Critique #65 - Portrait

[Gabriel M.A.]

Welcome to this critique thread. Please read the purpose statement and the guidelines/ground rules regarding participation.

Purpose
The primary purpose of this thread is to provide a forum where photographers can give and receive constructive criticism on one another's photographs. By setting up some basic guidelines we hope that this thread will provide a forum where the give and take of honest constructive criticism can help us become better photographers.

Guidelines/Ground Rules
The thread has very specific rules regarding participation. The one basic rule is that you cannot provide criticism on an image or comment in a critique thread unless you also have an image posted. To post an image to this thread you must be a participant. Participation in this thread is limited. Here are the guidelines and ground rules for participation:

• Participation in this thread is limited to 5 photographers
• Participants join the thread by posting their intention. You can simply reply with your intent to join by posting something like: "I'm joining," "I'm in," or just state your name
• Joining is on a "first come, first served" basis. The first 5 to reply become the participants.
• Please, only join this thread if you are able post an image within 24 hours of joining.
• Once the thread has 5 participants, no other photographers can join or participate in the thread
• Once the thread is full of participants all photographers will upload their image(s)
• Please abide by any thematic requirement (e.g., landscape, portrait, etc.)
•The number of photos for each participant is limited to one
• Photographers attach photos as thumbnails (no inline images or links)
• Photos should be standard screen resolution (72~90) and the longest side of the image approximately 10 inches in length.
• Photographers post their images supplying titles (if any) and other pertinent information (the amount of information should be minimal)
• Photographers can only comment on their own images and reply to comments only when everyone else in the thread has posted their comments on the image
• Every participant must comment on every photo (except their own—initially)
• Every participant must make at least two comments, one positive comment, and one constructive criticism (which is actually two positive comments)
• Once every photographer has commented then a free flowing discussion begins. It is at this point that every photographer can comment on their own work and reply to comments, ask questions, etc.
• The participants decide when the thread closes.


If you'd like to participate in a critique thread and need some ideas about how to proceed with viewing images critically, you may find this thread helpful:

How do you look at photos (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26459)

You can also provide feedback on critique threads here:

Critique Feedback Thread (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26611)

Remember: Please do not provide criticism on an image or comment in a critique thread unless you also have an image posted.

This thread is now active, please follow the guidelines if you'd like to participate! Have Fun!

[Gabriel M.A.]

Please note that this new thread is for those who wanted to participate in the current Portrait Critique, but didn't get a spot.

If you have a spot in the ongoing Portrait Critique threads, please allow others take their turn.

[RML]

I'm joining.

[visiondr]

Call me In

Ron

[shiro_kuro]

Count me in also

[ampguy]

I'm in.

......................

[Gabriel M.A.]

Me in too (Ray's done it too, right?) -- This thread hung in da balance for a few days.

[ampguy]

RD1, rokkor 40/2, cropped, feeling lucky, fill in picasa. no photoshop.

I'm in.

......................

[visiondr]

Call me In

Ron

Here's my entry:

[RML]

Enter my entry. :)

R-D1, M-Rokkor 40/2, iso1600, 1/12 sec., probably f2.8.
B&W conversion in RAW developer.
Curves adjusted in PSP.

My daughter playing violin for us on X-mas day.

[shiro_kuro]

Here is my image ..posted this in another thread ....but interested in your comments .....Thanx

[Gabriel M.A.]

I'll post this evening :o

[Gabriel M.A.]

Here it is...

[visiondr]

Ok, It looks like I'll dive in...

Gabriel:

Dynamic and visually interesting pose, looking off in the middle distance with a stance that's angled just to the right. The colours are brilliant and saturated (and serve as something of a secondary focal point) yet the skin tones appear right on.

The hand position is a bit out of place for me. Just can't explain why it doesn't feel right (not, therefore, a valid point of criticism). Also, would have aimed for a shallower DOF to emphasize the subject.

ampguy:

Pleasing OOF areas. I'm left with the feeling that the little girl is pouting and her toy rat is her best buddy right at this point. A cute moment in a child's life. Makes me think of similar emotions in my own child.

I'm not sure who the subject here is, especially since the focus point appears to be the rat's eye. As one of my coworkers said (though, admittedly, not a photographer) "what's with the rat?"


RML:

"Concentration" would be an apt title here. She is really absorbed in the moment. Exposure is good, focus accurate.

I'd like to see some movement or a sense of movement. She is, after all, playing a violin. I want to be able to "hear" the playing.

Shiro_Kuro:

Aloof, distant, unapproachable are what come to mind looking at the Geisha. The blur is perfect for the image as she looks even more far away. Her expression is of stoicism.

Distracting background and foreground. The apparently metal railings don't seem to belong with such an 19th century (at least to my Western mind) tradition. Though the obliquely angled railing does serve to help bring my eye back to the subject.

