Response to Eggplant, woman's take...

FW, thanks for the context and criticism. The poem is quite close to the feelings I have about these images, as well (I may expand this series of images to illustrate those stanza... or use them to contextualize these images (cart before the horse, huh?)). They have not been formally exhibited, so some of your points may well make it into the final versions. I thought the uplifted toes took her pose well out of the defensive mode. Crossed legs (such as these) always seemed sort of sexy to me, enticing without revealing. I really liked the fullness of the eggplant, the rounded bottom and smooth dark skin echoing the body and the concept of fullness and potential life. Pears and apples seem too cliche'd and obvious, eggplants a little more mysterious and less laden with obvious signifiers. I will definately tone more deliberately for exhibition. Your idea about the 3rd image is very good, thanks.

Alan, thanks for your hard work in locating the original postings. The light is quite different in both of these. The man by large softbox and strobe, the woman by skylight. I'm glad you don't seem bothered by the differences, fw's suggestion of a 3rd type of light will seque nicely. She is sitting on a black draped chair on untreated muslin with a painted canvas background. Perhaps the "shadow on the right" you speak of is that descending arc of black? It's the curve of the fabric on the chair back. The shadows are illuminated completely by light reflected from the muslin on the ground. I have started using a new paper developer that will open these up the next time I print it. Skylight from directly above is not my favorite. I have made only a few successful images with it, for this reason, it is hard to control. This was one of several shots made through various scrims and unfiltered. I rather like the hand at back left, it has a Michelangelo-ish quality that takes this image even further from a modern sensibility, as far as pictures of naked women go. I'll post another from this series that's still in the running for this set, if you like. Thanks again guys... t

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