Reach

This is such a lovely photograph that I think an appreciation seems more in line than a critique...

The harmony of form and rhythm are exquisite, all rising up into the light and the magic ambiguity of the pose. The nuance in this pose, as in so much of Melissa's other work, is remarkable. Though frozen in the instant of the photo it is a transition between two places, suggestive of a moment past and now lost forever and a future yet to be defined. Where were the hands before, where are they going? Where was her gaze before, what is she looking at now? This fragile equilibrium between the stationary, compositionally solid pose and the sense of transition and movement, both physical and psychological, transforms what could have been a common image into a rare masterpiece. The balance between the lines in her right arm and right hip, then pulled up into the left arm, is flawless. And the photographer has painted the light onto her hands and face so gently. The darks in the hair, the deepest tones in the image, bring the focus to the face and bust, great contrast between lights and darks. Fabulous collaboration and magic image: I also love the space between face and hands- Melissa you've managed to breathe life into the space itself.