Photos

batalay (21408) 2007-03-29 21:09

Hello TWJ,

Excellent portrait of the young girl, with a sense of forlorn sadness that permeates the air. It is nicely composed, and well exposed. There is one aspect of the photo, beyond the technical prowess, I would like to suggest. In shooting portraits or in cropping them you might try placing one eye the subject (the right or left) very close to the center-line, not through the nose. In my book, 'Math and the Mona Lisa,' integrating elements of art, science and mathematics, where Leonardo serves as a foil, I pointed out a recent discovery. In 1998 the British born psychologist/art lover, Christopher Tyler, living in San Francisco, discovered that in almost all great portraits the centerline passes through (or very close) to one eye -- not the nose. This is true in all three of Leonardo's portraits of wome (including the Mona Lisa), it is true in all of Rembrandt's magical portraits, even of many portraits done by Picasso. This is a principle never taught in art schools -- the great artist intuitively zooms in on one eye. It may have been more than intuitive with Leonardo, however.

As a scientist/artist when I paint or photograph individuals (single subject), then I focus on an eye, see for example, Eyes, or Portrait of Alexander.

In any event, it is an excellent portrait.
Warm regards from Virginia,

Bulent