...Oh yeh... Randy ! The one with a large American hat !!! Oh that's you then.rofl
Randy, I liked best your previous avatar. It gave you a stronger personality than this one. This one has a "common" hat or cap, whatever you call itrofl...
Hey Antonio,
I don't usually post the same image in two different threads, but here's another SCP.
I took your suggestion, so it's my new avatar. You might like this one better than the one I was using for a while.
This is an avatar with , and I quote "Charisma From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia... The word charisma (Greek "kharisma," meaning "gift," "of/from/favored_by God/the_divine") refers to a trait found in persons with a facile personality, characterized by personal charm and magnetism (attractiveness), along with innate and powerfully sophisticated abilities of interpersonal communication and persuasion. One who is charismatic is said to be capable of using their personal being, rather than just speech or logic alone, to interface with other human beings in a personal and direct manner, and effectively communicate an argument or concept to them..."
However I have made some, what I can classify, as minor adjustments
The background is not well cloned but I don't know how to do it properly but as you have the original image, my version is good enough.
Now your avatar has charisma, personality, character. One looks at it and say at once: He is an American.:D
The light in your eyes is well placed and you did show how to place that flash. I like the power within the image maybe because it is in black and white.
B&W re enforces (gives more strength ) the power and significance of the portrait.
This is an image I would be proud of. Nice work. Just the full hat will you, please ?! Not cut, truncated, no.
...Just the full hat will you, please ?! Not cut, truncated, no.
Antonio,
Thank you so much for your very kind words.
While as you know, and can see, I take your input under advisement.
But, I cropped the image as I did not by mistake, but for the following two reasons.
1) The hat continuing out-of-frame gives a leading line into the image, and directly to the eyes
2) The crop also allows for the subject to not be fully centered in the frame.
I will admit that cropping for such a small avatar was restrictive to my cropping options. In a larger display image, I could easily have cropped the full hat in and left negative space to the right. To do that for such a small display image would make the subjects face too small.
I fully respect that YMMV, and again, thanks for your input & the kind comments.
Great set Antonio! I like them all, but this one really grabs me! Nice composition, great colors, interesting subject and a very natural, relaxed pose.
For my taste, I normally don't care for an image that has the subject to the short side of the frame & looking OUT that same short side of the frame. But in this instance, with the instrument, it works for me
Nice camera position to take advantage of the sun/hair/rim light. Was the shot available light only, or did you add some slight fill? My guess is fill-light, and if so, good job!
Antonio, For my taste, I normally don't care for an image that has the subject to the short side of the frame & looking OUT that same short side of the frame. But in this instance, with the instrument, it works for me Nice camera position to take advantage of the sun/hair/rim light. Was the shot available light only, or did you add some slight fill? My guess is fill-light, and if so, good job!
Ryan, the question here lies how I shoot, the way I look at what surrounds me, what I look and I see.
The day I shot these two pictures - a friend and my self - we went to Estoril because there were some car races going on. The idea was to get some shots on automobile sports.
There was what we call "animation", something like street scenes, guys playing instruments like this one and others, children activity, games, beer, food, antique cars and all that stuff you can imagine.
This guy was playing among others and I looked at him while he was paying. I was using the 20D with the 70-200. I thought that under that light it might make a good picture.
I looked through the viewfinder and waited for a moment. Then, when he came to a position I liked, I made the shot. I do this more and more being aware of the background of the main "target". In the shot I above I was not very careful.:cry
I normally don't shoot many pictures. More than when I was shooting anagogic but not many. Specially when the subject is as static as this one and waiting for us.
At home, I analyze the pictures trying to find the best ones and discarding the others. Most of the times I don't erase the pictures. I keep them for future "treatment" if ever I want to.
Here there is no fill light at all. This is the available light. On my back there was a large large area opened to the environment. May be there was also some white areas from large containers nearby. I can't remember with exactitude.
Now, I use Lightroom - I am not selling this program - which is responsible for my better photos. It is simple to use, not a lot of commands to learn like in CS.
