Posted by Steven Abel: 
I appreciate the kind words.  I dno't want to sound ungrateful.  I love having my ego stroked as much as the next guy.  Any criticisms though?

---"Newbie goddess" is out of focus and not in a good way I think.
It is good so get another shot or do over.
----"For Alex (top) and bianca".  I am not much for Photoshop but some work on Bianca needs to happen on the face.  I do not like the dark circles under the eyes.  Again it looks like a mistake.  If it looked like it was on purpose then I might like it.
-----"Jill Rasco. " --Out of focus,  lighting just  a touch too harsh.
---"Bianca Abel. Some photographers get their start as an excuse to get their wives less than clothed."
I do not like the item in the upper left hand corner.  Distracting in a bad way.
The shot that is a little stiff,  looks a bit posed.

---"Bianca Abel. I can't take credit for this. Direction mostly came from Jill Rasco. I just pressed my buttons."
Would have liked to see more of the shoe.

-----"Weimar berlin is place I want to be (the style I want to steal). Bianca Abel smokes and probably doesn't care."
Great but would have liked to see just a touch of detail in the skin.

---"Featuring the beautiful talent of Bianca Abel. "
Would like to see more detail in the black hair,  not a hair light but just a touch,  a tiny gleam that would my it hotter

----"Me and the little lady, self portrait, aided by my brother and sister-in-law. It's a family enterprise."
The cigar should be lit.  They are in a bath tub,  not in a cotton factory.

===
Love your stuff and the color that makes you think of the first color images of photography.  That is something you might want to be inspired by but then research might just mess with your creative mind.
The color also reminds me of images that you might find in a attic that have been damaged from years of heat and humidity.    I say that in a good way.  Mistakes or effects that look natural are interesting.

I love that feeling.  and it mixes well with the B&W.  Great job.
Just nit picking but you asked and I gave you, what I see as a solid critique.  But I am just one dog in the back of the class who hates everything.

The other shots,  I think are great and if I shot them,  I would hope I could get the shot just as you did.
The lipstick shot,  Is something I do not feel the right to comment on.

That is it from the cheezy human and his dog.

Posted by Jack D Trute: 
Just nit picking but you asked and I gave you, what I see as a solid critique.  But I am just one dog in the back of the class who hates everything.

Great stuff!  I loved it.  Unfortunately once you point out one or two of the items it is all I can see now.  There are other things that bug me before though, especially on the older shots.  After a while I can't help but want to scrap it all and reshoot every one.  That's not much of an option though.

Thanks again.

Posted by Jack D Trute: 
Steve,
No,  do not do that.

I didn't mean to make it sound like I was going to jump off the bridge unless I received immediate validation.  I'm not going to scrap everything.  I feel like I learn something everytime I shoot though, so once I look back on work from half a year ago I can't help but wish I had done one or two things different.

I removed a couple anyway.

Posted by Jack D Trute: 
I want a signed copy of your book though and I want to be invited to your NY/La/Paris/Berlin gallery shows.

lol, now isn't that wishful thinking on my part?    Remember, I'm just one of those guys who takes pictures of his girlfriend/wife.

Thanks again.

Posted by larsomatic: 
Maybe I'm reading too much into Steve's pictures but, being familiar with several actual images of that era, I see the "out of focus", "lighting just a touch too harsh", items in background...etc. as a true representation of that time in Germany's history. Many of the pictures from back then contain the very things you find distracting.

Good point.  Thanks for your words as well.  I love your avatar btw.

Posted by larsomatic: 





Oh Jack, if only I could be around when you lick yourself.

Didn't mean to imply you were being Jesus.  Just didn't know if you were familiar with shots from that era.  No offence meant.

Uh-oh...did we just hijack this thread?

No,  not yet but give me time.  So far,  so good.