking forward to the next one (y)
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Thanks Lee... yes, haven't been there for quite a long time (having two young kids makes the pain an order of magnitude worse!) - glad you like the shot.

You're right about the halo. Part of it is, I think the strong back lighting and part might be processing (i.e. my fault). Again, I suspect had I added some additional front/side lighting from a softbox that would have lessened the halo effect. Lesson learned for next time!

Manc Man said:
Fragile

Nailed it Paul. Great idea, best of all it doesn't look contrived.
The idea of only having the pills in focus works really well and adds to the photo.

Darren
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Hiya Darren, thanks for looking and glad you like it. Obviously it was a staged shot (I had my remote control in my clenched hand to fire the shutter!) but I'm glad it doesn't look it to you. I'm a big fan of selective focus / shallow DOF and I do rely on it a bit too much sometimes... this was shot at f/2 I think. Cheers for looking!
 
Very nice Paul, you have set the bar really high on that theme / type of image!
Nothing to add really although I do wonder what it would look like in mono.
(Which is very unusual for me ;) )
 
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Dem55 said:
ooooh I like that Paul. It's really well thought through and it's bang on theme. I like the high key - I can almost feel a headache coming on just looking at it
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Hi Lorraine, thanks for commenting so quickly :) Glad you like and it was a moment of "aha" when I decided on the idea. Glad the brightness is nausea-inducing - that was the idea!!

p3ryg said:
Love the idea for the theme - my last fragile night was over 15 years when I was so so fragile the day after I gave up drinking.

Back to picture and I think it sums up everything, good night, bad morning ;-)

Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
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Hi Perry, thanks for commenting and looking. Glad you like it!

Yes, I'm not quite at your stage (I do love a good bottle of red still) but it's WAAAAY more moderated nowadays :) Haven't had a bad morning for quite a while but I do seem to be looking after Mrs pjm1 on certain occasions (and the two kids!) :rolleyes:

Dark Knight said:
Nice one Paul !!!

Done a cracking job at that, love the high key look, works for the shot as you say perfectly, my eye does keep getting drawn to your RH arm outline but part of the effect of the brightness I think... Great idea with the DoF and Focus point, a bang on shot for the theme, I like how your dressing gown is even colour co-ordinated to the chair (y)

Oh yes... have a great time at your induction day, sounds exciting indeed :)
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Hiya Dean, thanks for dropping in - it seems Saturday mornings are popular times to drop by :)

Glad you like it... you're right about the flash being perhaps a touch too narrow (although I had it set to 24mm wide angle) - some additional diffusion would probably help a bit... next time. Any colour co-ordination work is always down to my wife... if it were up to me everything would be varying shades of grey :)

Looking forward to my induction already - Hasselblad X5 here I come!
 
Cobra said:
Very nice Paul, you have set the bar really high on that theme / type of image!
Nothing to add really although I do prefer the Mono shot
(Which is very unusual for me ;) )
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Thanks Chris. Erm... what mono shot? :thinking: (or are you looking at Bliss?)

Whatever you're looking at I'm very glad you like it... setting the bar high just means I'm be limboing under it next week :)
 
pjm1 said:
Thanks Chris. Erm... what mono shot? :thinking: (or are you looking at Bliss?)

Whatever you're looking at I'm very glad you like it... setting the bar high just means I'm be limboing under it next week :)
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Sorry Paul, my bad (as they say :D) you quoted before I edited I meant to type as per my edit,
I wonder what it would look like in mono.

Tablets and orange juice for me I think :D
 
Cobra said:
Sorry Paul, my bad (as they say :D) you quoted before I edited I meant to type as per my edit,
I wonder what it would look like in mono.

Tablets and orange juice for me I think :D
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Gotcha! Makes perfect sense now :)

My instinctive thought was to convert to mono, but my two previous shots had been mono so I forced myself to stick to colour. It gave me a chance to play with low contrast processing instead of what I'd almost certainly have chosen had I converted to B&W.

