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Archive 2014 · Unflattering or Emotional?

  
 
Dawei Ye
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Unflattering or Emotional?


Honestly I think us Photographers push the boundaries too much when it comes to drawing a line between what is "emotional" and what is purely "unflattering"

Many examples are out there where the Photographer posts a photo on the basis that it's a great PJ shot showing genuine emotional, people crying (with ugly swollen eyes), laughing (with rabbit like yellow teeth) - but really is just extremely unflattering

Check out #10 in this set of exceptionally good set of photos (only #10 is Wedding related)
http://m.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/02/the-2014-sony-world-photography-awards/100674/

Is it just me of #10 is just a very bad photo? I can't imagine the Bride would enjoy looking at herself like that, nor would this photo ever hang on the wall.

Or is there something to the photo that I'm just missing?

Are our minds as photographers just not in tune with the general populace as to what is flattering and unflattering?

(Nothing against this photo in particular - just using it as a focal point for discussion)



Feb 12, 2014 at 08:28 PM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Unflattering or Emotional?


It may have sentimental value and I'd deliver something like that--but I agree that it is potentially unflattering. I find these kinds of photos actually pretty uninteresting when there's no context of what she's reacting to (although context can be obviously be seen here as "at a wedding") -- there's no "moment" here...just a bride crying... at least that's what i see.

on a side note, damn there are some beautiful photographs in that link.



Feb 12, 2014 at 08:39 PM
joelconner
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Unflattering or Emotional?


I think it is awesome. Unflattering...unguarded...unposed....unfabricated...unassuming....unusual.

It's real, genuine emotion. It is probably not the prettiest photo of her from that day, but it most likely is one of the ones that best shows who she really is.



Feb 12, 2014 at 09:11 PM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Unflattering or Emotional?


I completely agree about unflattering... that would have gone in the trash for me. Just because something is PJ doesn't mean it has to be someone looking ugly. I don't agree that this shows her 'essence' or anything special, it's just an ugly as hell shot of her crying.


Feb 13, 2014 at 12:06 AM
CRFTony
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Unflattering or Emotional?


Some people have an "ugly" crying face. It's a shame to think all of the photos of her crying should be tossed because of that.


Feb 13, 2014 at 08:06 PM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Unflattering or Emotional?


CRFTony wrote:
Some people have an "ugly" crying face. It's a shame to think all of the photos of her crying should be tossed because of that.


If there's nothing else worthwhile about the photo, no context, nada, I would say it should be tossed.



Feb 13, 2014 at 09:40 PM
StanOPhoto
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Unflattering or Emotional?


Don't forget theres different types of photos between client deliverables, marketing, and contests.


Feb 14, 2014 at 03:46 AM
julian45
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Unflattering or Emotional?


No bride would choose it for their album. So that probably makes it a very poor wedding photo. It would probably win a dozen awards... so I guess that a makes it a great wedding photo?


Feb 14, 2014 at 04:07 AM
Mark_L
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Unflattering or Emotional?


Agree. I do see a lot of pj shots that for me cross that line. My rule is usually 'do I think the subject will mind a picture of them looking like this?' I don't want to embarass anyone or have 'the photog made me look ugly!'


Feb 14, 2014 at 01:28 PM
cordellwillis
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Unflattering or Emotional?


Dawei Ye wrote:
Is it just me of #10 is just a very bad photo? I can't imagine the Bride would enjoy looking at herself like that, nor would this photo ever hang on the wall.

Or is there something to the photo that I'm just missing?


Every photo isn't about hanging it on the wall. Everyone isn't pretty all the time. I don't know of ANYONE IN THE WORLD that looks pretty crying even if it is very happy moments of tears. I don't know anyone who is beautiful laughing with their mouth wide open either. Sure, there are pretty and cute smiles, but the laugh face is ugly.

*** But it's not about the face at all during that time ***

The bride knows how she felt at that time so it will/can be meaningful to her, the groom, or other family or friends who were there at that moment.

Unless you were there you can't "feel" what took place for this "unflattering" look as you describe it. It's flattering because she/he/they will look at it and remember the moment. I would be shocked if it were placed on a wall, but I would not be shocked to see it in her possession for memory sake.

Do your family not have any photos of you crying as a baby? I have some ugly crappy baby photos that I would never destroy. I don't remember what the heck was going on but I know I was a baby and it means something to my parents and for my daughter to see today.

and YES I would deliver it. If this was a funeral I wouldn't.



Feb 14, 2014 at 08:10 PM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Unflattering or Emotional?


julian45 wrote:
No bride would choose it for their album. So that probably makes it a very poor wedding photo. It would probably win a dozen awards... so I guess that a makes it a great wedding photo?


What's truly a great wedding photo? The photo other photogs say is good. Or a photo brides like.


Edited on Feb 15, 2014 at 02:49 AM · View previous versions



Feb 15, 2014 at 01:08 AM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Unflattering or Emotional?


I don't disagree that it's an emotional photo. I just don't see it as in the same caliber of photographs that are featured alongside it here. There are incredibly emotional photographs displayed in the fearless galleries that not only show emotion (in all its raw beauty or ugliness) but captured with better context.


Feb 15, 2014 at 02:02 AM
hans.dampf
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Unflattering or Emotional?


I noticed that sometimes, brides prefer other photos than I do. Maybe their facial expression, that some other person is on the photo. What I think is blurry might be perfectly OK for them.

On that particular photo, I think we just miss context. Maybe she just saw her sister after 20 years ... who knows?

I don't like the purple tint (on a white dress) though.



Feb 15, 2014 at 04:59 AM
Dawei Ye
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Unflattering or Emotional?


Hi Hans I think your link's faulty - it redirects to your homepage instead


Feb 16, 2014 at 03:31 AM
mikethevilla
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Unflattering or Emotional?


If there's nothing else worthwhile about the photo, no context, nada, I would say it should be tossed.

All about that context.

And yes, there are certainly photos which are great deliverables, and photos that are great photographically. Seeing as this appears to be a contest geared specifically towards photography for the sake of photography (and thus doesn't take into account how flattering the client is portrayed), it seems to me that an incredibly moving moment was captured and rightly recognized as a great shot.



Feb 16, 2014 at 05:05 AM
nolaguy
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Unflattering or Emotional?


One of my dearest keepsakes is a photo of my tear-streaked face and reddened eyes taken about 20 minutes after my son was born. I don’t consider it an aesthetically flattering image but it not only resonates with me, it spills my soul with regard to how much I loved becoming a father.

Life is poignant.

I believe capturing that fact and those moments with candor and truth goes to the heart of photography’s most powerful role.

YMMV





Feb 16, 2014 at 07:33 AM





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