Many of Michal Chelbin's photos in Strangely Familiar simply take my breath away- they're that good. And she's also one of those rarities that can do B&W and color equally well (as the examples above more than adequately portray).So it doesn't give me any great pleasure to say that on the other hand, some of her shots (fortunately the minority) just seem a trifle too staged, a trifle too manipulative, as if someone's trying to force the evocation of a specific emotion, style or effect on both subject, and viewer. I think in some cases this may come from using too short a focal length for some of her portraits (as in the cover shot). Other times, I think she may just be pressing too hard- something that with time (and her talent), she'll eventually outgrow.
Oh yeah, and what's up with her website and those ridiculous, stamp sized (no exaggeration) images??? And if it's just a case of me missing the click to embiggen icon- someone, anyone, please enlighten my half century, analogue addled brain...
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