Now, I concentrate on a couple of commands and here we are.
I also feel these days that I am getting better results because I use a Cintiq Wacom and two monitors. On the Mac, the main picture and on the Cintiq the commands. I am not selling Wacom tablets either.
The man is looking at the other side, towards the left and to the outside of the frame, but he is balanced by the instrument, which is in fact also very sharp contributing to the composition.
But tell me: Aren't these pictures - the other and this one - a little too magenta ?
Or is it just me ?
hello Antonio thnx for the pm.
its obvious that you are beyond the common family-album snapshooter=)
you manage to capture something that feels real in most of your shots.
they dont pretend to be anything they are not.
---
from page1
---
nr1.
why dont i like this picture.....?... hmmmm.. iv been looking at it for a long time now...
i can see that you was playing with dof but that dont rescue this shot for me...
i think its the angle you was shooting from that "ruins" it, maby a classic front-shot would do better?
no wait a minute... its the swordmans face! he is not committed to this picture, it looks like he wants to go home.
if i visualize this shot without his face, only the helmetgrid, then i think it would be powerful and menacing.
yes, also if his head was more in profile like the helmet it would help,
i think maby this is why i felt something was wrong, the head is facing straight towards the camera and the helmet
more down and to the right.
nr2.
its a nice shot and i like the colors,
i think it would be a "better" shot if he was more occupied with his work though,
now i got the feeling you disturb him with "hey, look up in the camera",
and instead of bringing ME into HIS world, you are forcing him into mine.
make sense?
nr3.
wow.... why do i love this picture...?
its really pretty boring and nothing special at all... but i know why=)
both of them has something in their eyes that draws me in... they are soulmates=)
god damn... it must be pure joy and love i am looking at!
nr4.
iv seen alot of pictures like this, its nice... composition are good.
maby you should experiment with closer shots?
getting really close-up-in-the-face-portraits can produce great images with striking power.
i would clone away that straw from his head! it fight for my attention, i want to look at his face
but that straw keeps winning the battle
nr5.
yess! really good! the eyecontact and expression, composition are good to.
it feels very real.
too bad the focus are just a bit of... now the focus are more on the painted wood wall and not on his face.
nr6.
no!! very bad its chaotic and you are too far away, geting in much closer here would be better i think.
nr 7 & nr 8
i love what you did with these two shots!
really nice pp work, i absolutely love the washed out colors and polaroid-feel of these.
nr 8 is also my favourite from page 1, so full of life!
---
from page 3
---
nr1.
i really like that you are close here! but i think the crop/composition could be improved.
i would rather if you had more space/air to the left and cut/crop the right side (our right) of his face all the
way past his ear.
its sharp and feels real! yes, you captured something genuine, well done!
nr2.
nice street-shot! its a sweet capture, i would love to zoom in on her face=)
thats a classic beauty right there.
nr3.
its a good b&w with many fine tones, exposure looks very good.
the darkest parts are not too dark, and brightest not too bright.
also a fun shot
i think the first shot are favourite frome this page.
---
from page 4
---
nr1.
its ok but feels snapshotish... "hey you, stop and look in the camera"
i rather you pan the camera and snap him in the speed.
---
from page 5
---
nr1.
this is very good antonio, a true moment!
good dof, light and mood! very jazzy. also one of my favourites, really good.
nr2.
im not so happy with this one,
but also the subject dont have the massive expression as the previous guy so it feels a bit soso
---
all in all antonio great portraits that feels true.
a bit magenta as you say but not so much that i had seen it if you didnt mention it.
My only nit: the white bg spot under his nose, it draws my eye there.
To your previous question: I don't think the two images you asked about the magenta is bad. Yes, I'll agree that it may not be "perfect" for printing, but for web display, it works just fine for me.
hello Antonio ... its obvious that you are beyond the common family-album snapshooter=)...
Tortilla thank you for the trouble of commenting my images.
You did have a lot of work !
