I'm drawn in by his expression, and I like the way he's leaving the frame. I find myself wanting to see just a bit more of him. Perhaps it's because the corner of that eye is at the very edge, as is his mouth.
Love the grainy softness of the image and the way he is exiting the frame barely hanging on by just his almost painful glance. I like the tight crop as it is. The white blob on the left does distract me.
Like the expression, like the framing, like the shot - what tells us he's an actor?
I think the question in this case is, who tells us he's an actor. And for whatever reason, gvf wanted us to interpret the image through that particular filter. Would we want to see something different in him if the title had been "Portrait of an older Conductor" or simply "Portrait of an old man"?
I fully appreciate the intent of the exercise, but an internet forum such as DGrin isn't well set up for Gallery-style viewing and interpretation. So we are stuck with at least some context for an image as a part of even posting.
Thanks, I appreciate that and other comments. Using "Actor" in the title is just the way I think of this man, who I know, and the shot was taken backstage at a Shakespeare-in-the-Park setting. It could easily have just said "Older Man" since the place and hence his work is undefined.
The blob on the left, in this crop from a larger original, is unclear, a good point. Behind him is a path leading upwards to a break in the trees - and that image when it was a bit clearer gave a feel I liked to the actual portrait. A last journey awaiting him, something like that - as a feel that is. Not planned or anything. I suppose I could isolate and sharpen that area a bit, but...... I tend not to do much post-processing beyond minimal exposure tweaks etc. in most of what I shoot.
Comments
Like the expression, like the framing, like the shot - what tells us he's an actor?
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
I think the question in this case is, who tells us he's an actor. And for whatever reason, gvf wanted us to interpret the image through that particular filter. Would we want to see something different in him if the title had been "Portrait of an older Conductor" or simply "Portrait of an old man"?
I fully appreciate the intent of the exercise, but an internet forum such as DGrin isn't well set up for Gallery-style viewing and interpretation. So we are stuck with at least some context for an image as a part of even posting.
ps, gvf, I like the image.
Thanks, I appreciate that and other comments. Using "Actor" in the title is just the way I think of this man, who I know, and the shot was taken backstage at a Shakespeare-in-the-Park setting. It could easily have just said "Older Man" since the place and hence his work is undefined.
The blob on the left, in this crop from a larger original, is unclear, a good point. Behind him is a path leading upwards to a break in the trees - and that image when it was a bit clearer gave a feel I liked to the actual portrait. A last journey awaiting him, something like that - as a feel that is. Not planned or anything. I suppose I could isolate and sharpen that area a bit, but...... I tend not to do much post-processing beyond minimal exposure tweaks etc. in most of what I shoot.