Something that I think is very important to an image is the ability to tell a story. I don't believe it's necessary for the story to be exactly what the artist intends or had in mind while producing the image(s), the importance is in whether or not the image stays with the viewer and touches them somehow. That is my main goal in my images. I don't care if the story is ordinary or fantastic. I just want my image to stick around in a person's mind and keep them arrested.
Joel-Peter Witkin - Leda and the Swan
I like that this image is just as much of a photograph as it is a painting. The elements that Witkin added with his own hand add another dimension to the image, a tension and franticness that is reflected on the model's face.
Eleanor Hardwicke - from the A Secret Place series
Admittedly, this image comes off as more of a fashion shot than a fine art piece, but there are still things that I think are worth noting. I like the delicacy of Hardwicke's image and this image is no less delicate than the one that I posted previous. I also think that wardrobe is very important in creating a successful image, at least when it comes to constructing the image rather than stumbling upon it. She looks as though she's just noticed something in the lake and I expect it would be something small and magical.
Nick & Chloe - from the Loewe Strasse 25 series
The expression on the face of this woman seems to be a mixture of great relief as well as one of deep thought. Her features look both serene and intense at the same time, causing a tension in the image that pulls the viewer in. The haze from the bath house makes the harsh tiles soft, which compliments her vulnerable state.
Ralph Eugene Meatyard - Lucybelle Crater and Her 15 Year Old Son's Friend
There is a strangeness in Meatyard's Lucybelle Crater series that is very appealing to me. As anyone who is familiar with my work knows, I love masks. I love the way the obscure the features and create an ambiguity between the viewer and the person who they are viewing. Masks also make an image whimsical and "other" almost by default.
Rebecca Rijsdijk - from the Stiletto Paradoxes series
The intimacy shown here is palpable and soft, much like the color palette and the florals on the girls' dresses. There is a tenderness that is expressed by their body language and echoed by the sea and sand as well as the grey sky. I feel like I'm intruding on a very private moment between two people who love each other very much and have been missing from each other's lives for far too long.
Thomas Macker - Natalie as Ophelia
The concept of an ophelia image has been one of those ideas that I've loved thinking about, but I'm too afraid to attempt it. Maybe a series of Ophelias would be interesting. Just like in many of the other images that I've posted, the Ophelia is delicate, somber, and beautiful -- all of these are things in an image that I love. If I were to pursue and Ophelia series, I think I would need to play with the ideas that are associated with an Ophelia in order to make it successful.
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