I read carefully your comments and I agree with some while I don't with others. Which is normal as we can understand. But I have to mention on particular picture you didn't like
6.
You say: "nr6. no!! very bad its chaotic and you are too far away, geting in much closer here would be better i think.". Needless to smile Trotilla. I invited you to comment and so, I was/am ready to read less pleasant things.
The story of this picture:
At the entrance of a temple - Bhutan - I saw a monk and what he was holding called my attention: a rosary with big, large, round pieces. I can't even remember of seeing his face before I pointed at that "instrument" and asking to take a close up.
The guide came at that moment and told me: Not here, not here.
We were outside of the temple and I could get a piece of the inside of it which I was not supposed to.
Then, while I was saying to the guy and to the guide that no, I was not shooting the inside but a detail of his hands, the monk went away and set on a bench, posing for the photography.
Then, he took from inside his robe a weep which he was proudly exhibiting.
I made 6 or seven shots and I came to this one which - tell me if you agree with me - emphasizes his power.
After the shots he wanted to chimp. He also wanted. I can't remember how it happened then but at a certain moment the guide was writting down his address for me to send the photo.
I said I would send it and I am going to. Sure.
Meanwhile, to illustrate the book I am going to make about this travel, I have used this image as cover.
Oh boy, I was almost forgetting to tell you that he was the "vice-president" of the monastery.
Now, we can understand his posture and his well fed healthy look.
Need less to say what he uses his weep to. Or do I also have to tell you about that ?
Now I am sure you will understand why the crop is so wide: I wanted to get him and all his instruments as well as his ambiance.:D
I sincerelly consider that shots like this one and this one
are among the poorest I have done. Sorry Tortilla but I don't agree with you. It's a question of taste.
Thank you again for the trouble to write about my images. When you see my images and if are willing to beat them, go ahead because I will be here to defend myself from your words.:D
I was going to forget: when you have SCP images post them here will you ?
I want also to beat you.:ivar
I think you do photograph but you are playing games with people here. Am I right ?
I noticed you have seen that the photo of the young monk is a tad out of focus and I know you are right. So, you have an eye. So, you are used to photograph. So, you look and you see.
OK Randy. But what can I do ?
I don't know how to clone it with perfection.
So I will not be doing it.
However, the blue shirt of the guy is worst at the bottom left.
I tried to clone it but I couldn't do a decent job. :cry
I left it as it is
My nit was really aimed at the location of the bright spot "before" you pressed the shutter. Background distractions, something that we all have to keep conscious of while shooting. Sometimes there are unavoidable reasons that issues cannot be completely avoided, which the photographer knows about, but the viewer of the image does not. Could you have taken a half-step to your left and made the bright spot not visible?
In post, you can use a layer, select only the bg, then burn or clone the light spot out.
Uh Oh, this of course would only be acceptable if this is an "art picture"
I still stand by my original statement: I like this shot a lot
My nit was really aimed at the location of the bright spot "before" you pressed the shutter. Background distractions, something that we all have to keep conscious of while shooting. Sometimes there are unavoidable reasons that issues cannot be completely avoided, which the photographer knows about, but the viewer of the image does not. Could you have taken a half-step to your left and made the bright spot not visible? ...
Yes I do know that. My excuses: This was shot in Morocco where people doesn't like to be photographed. I was using the 20D+1,4*+70-200 to get as near as I could.
And... I had not seen that white thing !:D
...Uh Oh, this of course would only be acceptable if this is an "art picture" ...
Yeh... That's a good jocke. But no, this is not Art with a capital A. Not even without it, the A.:D
Just a plain and simple image. This is the kind of pictue which is considered as rubbish.
And here is another one of my SCP
Yes, the balcony back there. I know. can't help it. Sorry. :cry
When you see my images and if are willing to beat them, go ahead because I will be here to defend myself from your words.:D
i think you understand that, i might be blunt in my comments,
but i never intend to beat the hell out of a shot just to do it.
i try to explain why or what something feels wrong,
so i hope it is somewhat constructive
but ofcourse i understand that, as you say: "I agree with some while I don't with others"
I was going to forget: when you have SCP images post them here will you ?
