Adrian Lewis

ARCHIVE 60 – SUNSWEPT MANNEQUIN (MONO)

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Mannequin in a shop window, Penzance, Cornwall; 14 Sept 2011.

We were in Penzance on a brilliantly sunny day and pictures were all around.  This dummy was in a window facing straight into the blinding glare, and the combination of her extravagant hat and the patterns that the rim of this hat spread over her blankly staring face drew me towards her.

Post-capture, I thought of enhancing the whites of her eyes but decided that they’re ok as they are.

D700 with 70-300 Nikkor at 300mm; 400 ISO; Silver Efex Pro 2.

BELOW is a version with whiter eyes, produced at the suggestion of Andy Hooker (see his Comment here) – any views?

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newq_274bXBrightEye
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22 comments

    • Hi Gem, how are you getting on? I hope the snow and ice lessening. Its rain, rain and more rain here!

      You’re the second to prefer the second shot. Aside from the dummy thing, which I have not the courage to go anywhere near at all at all, how can we be sure that she’s trying too hard to look like you? I mean, looking at it logically, why aren’t you trying too hard to …. ? …. golly but its just gone cold in here ….. 😉 …….

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        • Trying, desperately trying … but then you’ve always thought that about me …

          Going off on life-saving tangent now … do you like The Simpsons? I do. Homer is a role model – and I really do think that the continually changing scenarios at the start of the show, where they are all making for a place on the sofa, show great inventiveness and creativity.

          This evening, in this opening sequence, Homer went through the whole of animal evolution, from a unicellular organism, via amphibians, dinosaurs etc, to modern man and himself – only to find that he’d come home but forgotten to but any milk! Wonderful stuff! 🙂

          Have just emailed you. Hope you’re fine!

          A xxx

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  2. I remember this image from before. I can’t make my mind up about the eyes – I think it works both ways 🙂

    Hope you are well. You haven’t been posting as much recently and I read in one of your comments that you were on the way to the doc again. Hope things are improving for you. All the best, M.

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    • Hi M – thanks! Yes, the eyes are a very close thing – but the more I look at these images, the more I think the original one edges it.

      Thanks for your kind thoughts – I’ve emailed you. A 🙂

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  4. This was a great idea – I really like the contrast between the patterning and those extraordinary lips. I do however think that your idea to brighten the whites in the eyes is worth following through, Adrian. My first thought when I saw the image, before I read the text, was that I would have liked the eyes brighter. That would then create a ‘V’ shaped area of highlights. I think that would work

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    • Andy, your wish is my command! At the bottom of the post I’ve added a version with the whites of her eyes lightened – but I can’t decide if I prefer it or not! It certainly makes her eyes more striking, but it may also take attention away from the rest of the shot, i.e. giving her eyes undue prominence. What do you think? Adrian

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