Valentina.Art at The Kiln (Patreon)

I had the pleasure of hooting Valentina at The Kiln.

While I do like the studio, it requires a lot of post-processing in some areas.

You'll see below what I mean.

When I retouch, I often increase contrast, which also increases texture.

So when an area like an even floor is dirty, this will be amplified. And so will mold behind a heater. Other than that, I frequently remove elements that disturb, such as doorknobs or lamps that I do not need in the composition, and if left, will detract focus from the model.

And I’m enough of a control freak to want to control where people look.

Look at the right image and tell me you are not bothered by the lamp, the reflection in the doorframe, the paint color difference on the door, the doorknob/lock, the light under the bathroom door - and the darker obstruction of the light, the dirty floor, and the moldy wall.

Some will ask what about the electrical socket and why not remove it.

To that, I’ll say I like to leave in a few “errors” that will make people think and wonder, thus causing them to spend a few extra precious moments looking at the image and engaging.