I want also to beat you.:ivar
sure will! my first post will probably be in the Other Cool Shots section,
because there will be differently in subjects, not only portaits.
you are invited to come beat at them
Comments
Here you go, Antonio - Not necessarily the world's greatest photo, but...
http://bdcolen.smugmug.com/photos/548430225_TAMGn-M.jpg
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
But it is nice and tender ...
Thank you for posting.
I was hoping somebody else could post more SCPs
Not much.:D Just one of my SCPs and here is the EXIF.
Hey Antonio,
I don't usually post the same image in two different threads, but here's another SCP.
I took your suggestion, so it's my new avatar. You might like this one better than the one I was using for a while.
Hope all is well with you
This is an avatar with , and I quote "Charisma From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia... The word charisma (Greek "kharisma," meaning "gift," "of/from/favored_by God/the_divine") refers to a trait found in persons with a facile personality, characterized by personal charm and magnetism (attractiveness), along with innate and powerfully sophisticated abilities of interpersonal communication and persuasion. One who is charismatic is said to be capable of using their personal being, rather than just speech or logic alone, to interface with other human beings in a personal and direct manner, and effectively communicate an argument or concept to them..."
However I have made some, what I can classify, as minor adjustments
The background is not well cloned but I don't know how to do it properly but as you have the original image, my version is good enough.
Now your avatar has charisma, personality, character. One looks at it and say at once: He is an American.:D
The light in your eyes is well placed and you did show how to place that flash. I like the power within the image maybe because it is in black and white.
B&W re enforces (gives more strength ) the power and significance of the portrait.
This is an image I would be proud of. Nice work. Just the full hat will you, please ?! Not cut, truncated, no.
Health
Antonio,
Thank you so much for your very kind words.
While as you know, and can see, I take your input under advisement.
But, I cropped the image as I did not by mistake, but for the following two reasons.
1) The hat continuing out-of-frame gives a leading line into the image, and directly to the eyes
2) The crop also allows for the subject to not be fully centered in the frame.
I will admit that cropping for such a small avatar was restrictive to my cropping options. In a larger display image, I could easily have cropped the full hat in and left negative space to the right. To do that for such a small display image would make the subjects face too small.
I fully respect that YMMV, and again, thanks for your input & the kind comments.
+1
http://danielplumer.com/
Facebook Fan Page
My pleasure.
You look great Randy in your avatar.
Keep it as kind of brand.
Like BMW or Mercedes
Haven't you got a SCP to post here ?
Straight Out Of The Womb (SOOTW)
http://danielplumer.com/
Facebook Fan Page
Be my guest if you have other SCP you would like to post.:D
Meanwhile, I want to wish to this young American and to his family much Health.
Nikon D300, 18-135/3.5-5.6, 70-300/4.5-5.6, SB800
For my taste, I normally don't care for an image that has the subject to the short side of the frame & looking OUT that same short side of the frame. But in this instance, with the instrument, it works for me
Nice camera position to take advantage of the sun/hair/rim light. Was the shot available light only, or did you add some slight fill? My guess is fill-light, and if so, good job!
Ryan, the question here lies how I shoot, the way I look at what surrounds me, what I look and I see.
The day I shot these two pictures - a friend and my self - we went to Estoril because there were some car races going on. The idea was to get some shots on automobile sports.
There was what we call "animation", something like street scenes, guys playing instruments like this one and others, children activity, games, beer, food, antique cars and all that stuff you can imagine.
This guy was playing among others and I looked at him while he was paying. I was using the 20D with the 70-200. I thought that under that light it might make a good picture.
I looked through the viewfinder and waited for a moment. Then, when he came to a position I liked, I made the shot. I do this more and more being aware of the background of the main "target". In the shot I above I was not very careful.:cry
I normally don't shoot many pictures. More than when I was shooting anagogic but not many. Specially when the subject is as static as this one and waiting for us.
