Classy Tattoo


I want to know about the thought process behind this one. Fauxtog thinks to himself, “I know what will make her look classy, spot color on the tattoo!”

← Previous post

Next post →

40 Comments

  1. You forgot the “NSFW” tag on this photo. Underwear + stripper shoes = I’m just not sure what the message the fauxtog was going for here. Maybe, “This is how you got into this mess”?

  2. spot coloring on tats is probably the ONLY time when it’s acceptable, but it has to be done right. this looks more like a clipart picture stamped on her leg rather than a spot colored tattoo. totally poorly done.

    i agree though, you could totally get someone in trouble for this without the NSFW warning.

    • >spot coloring on tats is probably the ONLY time when itโ€™s acceptable

      Nope.

      • Actually, I did shoot a maternity session where mom had an awesome rib piece. She requested that I spot color and it was actually pretty amazing when all was said and done. I think spot color is acceptable occasionally. This is NOT one of those occasions.

      • Proof. . . or it didn’t’ happen.

    • Spot coloring is NEVER acceptable.

    • Anonymous

      the tat is from picnik.

  3. You know, I’ve been following this site for a few months now. And I have to say, I genuinely suffer with every new post. I’m no pro, and in fact I think my tolerance level for amateur slip-ups is rather high, I don’t tend to ask too much from the shots that I look at… but these guys take the prize.

    I’ve been through it all… Goatse, 2G1C, 2G1F, 2GFP… and none of them have made me cringe and say “oh God… that’s genuinely awful” quite like the stuff I’m seeing here… and even more so when I think someone might have purchased those photos. God have mercy on us all…

  4. Baby bump boudoir photography … it’s a whole new industry.

    I hate baby bump shots and I hate boudoir shots. Now I get to double hate. Wheeeeee!

  5. A friend of mine became a fauxtog last month. I just got a spot-color Christmas card from her. It has begun.

    Oh, and what’s this lady’s goal, to become double-pregnant?

  6. What is the deal with all of these picture of pregnant women bellies? Is this seriously considered attractive. And as for this picture…um…yeah. It would work for a non-pregnant woman…but not this. and why highlight the tatoo? You guys are right, it looks more like it was pasted on.

    • seriously? Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful times in a woman’s life. Aren’t photographs meant to capture time? Create memories? Why shouldn’t a pregnant woman have photos to remember the most important time in her life. And this picture wouldn’t work for a non-pregnant or pregnant person, the fake spot color looks like ass, kind of like your comment.

      • But I still can’t figure out what this picture is for? Presumably, it’s not being sent with the Christmas cards to family and friends. Do people put these kinds of pictures up on their mantel or in their hallway? I guess I don’t understand who the audience is supposed to be.

      • Annoyed

        Oh wow! Totally ditto! You said everything I was thinking I wanted to write in reply to this ass clown. Bravo!

  7. This is not down to your usual standard. It’s in focus, reasonably lit, reasonably composed, spot colour is appropriate and minimal. Sure there are a lot of things I’d do differently to it, such as the spot colour is way too bright, but I find it difficult to hate on it in the way I hate on some of your previous offerings. As for those who commented on the shoes, they’re nice shoes, who the **** made you the fashion police?

    • That’s the problem. Reasonably should not be good enough for someone claiming to be a professional. This may not be the worst shot that they’ve posted but it’s definitely not something that I would put in my portfolio.

      • Exactly. It wouldn’t go in my portfolio either, but I also don’t think it’s bad enough to be posting on this hate site. Now, if it was over-HDR’ed and there were green laser beams shooting out of her ass, that’d be different… ๐Ÿ™‚

    • but…it’s not exposed properly – at all! look at the flat skin tones. The exposure is off, the composition is odd – why did the fauxtog add the box on the right…to cover up the chair legs & her arms? just don’t include them in the original shot if you need to cover them up with a box that has nothing to do with the image context. This is just a tacky, unprofessional image that has no place on a professional (wannabe) site IMO. If someone is adding their logo to an image it should be the best of the best that they can do. Maybe that’s the case here…but that’s why it’s on this site. Not to mention the spot color or the unsettling combination of the very pregnant belly + sexy shoes and frilly satin panties + office chair, wall-to-wall carpet, bad paint job, etc… I think pregnant women are beautiful but I don’t see a reason to tart them up. fail.

      • Kaitlyn Elizabeth

        The box on the right it because someone screen-grabbed it from their smugmug site. This was probably not in their ‘portfolio’ but rather something a client requested and was in their proofs gallery. The box is the ‘buy this photo/save it as a favorite’ box, the poster just deleted everything inside it.

  8. I think the “box” may be the copyright notice or ordering info – doesn’t look like it is intended to be part of the photo.

    The B/W conversion on this one is bad. Which gives the impression that the exposure is off.

    The spot color on this one makes no sense – because it is such a small part of the image. I’d prefer to see this in B/W all the way – Then you might have a good film noir look.

  9. No one else is going to mention the vertical blinds? Do people no longer care about good backgrounds?

    • They are horizontal…and they are hideous. Outdated blinds from the 80’s do not make a pleasant backdrop.

  10. This is a serious question. I’m new to photography, have NO intentions of becoming professional but would definitely like to enhance the quality on my own work. I’ve taken one class so far and intend to take at least two more next year.

    Here’s my question: What makes a good black and white conversion? I just don’t have the eye to see this one is bad. Please help me understand what to look for in my own work as well as others. Thanks!