Plenty more weeks for my B&W shots (including some hopefully shot on film)!

Dark Knight said:
I bet you are mate :) ...is this a little Christmas present to yourself ??

My wife brought me a Landscape workshop day for christmas, but I have to wait for next month to go, soooooo want it to be here already :(
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Sort of: the membership (which wasn't particularly cheap) was a pressie from sis-in-law and M-in-law. Very nice they are too. I then treated myself to a B&W processing course where they give you a weekend's tuition on B&W film processing, enlarging/printing in the dark room and a bit of time on improving your actual photography (plenty of scope there). Incidentally, the dressing gown was also a Christmas present from Mrs pjm1 :)

Landscape workshop sounds fab: I'd like to do something like that but up here especially it'd be so weather dependent I'd worry about having 100% cloud cover during the golden hours :( Enjoy yours!
 
Dark Knight said:
OOoo very nice presents indeed, I agree about the weather risk for February landscapes, but it will be around the Norfolk Broads so plenty of scope for other stuuf with any luck... wildlife, frosts, Ice, waving reeds... just don't want rain :)
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I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! I'm hoping my B&W course is dry so we can get out onto the streets in Glasgow and take some snaps out & about.
 
Another great shot Paul![emoji4] good plan focussing on the tablets and not actual hungover you - the mild blur all around definitely brings the feeling flooding back to me, which no doubt I'll experience first hand tomorrow! [emoji23]
 
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Fragile - that's a great interiptation of the theme, I like the way you have chosen to set up this image. I feel the way you have processed the image, really works a super effort on what I think is a tricky theme.
 
Great take on the theme, I really like this and wasn't something I'd even thought about, great idea. I like the image and it works well, my only crit would be that the top of the models head is cropped off.
 
ferg007 said:
Another great shot Paul![emoji4] good plan focussing on the tablets and not actual hungover you - the mild blur all around definitely brings the feeling flooding back to me, which no doubt I'll experience first hand tomorrow! [emoji23]
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Thanks Ferg... going to have a glass or three of white wine tonight but I'm driving in an hour so at least that keeps things sensible till I get back... no hangover planned for tomorrow, that's for sure!

Pinkbikerbabe said:
Fragile - that's a great interiptation of the theme, I like the way you have chosen to set up this image. I feel the way you have processed the image, really works a super effort on what I think is a tricky theme.
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Thanks Mandy, I really appreciate that. The setup took about 5 minutes when I woke up this morning (before the kids came down as well) and I was a bit against the clock to get it all done before they heard me! Glad you like it and looking forward to yours!

Happysnapper79 said:
Great take on the theme, I really like this and wasn't something I'd even thought about, great idea. I like the image and it works well, my only crit would be that the top of the models head is cropped off.
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Cheers John - I like to try to find slightly different interpretations sometimes. I actually tried a setup composition (using a giant teddy in place of me) which wasn't cropped and it lost a bit of "intensity" I felt. Obviously having a giant teddy smiling in place of a pretend hungover me isn't going to make it particularly gritty, but compositionally I didn't feel it worked as well. Happy for you/others to disagree though! Giant hungover teddy
 
Hi Paul

Bliss - like the mono conversion, agree about the bottle

Fragile - good idea and execution - love the shiny table and its reflections
:)
 
Hi aul

little catch up....Bliss.......I think everything has been discussed about this shot but just to add my thoughts.....the bra needs to be the right way out IYSWIM ? & I'd love to have seen this as full color , with rich colors on the bedding , thinking reds or purples, something luxurious ,the bra to have been black or even cream with gold to compliment the colors in the bottle......don't want much do I :D

Fragile....I'm sooooo glad I don't do hangovers :) Love the focus , the high key look and the elements on the table , all convey the theme perfectly :clap:
Crit wise , the 1st thing that jumps out at me is the empty glass , I really wanna see some juice in there ,you've taken the top off the cartoon & there appears to be a couple of empty blisters in the tablet pack ....a drop of juice in the bottom of the glass would work nicely.....possibly ;) Only other thing is the CA round you & the table leg/edge ......
 