At home, I analyze the pictures trying to find the best ones and discarding the others. Most of the times I don't erase the pictures. I keep them for future "treatment" if ever I want to.
Here there is no fill light at all. This is the available light. On my back there was a large large area opened to the environment. May be there was also some white areas from large containers nearby. I can't remember with exactitude.
Now, I use Lightroom - I am not selling this program
Now, I concentrate on a couple of commands and here we are.
I also feel these days that I am getting better results because I use a Cintiq Wacom and two monitors. On the Mac, the main picture and on the Cintiq the commands. I am not selling Wacom tablets either.
The man is looking at the other side, towards the left and to the outside of the frame, but he is balanced by the instrument, which is in fact also very sharp contributing to the composition.
But tell me: Aren't these pictures - the other and this one - a little too magenta ?
Or is it just me ?
Thank you so much Antonio
http://danielplumer.com/
Facebook Fan Page
its obvious that you are beyond the common family-album snapshooter=)
you manage to capture something that feels real in most of your shots.
they dont pretend to be anything they are not.
---
from page1
---
nr1.
why dont i like this picture.....?... hmmmm.. iv been looking at it for a long time now...
i can see that you was playing with dof but that dont rescue this shot for me...
i think its the angle you was shooting from that "ruins" it, maby a classic front-shot would do better?
no wait a minute... its the swordmans face! he is not committed to this picture, it looks like he wants to go home.
if i visualize this shot without his face, only the helmetgrid, then i think it would be powerful and menacing.
yes, also if his head was more in profile like the helmet it would help,
i think maby this is why i felt something was wrong, the head is facing straight towards the camera and the helmet
more down and to the right.
nr2.
its a nice shot and i like the colors,
i think it would be a "better" shot if he was more occupied with his work though,
now i got the feeling you disturb him with "hey, look up in the camera",
and instead of bringing ME into HIS world, you are forcing him into mine.
make sense?
nr3.
wow.... why do i love this picture...?
its really pretty boring and nothing special at all... but i know why=)
both of them has something in their eyes that draws me in... they are soulmates=)
god damn... it must be pure joy and love i am looking at!
nr4.
iv seen alot of pictures like this, its nice... composition are good.
maby you should experiment with closer shots?
getting really close-up-in-the-face-portraits can produce great images with striking power.
i would clone away that straw from his head! it fight for my attention, i want to look at his face
but that straw keeps winning the battle
nr5.
yess! really good! the eyecontact and expression, composition are good to.
it feels very real.
too bad the focus are just a bit of... now the focus are more on the painted wood wall and not on his face.
nr6.
no!! very bad
nr 7 & nr 8
i love what you did with these two shots!
really nice pp work, i absolutely love the washed out colors and polaroid-feel of these.
nr 8 is also my favourite from page 1, so full of life!
---
from page 3
---
nr1.
i really like that you are close here! but i think the crop/composition could be improved.
i would rather if you had more space/air to the left and cut/crop the right side (our right) of his face all the
way past his ear.
its sharp and feels real! yes, you captured something genuine, well done!
nr2.
nice street-shot! its a sweet capture, i would love to zoom in on her face=)
thats a classic beauty right there.
nr3.
its a good b&w with many fine tones, exposure looks very good.
the darkest parts are not too dark, and brightest not too bright.
also a fun shot
i think the first shot are favourite frome this page.
---
from page 4
---
nr1.
its ok but feels snapshotish... "hey you, stop and look in the camera"
i rather you pan the camera and snap him in the speed.
---
from page 5
---
nr1.
this is very good antonio, a true moment!
good dof, light and mood! very jazzy. also one of my favourites, really good.
nr2.
im not so happy with this one,
but also the subject dont have the massive expression as the previous guy so it feels a bit soso
---
all in all antonio great portraits that feels true.
a bit magenta as you say but not so much that i had seen it if you didnt mention it.
But let me begin with
Lovely use of fill flash in several of these.
It is good to see you posting again!
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
My only nit: the white bg spot under his nose, it draws my eye there.