    • A good black and white has actual black and white in it, rather than just being a muddy mess of greyscale. A lot of people think any image can be B&W, or that just clicking a button on your editing program will do it… but there is way more that goes into it. My general workflow with a B/W image is to get it clean from the start, then do a gradient B/W layer, fiddle with the curves, levels, brightness and contrast until it is where I feel it should be. And I’m still nowhere near where I’d like to be in my B/W conversions, but doing this has made them vastly improved.

  11. I’ve played with curves, levels, contrast and brightness as well. I guess I just need to train my eye more.

  12. I agree, this photo needs improvement, you can’t even see her cans……..

  13. One, I don’t think it is spot color, I think it is a fake tattoo added after the fact. Two, what is wrong with you people? Acting like she’s a “whore” because of what she is wearing. “Stripper heels” “NSFW” “Double pregnant”. What kind of mental defects do you people have to even say something like that? Come on, the Madonna whore crap is so 20th century. Other than the spot color, it’s just fine. I’m really wondering about the mental stability of a lot of commenters here, to say such twisted, misogynist crap about the women in these photos.

    • She’s wearing nothing but underwear and heels. Most reasonable people would find that to be NSFW.

  14. Also, what the heck is so wrong with tattoos? Is everyone on this site really that backwards?

    • Anonymous

      hard to get I know, but this is supposed to be (I think…lol) a maternity shot, not a tattoo glamour shot. Could put the same shoes and tattoo on a 400lb man in tightie-whities, would you still be whining? There is nothing wrong with tattoos, sexy shots or maternity pics but this photo clearly says the cheap tattoo is more important than than her pregnancy, hence the spot coloring. It also has poor contrast (extremely important in B&W) and is very flat. NSFW is totally appropriate…It means “Not Suitable For Work” and as there is a partially dressed female, that can get some people in trouble at work. Oh, and btw, I am a woman and a mother…and don’t know anyone who would find this pose appropriate as a maternity shot even if the technique had been perfect…maternity shots are usually taken for family, friends and memories. The only this this photo says about the pregnancy is that shoes and tattoos are the most important thing in her life. I agree, insulting the person in the photo is not cool (which is what I think you were trying to say), but most of the above comments show the impression being relayed by this photo due to pose, costuming, editing, and poor quality, which is most likely not (hopefully not) what the mother had in mind.

      • anonymous

        Do you want a sugar lump for that high horse you’re on?

        1. That tattoo, for all you know, might be a tribute to the woman’s mother, you have no idea of the circumstances and it’s your opinion that it’s ‘cheap’. A lot of people get those style tattoos to commemorate someone and have done traditionally for decades. Is it so unreasonable to think that the scenario might be that this woman’s mother passed away and this is her first pregnancy? Might sound far fetched but with no context whatsoever I think it’s unfair to insinuate that this woman is placing tattoos and shoes in higher regard than her unborn child.

        2. Lots of women go through periods during pregnancy of feeling unattractive, fat, whatever. They’re tired, lugging round a whole head of extra weight, have baby brain and are swollen. Ever thought that maybe the client wanted to feel attractive during her pregnancy? Maybe this set of pictures (let’s not forget that this is probably not the only picture she received from the tog and is likely part of a set), was for the couple to feel sensual during pregnancy? God forbid someone might want to feel attractive whilst ballooned up!

        I’m so sick of people judging the subjects of these photos and not just the technical aspects – my personal opinion is that spot colouring is generally rubbish but if a paying client asked for it and the tog wanted to do it, then spot colour alone does not make a fauxtog.

        Now, all that said, TECHNICALLY, I don’t think the spot colour is great in this pic – I think it looks a bit painted on which isn’t helped by the type of tattoo that it is. Toned down a bit, this wouldn’t be awful.

        Composition-wise, I don’t think it’s a million miles off. With a slightly more romantic soft light, and perhaps a very subtle warm tone to the B&W, this could be a nice picture.

      • anonymous

        oh, and the blinds/dirty skirting board were a bad choice – replace with nice chiffon drapes and this would look a lot less cheap!

  15. pixeldawg

    I saw this and my first thoughts were that she was a hooker who was finishing up with her John. This is really, horrible, and I am amazed that anyone commenting here would call anything about this shot “reasonable”. One last question- Does the pole come with those shoes?

  16. You know what? Apart from the crazily colored tattoo, I don’t find this so bad. Sure, there are some things I’d have done differently (backdrop and B&W conversion, for example), but there has definitely been a lot worse posted on this site. As for the shoes and underwear and posters here trying to figure out the audience- maybe they weren’t intended for an audience. I can’t count how many times I’ve had pregnant clients ask me for boudoir-type photos, for their and their partner’s own private albums- and they’ve always brought their own clothes and often had a backdrop in mind that they wanted in the shots. It’s not easy to feel attractive when you’re pregnant, regardless of the miracle you’re creating… maybe she just wanted to feel sexy. Maybe she felt especially sexy when she was pregnant and wanted to capture it. Who knows… and who cares? Who are you to judge if a tattoo is “cheap,” if someone’s maternity shots are for “family, friends and memories,” or that the pose is inappropriate as a maternity shot? I’ve also had plenty of clients who insisted on keeping their pregnant belly covered in their photos- is that more “appropriate?” Says who?

    The composition of the pic isn’t bad, really. Take away the tattoo and make some small changes, and I’d like it.

  17. At first I was horrified. Then I was…eh. I like where they were going with it, although I’d have opted for a different setting. The tattoo thing is…I don’t know what to say. Maybe she asked for it.

  18. notaphotog

    3 guesses which of these posters is the photographer

  19. I’m pretty sure this is a clip art from picnik.

Leave a Reply to Ann Cancel reply