Great minds :)

It's a good one. Good overall lighting, and nice detail. It has a real product photography feel to it. Only real and I'm being picky is the lighting under your right arm, looks over exposed.

Good show.

Cheers.
 
I can see you will be someone to watch out for. Again another well thought of image that fits the theme. great to see the info about the shot as well.
 
crazylady said:
Hi Paul

Bliss - like the mono conversion, agree about the bottle

Fragile - good idea and execution - love the shiny table and its reflections
:)
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Thanks Hazel!

blondie606 said:
Hi aul

little catch up....Bliss.......I think everything has been discussed about this shot but just to add my thoughts.....the bra needs to be the right way out IYSWIM ? & I'd love to have seen this as full color , with rich colors on the bedding , thinking reds or purples, something luxurious ,the bra to have been black or even cream with gold to compliment the colors in the bottle......don't want much do I :D

Fragile....I'm sooooo glad I don't do hangovers :) Love the focus , the high key look and the elements on the table , all convey the theme perfectly :clap:
Crit wise , the 1st thing that jumps out at me is the empty glass , I really wanna see some juice in there ,you've taken the top off the cartoon & there appears to be a couple of empty blisters in the tablet pack ....a drop of juice in the bottom of the glass would work nicely.....possibly ;) Only other thing is the CA round you & the table leg/edge ......
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Hiya Lynne, thanks for catching up :) Absolutely agree with all your crit on Bliss, although I would say it's a bloke's idea of bliss perhaps more than Mrs pjm1s... so sumptuous setting etc. is replaced with a good champagne and, ahem... "action"! There is a colour SOOC shot but with the colours I've chosen (that'll be black and white then :)) it doesn't really add much...

Fragile, I'm glad it works for you. Get you with the OJ - although again this might be a personal thing that I generally know I need it but can't actually face drinking it for a while! Bang on with the CA - that'll teach me to be more careful and make sure I've applied all my "standard" processing before hitting submit!

Thanks for looking and commenting - always appreciated (y)

posiview said:
Great minds :)

It's a good one. Good overall lighting, and nice detail. It has a real product photography feel to it. Only real and I'm being picky is the lighting under your right arm, looks over exposed.

Good show.

Cheers.
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Hiya Andy... indeed (re: minds) :) Although I wimped out on the actual selfie bit unlike you! You're right about the light poking through although that was sort of the effect I was after... I think it would be better if I replaced that bare flash with a 120x30 box or somesuch as it'd diffuse the light more evenly up the wall. That'll please Mrs pjm1 no end! :exit:

HeartandSoul said:
I can see you will be someone to watch out for. Again another well thought of image that fits the theme. great to see the info about the shot as well.
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Hiya Mandy, ooh that sounds ominous! Thanks for the kind comments and look forward to the next week!
 
Cracking shot Paul! When I told him what the theme was, Mr Xenos offered to pose for something similar, but there's no way I could have got anything nearly as good as that! Smashing white background and table - I wouldn't have noticed the walls were magnolia if you hadn't said. Love the oof blur on everything but the most important thing for a hangover, highly appropriate :clap:
 
Hi Paul, I am on a catch up so apologies for the brief comments, both bliss and fragile are well thought out and executed images, not that I would expect anything different from yourself,
there is a touch of CA in the pic but not really distracting as the idea is so strong, superb use of DoF, puts across that out of it feeling a hangover brings, not that I would know :whistle:

great start to this years 52 :clap:
 