To your previous question: I don't think the two images you asked about the magenta is bad. Yes, I'll agree that it may not be "perfect" for printing, but for web display, it works just fine for me.
Tortilla thank you for the trouble of commenting my images.
You did have a lot of work !
I read carefully your comments and I agree with some while I don't with others. Which is normal as we can understand. But I have to mention on particular picture you didn't like
6.
You say: "nr6. no!! very bad
The story of this picture:
At the entrance of a temple - Bhutan - I saw a monk and what he was holding called my attention: a rosary with big, large, round pieces. I can't even remember of seeing his face before I pointed at that "instrument" and asking to take a close up.
The guide came at that moment and told me: Not here, not here.
We were outside of the temple and I could get a piece of the inside of it which I was not supposed to.
Then, while I was saying to the guy and to the guide that no, I was not shooting the inside but a detail of his hands, the monk went away and set on a bench, posing for the photography.
Then, he took from inside his robe a weep which he was proudly exhibiting.
I made 6 or seven shots and I came to this one which - tell me if you agree with me - emphasizes his power.
After the shots he wanted to chimp. He also wanted. I can't remember how it happened then but at a certain moment the guide was writting down his address for me to send the photo.
I said I would send it and I am going to. Sure.
Meanwhile, to illustrate the book I am going to make about this travel, I have used this image as cover.
Now, we can understand his posture and his well fed healthy look.
Need less to say what he uses his weep to. Or do I also have to tell you about that ?
Now I am sure you will understand why the crop is so wide: I wanted to get him and all his instruments as well as his ambiance.:D
I sincerelly consider that shots like this one
are among the poorest I have done. Sorry Tortilla but I don't agree with you. It's a question of taste.
Thank you again for the trouble to write about my images. When you see my images and if are willing to beat them, go ahead because I will be here to defend myself from your words.:D
I was going to forget: when you have SCP images post them here will you ?
I want also to beat you.:ivar
I think you do photograph but you are playing games with people here. Am I right ?
I noticed you have seen that the photo of the young monk is a tad out of focus and I know you are right. So, you have an eye. So, you are used to photograph. So, you look and you see.
Hello Jim. How are you ?
I will post here from time to time, yes.
Less than before but I will be around ...:D
OK Randy. But what can I do ?
I don't know how to clone it with perfection.
So I will not be doing it.
However, the blue shirt of the guy is worst at the bottom left.
I tried to clone it but I couldn't do a decent job. :cry
I left it as it is
My nit was really aimed at the location of the bright spot "before" you pressed the shutter. Background distractions, something that we all have to keep conscious of while shooting. Sometimes there are unavoidable reasons that issues cannot be completely avoided, which the photographer knows about, but the viewer of the image does not. Could you have taken a half-step to your left and made the bright spot not visible?
In post, you can use a layer, select only the bg, then burn or clone the light spot out.
Uh Oh, this of course would only be acceptable if this is an "art picture"
I still stand by my original statement: I like this shot a lot
Yes I do know that. My excuses: This was shot in Morocco where people doesn't like to be photographed. I was using the 20D+1,4*+70-200 to get as near as I could.
And... I had not seen that white thing !:D
Yeh... That's a good jocke.
Just a plain and simple image. This is the kind of pictue which is considered as rubbish.
And here is another one of my SCP
Yes, the balcony back there. I know. can't help it. Sorry. :cry
16.
Too bright may be...
Tortilla you got more eggs here to break !
but i never intend to beat the hell out of a shot just to do it.
i try to explain why or what something feels wrong,
so i hope it is somewhat constructive
but ofcourse i understand that, as you say: "I agree with some while I don't with others"
because there will be differently in subjects, not only portaits.
you are invited to come beat at them
you are right and you are wrong...
i do snap a shot every now and then, but i dont play games.
thank you antonio, i will keep an eye on this thread!
edit: oh... i prefer 17a over 17b, the muted colloring suits the mood/expression much better i think
16 = verry sweet and cute shot=)