Stanislav Istratov (www.flexdreams.com)
Stanislav Istratov is a photographer from Ukraine who focuses on portraiture photography in a variety of themes. For this research page, I have decided to look at two of his fantasy photographs, which I feel that although they are simplistic, the editing that has gone in to them makes them flawless. This first image features a model looking down over her shoulder - however, this model has been edited to look like a elf, with the pointed ears and celtic knotwork on her forehead.
The models skin has been airbrushed to give it a flawless appearance - as elves in folklore are often depicted as creatures of unrivaled beauty and grace. Her ear has been pointed using either photoshop - or perhaps even a prosthetic., as it appears that the hair is tucked behind the full length of the ear, rather than just the human part. I particularly like the expression on the models face, as it's very neutral and thoughtful. I also like the positioning of the mode, as it is commonly known that by having her at this angle, it provides a very slimming appearance.
Personally, if I had done this photograph myself, I'm not sure I would have chosen to edit it into black and white. In doing this, it removes any emotion from the models features - such as any tone on her cheeks, or the colour of her lips. However, this also adds to the neutral aspect of this photograph, which is perhaps why Stanislav Istratov chose to do this.
The models skin has been airbrushed to give it a flawless appearance - as elves in folklore are often depicted as creatures of unrivaled beauty and grace. Her ear has been pointed using either photoshop - or perhaps even a prosthetic., as it appears that the hair is tucked behind the full length of the ear, rather than just the human part. I particularly like the expression on the models face, as it's very neutral and thoughtful. I also like the positioning of the mode, as it is commonly known that by having her at this angle, it provides a very slimming appearance.
Personally, if I had done this photograph myself, I'm not sure I would have chosen to edit it into black and white. In doing this, it removes any emotion from the models features - such as any tone on her cheeks, or the colour of her lips. However, this also adds to the neutral aspect of this photograph, which is perhaps why Stanislav Istratov chose to do this.
This photograph is completely different compared to the elven one, and it caught my eye due to the bright colours and almost painting-like feel. In this image, we can see that the model has been painted over with bright green paint in an attempt to mimic grass (which can be seen on her face). In addition, the model has been covered in bright red ladybirds, which appear to almost be crawling over the 'grass.' I especially like how the models hair is blowing off out of the corner of the image, and that the entire image almost seems to be a piece of digital art rather than photography. The editing process has softened the skin tones and enhanced the eyes, giving it the feel of almost being a painting.
Overall, this image comes across very natural, with the main focal point being the models bright blue eyes, which contrast the shades of green. There is a very strong shadow under the models chin, leading down to her chest, creating a secondary focal point. Because of this, we notice the strands of grass that decorate the model, with a few strands being highlighted by the red ladybirds. I would really like to experiment with this style - painting onto the model physically, rather than on photoshop..
In conclusion, I really like how Stanislav Istratov creates flawless looking images through his editing - and sometimes through the use of makeup. I particularly would like to experiment on creating elven ears like he has done in the first image,
Overall, this image comes across very natural, with the main focal point being the models bright blue eyes, which contrast the shades of green. There is a very strong shadow under the models chin, leading down to her chest, creating a secondary focal point. Because of this, we notice the strands of grass that decorate the model, with a few strands being highlighted by the red ladybirds. I would really like to experiment with this style - painting onto the model physically, rather than on photoshop..
In conclusion, I really like how Stanislav Istratov creates flawless looking images through his editing - and sometimes through the use of makeup. I particularly would like to experiment on creating elven ears like he has done in the first image,