The scan of the two page spread looks better because prints usually need more contrast/sharpness from the lower gamuts.
The overcontrast/sharpening (almost like a Lomo effect) usually works better on guys for me...interesting that your PP person chose to use it on a girl. The deer head is probably what triggered it though...you see this techniqued used a lot in magazines like field&stream, sports mags, etc.
You didn't like negative comments?? What irks me is gratuitous compliments. I had a couple looking at prints of Italian cities for their home. As they looked through they had more negative comments than positive. They liked two of the prints enough to order them framed. I knocked 25% off what I had originally quoted them and they asked why. I told them it was the least I could do in return for the most honest straight-forward critique I ever had on my portfolio.
All but one of the images you posted are too busy for me and seem to detract from your subject. The one where she is at the piano is the best one as far as my take on them goes. You were fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph her.
xrayvision wrote:
You didn't like negative comments?? What irks me is gratuitous compliments.
All but one of the images you posted are too busy for me and seem to detract from your subject. The one where she is at the piano is the best one as far as my take on them goes. You were fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph her.
You have a good point, but consider this - who is better to gauge how 'good' these shots are, the FM members who posted, or the editors of Vogue? I mean, if they print these, is that not the ultimate confirmation that the shots are, indeed, "good"? Some of the rude comments simply are rude for rudeness sake - it's like someone playing street hockey telling another hockey player he sucks, but he's already been drafted and made the NHL All Star game.
Having seen benjikan's pictures on his blog, I know that he's a brilliant photographer. That said, I disagree with some of the folks here who think that criticism of a good photographer or published pictures make you a 'hater'. All art is about opinion and perspective and a magazine like Vogue is no greater judge of art than a random person who happens to have an open mind and appreciation of beauty.
I enjoyed the last three pictures a lot more than the first set you posted on this thread. Maybe the processing on the original set needs to grow on you, or maybe it makes more sense when viewed in context in the magazine itself, but they didn't do much for me on their own. The last three are pretty neat and I love the use of light and shadows that benji uses in many of his images.
EDIT: Just saw the spread on the first page. Makes a lot more sense now.
There should be no question in anyone's mind that this is a consummately skilled photographer. Both sets of images are impeccably executed in every way: lighting, exposure, framing, posing, style, and desired effect. His commercial success alone would validate that, even if nothing else did. And although I have no fear of looking at an image, critically, I cannot find anything where I would suggest an improvement to these images.
That being said, art is subjective by nature. Neither of the styles portrayed in these images are attractive to me, although I prefer the second set by far. The busy backgrounds, over-stylized sets, high contrast, and edgy feel, are entirely unappealing to me... but then again, so is the content of Vogue magazine. That does not make the photographs poorly executed or of low-quality! It simply means that we have different tastes, or are shooting for different purposes, or are shooting for different clients who have different preferences.
My hat's off to Benji both for the photography itself and for the privilege of having anything published in a publication of this caliber. I can only offer my pity and my sympathy to those poor souls who have nothing better to offer than petty, snide remarks with no substance.
I like the shots - edgy and artistic. The first one is actually my favourite - the flowers do seem a bit overbearing and block out too much for my taste in the second - the third piano shot is great.
I like them all very much, very edgy, very fashiony, very Vogue!!! 
