I'd like an honest critique of my new work here. I'm curious if the photos provoke any thoughts or feelings. Also, which one is your favorite and why? / which do you like the least and why?

https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/3557770/viewall

Thank you,
Malik Amandla

I regret to say it, but I don't think you're achieving what you want. Eg the picture of the woman crying looks contrived and therefore has no emotional impact. In fact, the posing in almost all of the pictures is in an awkward halfway position between contrived and natural - none of the shots look unposed, but none of them are posed really well - they lack the leading lines and implied triangles that make Newton and Gowland pictures fly, which really are needed if you're going to do something this static.

This is an interesting one because it comes closest to being very good:



The pose and murky tonality merge the 2 calves together making them look clumsy and reducing their potential for creating a leading line or triangle - and the line from the calves is wasted anyway; there are no interesting intersections. It's interesting to think how the shot could have between tweaked - maybe if the right leg set a leading line through the head and was better separated from the left, physically and tonally? In general I think you'd find your work easier if you weren't so strict about limiting your tonal range.

Otoh, although I don't think you've made your lighting work for you yet, the wrap and detail you're getting even with low contrast show real skill. And you're trying to work in a really difficult genre - and your images are better than 99% of MM art nudes. (Which is damning with faint praise, perhaps.) I can imagine you having one brainstorm and finding the missing element for your work and your next shoot being terrific. And my critique is based on a very strong commitment to the Aesthetics Through Geometry, which you may not agree with!

I'd suggest some time studying da Vincis sketchbooks, Rodin, Newton, frames from Kubrick  Jack Kirby panels, etc, and taking apart what you see - drawing lines through things and finding triangles, etc. Watch the first episode of Kill La KiIll and stop at random positions and ask why each image is so compelling. And watch some videos on model posing like Jill Billingsleys and take apart poses using what you learned.

Then when you have a feel for that, bring it to your work.  You're ambitious and obviously a serious artist; study is part of the game.

The other problem you have is that your model's poses are greatly limited by your desire to hide nipples. This

1. Uses up arms fast - and arms are rather important in posing, especially when legs don't show in most of your images

2. Means you have what looks like a collection of pictures of women who have misplaced there bras and are shielding themselves while they find them.

..Give both the above, it's hard for any non-bra related emotion to be projected by these images. Implied nude usually means that the model's very special most place is hidden, not the nipples - what you're doing is implied topless, which I'd suggest is a recognized art photography genre because of these limitation. I appreciate you don't want people looking at your work for the wrong reasons, and nipple coverage may make models easier to find, but I'd suggest that if want to be nipple free that you shoot models with clothes on so you can keep their arms free. Otherwise you're going to end up with a collection of Hand Bra pictures - and that's an artistic cul-de-sac if ever I heard of one.

My favourite is #2 - the tearful portrait. I love short lighting and it's an example of your low-key tonal range working really well. The highlights pick out the pores in the skin and give the image enough life, without fighting the darker mood you're striving for. I'm a fan of your chiascura style and hope you stick with it..
Most of these look like you're using a single light source, which keeps it simple when you're working with shadows, but can I suggest introducing a back/hair light as well. Not super-strong so that you end up with a rim-lit figure, but just a touch will lift the figure away from the background. The side lighting and deep shadows  emphasise the models form nicely, and a touch of backlight will enhance the 3D and make them pop.
On the down-side, I have to agree with the first respondent- the posing needs more variety, and pay attention to creating lines that enhance the feminine shapes, rather than straightening them out. For example: the cocked hip of #5 is going there (as opposed to #6 and #7) , but even then in 5 the left arm spoils the line.
If you're aiming for 'worksafe' nudes, experiment more with using shadows to veil parts of her body? (#8 is an example?) which would allow you to be more adventurous with the arms..
Good work