NikonGear'23

Images => People, Portraits, Street, PJ & Cityscapes => Topic started by: paul_k on August 07, 2016, 13:32:52

Title: Castlefest 2016
Post by: paul_k on August 07, 2016, 13:32:52
OK, I admit, I have a penchant for dressed up people, be it professionally (background in fashion photography) or just for fun (cosplay and fantasy).

So of course when it was that time of year again for the annual Castlefest ( one of the biggest 'fantasy' events in the Netherlands) at the 'Keukenhof', a large ornamental garden in Lisse, I could not resist.

As 'fantasy' is all about that, IMO the pictures should reflect that mood, rather then (and I eagerly use that as an excuse) should not so much about 'correct' technical reproduction or 'corned to corner' sharpness.

The series in its present form is for the moment primarily aimed at the visitors who were kind enough to pose, but will in a few weeks get a clean up for my personal selection

So after safeguarding myself in that way  :D ,

http://www.pbase.com/paul_k/20160806_castlefest

Title: Re: Castlefest 2016
Post by: MFloyd on August 18, 2016, 07:59:39
I like to have at least some representative pictures on the NikonGear site itself, and then eventually a link to other pictures. You seem to deal with colors in a very particular way (contrasty and very saturated); I first thought that this was particular to this Castle serie; but I had a quick look to some other galleries, and I find a similar style.
Title: Re: Castlefest 2016
Post by: Erik Lund on August 18, 2016, 09:25:50
The shot with the read head archer shooting the bow is really nice!

Please post at least one image form the series in the thread, thanks ;)
Title: Re: Castlefest 2016
Post by: elsa hoffmann on August 18, 2016, 12:38:56
The red head for me too - I have been wishing for a model like that for AGES!
Title: Re: Castlefest 2016
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on August 18, 2016, 16:30:31
The red haired girl for me as well. What's not to like about the combination of fair skin, red hair, flowers as hair do and twisted horns to to top it all?

Agree colours are not on the softer side but their rendition certainly helps bring out the subjects in all splendour, intended or not.

Some of these girls will face a substantial task later removing all the make-up ...
Title: Re: Castlefest 2016
Post by: paul_k on August 19, 2016, 22:47:22
The red haired girl for me as well. What's not to like about the combination of fair skin, red hair, flowers as hair do and twisted horns to to top it all?

Agree colours are not on the softer side but their rendition certainly helps bring out the subjects in all splendour, intended or not.

Some of these girls will face a substantial task later removing all the make-up ...

Thanks for your kind words, coming from you I value them very much

The several reactions made me contemplate on why (with regards to the processing) I do what I do

To begin with, when I started photography way back when, I was always out to push my (B&W) films to the outer limits, and sometimes beyond, of their sensitivity (FP4 at 30 DIN, TriX at 33 or 36 DIN, and the likes)
Obviously that also came with high contrast negatives, and that combined with Agfa Record Rapid in Tetenal Eukobrom in similarly high contrast prints (when shooting color I preferred slide film printed on Cibachromes, when I had the money), something I still prefer in my BW and color images

Another great influence was the 1967 film 'Elvira Madigan' by Bo Widerberg, with the IMO after all these years still astonishing cinematography by Jorgen Persson.
I won't get into the details of the film, but the way the light in some scenes filters through the leaves of the trees http://www.famousfix.com/post/elvira-madigan-18787929/p623974?view=large  is a thing that I have since tried to in some way emulate when the opportunity arose

And finally the films, the visually overpowering photography, and in particular colors of the socalled 5th generation of Chinese filmmakers, and in particular Zhang Zimou, with 'Hero' and 'House of Flying daggers'  (the scenes in the bamboo forest) are a major major influence on the way I want to 'see' the colors in my 'fantasy' photo's.

So there is some sense amid the madness :-X
Title: Re: Castlefest 2016
Post by: MFloyd on August 20, 2016, 01:22:11
I think, we all fell in love with Pia Degermark
Title: Re: Castlefest 2016
Post by: John Geerts on August 20, 2016, 10:51:06
Thanks for the explanation, Paul. 

I share the fascination for Jorgen Persson, and  together with Sven Nykvist I value them high. 

Perhaps  Jorgen Persson most Iconic still comes from 'En kärlekshistoria'  (A Swedish Love Story)?

Title: Re: Castlefest 2016
Post by: armando_m on August 20, 2016, 14:23:14
Shooting dressed up people is all about having fun , for them and the photographer, when I have done it is quite enjoyable, and with such good relation between the photographer and the models the results are most of the time superb

Thanks for sharing your series

and interesting to learn about the films that  inspire you