Painted Mona Lisa with a toilet roll Photo

Photographer’s Note

I watched Mona Lisa having her tattoo "painted" on her arm with some misgivings. Somehow it seemed sacrilege to permanently mark such youthful skin. Nothing can better youth, surely?. Why cover with a painted symbol or icon, the significance of which may be lost in time or devalued by life's events?But youth is both brave and foolish and not least infused with boundless optimism. How could she not love her tattoo forever? Afterwards she walked by me and I asked for a closer look at the finished artwork. A peony. Oh okay, I thought, quite artistic and "unthreatening". Yet, looking again I saw there was a snake's head peering out of the flower. For my own taste I recoiled. yet it made me curious about the iconography of the tattoo. What is it that appeals?
Tattoo convention, Carlisle.
technicals: converted to lab color and sharpened in order to lessen noise. Converted from RAW. I kept the tiolet roll in as trying to clone it out was too much like hard work! Alternatively, I could also say I have included itin as artistic licence and authenticity :) take your pick :D

crhieatt, AROBN54, graffer, noborders, pboehringer has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

difty93 (545) 2008-05-06 14:11

nice photo

AROBN54 (10799) 2008-05-07 10:14

Hi, Bev,
the lighting is a bit more harsh in this shot, but I think it suits it. Still good color, well composed, GREAT subject... I cannot for the life of me think why people do that to themselves. I spent 20 years in the Navy and that is enough to turn you off tattooes for life. I can't help but wonder what all these things will look like when the people are in their 60's and 70's. Being bathed in a nursing home or something. Yuck!! A most excellent note!! Many thanks and warmest wishes,
Shelly

graffer (1764) 2008-05-09 9:03

Hello Bev,

Not as good as your "Old Master", but still a fine photograph and composition.

The girl appears to be staring rigidly ahead, without seeming to notice you and your camera. She does look remarkably like the Mona Lisa too.

Fine and sharp with good colours - do you like the lab mode method of sharpening?

Regards,

Peter.

noborders (14201) 2008-05-12 2:24

Dear Bev, as for some reason I cannot open your last photo (which seems really good from the thumb !), I am in front of this one instead : her rather expressionless face - or better to say : mysterious and a bit apprehensive expression is great to watch, I like to watch all the details, the colours are unfortunately not ideal and there are overexposed parts but this does not take out the interest of the scene - a great series ! (but looking forward to see more of pub photos ;-)) !!
Warm regards,
Cath.

pboehringer (770) 2008-05-18 20:02

LOL!
Mona Lisa receing a tattoo?! The face and the hair do really have a similarity here although I'm missing the enigmatic smile that made La Giaconda so famous. Unfortunately the light management doesn't have the same quality as the composition has. There is to much overexposure as well as a green hue to the skin, otherwise it could be a tremendous good shot.
Peter

marietom (32294) 2008-05-25 1:29

Hello Bev,

L'atmosphère de cette image est superbe. Dommage que la personne n'ait pas l'air très à l'aise...
Bon we
Marie

crhieatt (5145) 2008-06-09 17:17

Bev,
Yes, I can see the Mona Lisa quality in this "model" - no idea why you're so worried about that toilet roll though!
Nice slice of life shot.
Regards
colin

ninaL (19648) 2008-06-17 23:57

There is some problem with colors and tones but I like the scene a lot...
Very good realisation.
Best regards. Grazyna.

mikeyeats (474) 2009-03-09 14:23

Bev,
I like your series on tattooing, I think that there is a great deal of photography to be had if you can get in to a parlour as you obviously have.
The toilet roll, it was there so why not leave it there, I do not see any problem, in fact I would have more of a problem if you had taken it out.
Mike