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The Eternal Mystery by =Athansor:iconAthansor:

Categories Digital Art > Photomanipulation > People

©2008-2009 =Athansor
:iconathansor:

Artist's Comments

This image is of the lovely and talented Jen Parrish, of Parrish Relics. Jen and I have a little project in the works, and while I haven't done a shoot since January, due to spending most of January and February and a bit of March battling repeated bouts of the flu, this was a quick shot I took at our first meeting, and I couldn't resist playing with it a bit, and sharing.

Jen is an amazingly talented jewelry designer, who makes beautiful, hand-crafted pieces inspired by--well, as her website puts it, "ornate and lavish visions of earthly ages past & otherwordly realms of enchantment."

That's a high-falutin' way of putting it. I think her work can best be summed up by the reaction you have, when you first view her pieces in person: "I have GOT to get me some of THESE!!!" ;)

(I was just recently treated to seeing her studio and a wide array of her jewelry in person--including a number of pieces she's done for plays, over the years, and the only thing I can say is--wow. WOW.)

Whenever I see this image, I think of the Mona Lisa, and her warm/amused/aloof/mysterious smile. I think Jen has a bit of that here...and although she's a little warmer, a little more gentle and accessible than the Mona Lisa (because, let's face it, ML looks as though she might just be laughing up her sleeve, at you), she's also just a wee bit fey, and even as she's smiling at you, she's already slipping away from you...

Enjoy! :)

Comments


love 4 4 joy 1 1 wow 0 0 mad 0 0 sad 0 0 fear 0 0 neutral 0 0
:iconshelagnoa:
~Shelagnoa Apr 14, 2008, 4:29:36 PM
This is gorgeous, as per the norm, though I wonder if you went a little overboard on the textures this time? Here eyes - and face - seem a little obscured. Otherwise though, wonderful warm tones, it kinda reminds me of a relaxing night by the fireplace. :bulletblue:

--
Inept! Inept! Fatal id10t error encountered, system authentication error. Please check system between keyboard and chair as a connector may be malfunctioning. :bulletblue:
:iconteddiem:
*teddiem Apr 14, 2008, 4:33:24 PM
This image reminded me of the Mona Lisa right off, even small. Nice work!

--
For me, photography is an act of worship, of honoring God for giving me vision, and of providing the people I photograph with glue for their relationships.
:iconathansor:
=Athansor Apr 14, 2008, 5:26:06 PM
Thank you! :D

--
I mean by a picture, a beautiful romantic dream of something that never was, never will be, in a light better than
any light that ever shone, in a land no one can define or remember, only desire & the forms divinely beautiful.
--E Burne-Jones
:iconathansor:
=Athansor Apr 14, 2008, 5:26:15 PM
Thank you so much! :)

--
I mean by a picture, a beautiful romantic dream of something that never was, never will be, in a light better than
any light that ever shone, in a land no one can define or remember, only desire & the forms divinely beautiful.
--E Burne-Jones
:iconalejka:
Mood: Love =alejka Apr 14, 2008, 5:27:16 PM
wonderful

--
...
:iconsidhe-etain:
~Sidhe-Etain Apr 14, 2008, 5:35:39 PM
Jen!

What a great surprise when I logged on today! :)
:icontheicepixy:
~TheIcePixy Apr 14, 2008, 5:36:26 PM
Beautiful photo! And I'm very interested in seeing her jewelry . . . (Although maybe I should be afraid because I'm not made of money but my tastes wish I were!;))

--
~The Ice Pixy~
"When you dance you forget who you are! You forget who you're with! And you just--DANCE!"
:iconathansor:
=Athansor Apr 14, 2008, 5:37:31 PM
Thanks! :)

I think the textures here are pretty much at my normal level for this type of image--where I'm wanting to suggest an old painting that's been found in someone's attic...but I don't usually use them on a close-up of a face, so they seem heavier than normal. (I have made a special effort in my last three posted images or so, to use lighter textures...but it's by no means my preference. ;))

In addition, the light here is more of a Rembrandt light setup...so there is alot more shadow in this image to start with! ;) (I'll also say that the monitor you're viewing this one will have a LOT to do with how dark it looks! On my main monitor--calibrated to the brightness of a new CRT--which is considerably lower than your average LCD--the right side of her face is still very luminous--with the rest of it being very shadowy. On my second monitor, however, which is a VERY old LCD--about 10 years or so, I think--one that is losing luminance everyday, and is now at about half the luminance of a two year old CRT, it's very flat looking, and dull--and yes, the textures seem quite heavy on her face--too heavy for me...so the age of your monitor and the brightness it's calibrated to will affect this image more than my average image. :))

Then again, I'm very partial to the look of an old, old painting, that hasn't been restored, and is half covered in grime and dust, and I completely indulged my love of that look in this image--so there's very much an element of personal taste involved! ;)

--
I mean by a picture, a beautiful romantic dream of something that never was, never will be, in a light better than
any light that ever shone, in a land no one can define or remember, only desire & the forms divinely beautiful.
--E Burne-Jones
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April 14, 2008
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Camera Data

Canon
Canon EOS 5D
1/100 second
F/3.2
85 mm
100
Mar 15, 2008, 3:37:33 AM

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