XenosElaine said:
Cracking shot Paul! When I told him what the theme was, Mr Xenos offered to pose for something similar, but there's no way I could have got anything nearly as good as that! Smashing white background and table - I wouldn't have noticed the walls were magnolia if you hadn't said. Love the oof blur on everything but the most important thing for a hangover, highly appropriate :clap:
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Thanks Elaine for your kind comments - appreciated! By the way, I reckon you could do this shot: white net over a window and position Mr X and the table in front of the window (making sure there's a decent amount of light streaming in). Shoot directly towards the window using pretty much as wide an wide aperture as you can (I used f/2 with a cheap prime lens) and a 1/125 shutter speed (you can get away with a slower shutter if using a tripod). If the window light isn't bright enough to blow (nearly) the net drape then up your ISO until it is... done! No flash required :)

alsjazzera said:
Hi Paul, I am on a catch up so apologies for the brief comments, both bliss and fragile are well thought out and executed images, not that I would expect anything different from yourself,
there is a touch of CA in the pic but not really distracting as the idea is so strong, superb use of DoF, puts across that out of it feeling a hangover brings, not that I would know :whistle:

great start to this years 52 :clap:
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Thanks for dropping in Allan - appreciate any comment when you're on a catch up as that takes ages at the moment! Glad you like them (fragile is definitely my preferred shot of the three so far) and you're spot on re: CA which is a shame as it's so easy to correct... another thing for me to remember for next time :)

Cheers!
 
pjm1 said:
Thanks Elaine for your kind comments - appreciated! By the way, I reckon you could do this shot: white net over a window and position Mr X and the table in front of the window (making sure there's a decent amount of light streaming in). Shoot directly towards the window using pretty much as wide an wide aperture as you can (I used f/2 with a cheap prime lens) and a 1/125 shutter speed (you can get away with a slower shutter if using a tripod). If the window light isn't bright enough to blow (nearly) the net drape then up your ISO until it is... done! No flash required :)
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Haha, I like your theory and (somewhat misplaced!) confidence in my ability Paul, but there's just one problem - I'd have to go out and buy a new table! My current one has a glass top, so far too much unwanted reflection and support/adjusting gubbins clearly visible underneath it, plus like yours it's round - so not easy to cover neatly either in real life or pp :(
 
(disclaimer - not read any comments already posted)
The important thing I noticed here was that you know what you wanted to achieve with this shot. You've a really strong leading line with that round table and I love the "bright light" background. Dead simple works here.

My minor comment.... (stressing the word minor)

Letters... I think turning the paracetamol packet the other way up and having the Tropicana in focus would add to the shot. If there are letters in an image, I want them to be sharp so I can read them. The OJ carton I can read in spite of blurriness, but upside down letters make me struggle to figure out what they are. If you want the pills to be the focal point, make them easy to read.

There. See how utterly minor that was. It's a great shot made better by the fact that thought has gone into both composition and DOF. The CA doesn't bother me at all. It's the story your telling that's important (to me).

Take what you like & leave the rest... Hope I haven't offended!
 
Great idea - like how the pills are the focus - very appropriate for a fragile head the morning after! :)
 
Late starter so just playing catch up on the feedback...

Bliss.... Great shot IMHO, a bit suggestive no what I mean nudge, nudge say no more! I love the concept, most of the crit in one way or another has been said, it certainly stimulated some interest! Anyhow I don't have a problem with it exactly as it sits. The label on the bottle is quite sharp where it needs to be, and I love the reflections captured in the neck of the bottle. I like the bra just cast aside and the pin sharp lace. The oof pillows work well contrasting the two main subjects. I think I might have just liked to have had the bottom of the bottle in shot (just a personal view). I like both B&W and colour versions both work well for me. A great concept well executed good work.

Fragile.... Works fine for me like the high key look, and the selective focus on the tablets, tells the story for me. Think you were right to stick with colour on this one... I think you would loose something under mono. The only thing that doesn't sit so well is the flare under the right arm. Nice work again Paul.
 
Great shot Paul (fragile) really like the focus on the tablets with the rest slightly oof, I like that you left it in colour too - works perfectly for the theme :)
 
Love this shot Paul, and really sums up fragile for me. The only crit I have has already been mentioned so I'll just say (y)
 
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