[shiro_kuro]

@Gabriel..... Very nice colors and look in her eye and use of light .... The focus point seems to be on the leading shoulder perhaps more sharpness on her face ...she has wonderful eyes and I think it would make difference in this portrait to see the sharpness in her eyes... something about her position in the photograph seems out of balance .... my eyes get pulled down to the bottom of the image....

[shiro_kuro]

@RML..... Great shot of your daughter ..... The look on her face and her hand position and the slight movement of the bow ...I get a sense of her confidence and grace playing the violin .. I can see a little bit of light on the right side of her face .. I think maybe if there were more light on her face and a bit more detail in the sweater ... would make this image come more alive

[shiro_kuro]

@Ampguy.... I think think this is a well captured moment ... I like the way she seems unaware of you yet you are so close ...The image allows the viewer to share in this moment without intruding ....she and her rat seem mesmerized by something .... my nephew has the same look when he is watching tv : )

[shiro_kuro]

@visiondr..... nice shot ....a boy and his wheels ..... He looks proud ... Color and your use of dof works well in this image .... the only thing I can critique is you you cut the wheel on the wagon : ) maybe if you took one step back .. I think if you gave him a bit more space ...

[Gabriel M.A.]

RD1, rokkor 40/2, cropped, feeling lucky, fill in picasa. no photoshop.

I like the natural, casual feeling, and the framing and placement of the eyes on the frame look appropriate with what's presented. I would balance the color temperature (some more blue/violet) to get rid of the yellow-greenish cast.

The prominent appearance of the toy rat must mean something, and we are to assume that there is some sort of relationship between the girl and the toy that is more than mere ownership.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Here's my entry:
The main subject is centered on the frame, and there is proper space between the head and feet to the edges of the frame. This is what I would say is more of an "environmental portrait", for here we have a young, small boy with a toy, outside in what appears to be a garden, very possibly where he spends a lot of time playing. It would have been a good thing if one of the wheels had been fully inside the frame.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Enter my entry. :)

R-D1, M-Rokkor 40/2, iso1600, 1/12 sec., probably f2.8.
B&W conversion in RAW developer.
Curves adjusted in PSP.

My daughter playing violin for us on X-mas day.
I like the diagonal from the face down the violin, but unfortunately the scroll is cut off the frame. The use of sensor noise is use effectively in this monochrome photograph, so the choice to use B&W was not only for aesthetic purposes, but to make use of a situation to one's advantage, and add "character" to the feel of the photograph.

The focus is evidently on her face, and that stands out, so we are looking at her, and not her playing, which is secondary, as is the Christmas tree in the background, situating the shot.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Here is my image ..posted this in another thread ....but interested in your comments .....Thanx
I think this is a magnificent use of blur. I'm sure there would be many people that would complain that the face is not in focus, that you can't see the face, that nothing is sharp. Mediocre this shot is not, and will not please its unlikeness.

This engages the viewer to focus, to see the subject. The light, the shades. All is not concrete, but we know what it is. We know what it is not. So evocative and teasing, as if the photographer is communicating through...art.

And art is forgotten when people look for sharpness, for adherence to strict little rules, for simple, fast satisfaction and noncomplications. Yet, this is so simple.

Well done. It is a portrait. Who? Hard to say exactly, but I like what I see, and both my right and left brain are satisfied.

[ampguy]

visiondr - nice shot of a youngster with his wagon. It looks like he is happy and ready for a day's full of play with the wagon. Nice and sharp, with a pleasing background.

RML - nice b&w portrait of your daughter in front of the tree. It looks like she is concentrating on playing her best. A very nice photo.

shiro_kuro - very dreamy photo, the blur makes it like a painting, soft and abstract, very nice.

Gabriel - Nice contrasty colors, very sharp and a nice clean background, excellent.

[RML]

ampguy: it took me a while to get used to this shot. It disturbed me. :) After having looked at it for some time, however, I look at it differently. The girl's expression is great: absent from the world, yet focused (probably on a tv program or such). The rat on her shoulder doesn't bother her, as if it always lives there. The rat seems to be looking at the same thing as the girl. There's a story for everyone in that shot. The shot makes me wonder and imagine.

[RML]

visiondr: nicely balanced shot, great colours and a wonderful expression on the boy's face. The only little niggle is the lack of a fourth wheel. A great detail, though, is the boy's huge eyes. They draw you in the shot and lead you to his smile. The smile pulls my view up again to his eyes. And so on.

[RML]

shiro_kuro: great use of blur. And a wonderful subject. I'm just a little distracted by the placement of the geisha: a bit too much in the middle of the shot. Otherwise it's a great shot.

[RML]

Gabriel: I love the vibrant colours, the near perfect skin colour, and the slanted position of the lady's body together with the contrasting position of her head. The only thing is that her bright yellow shawl is drawing my view down to her hands and there's nothing that pulls my view back up again to her face. That shawl is a mighty strong magnet.

[ampguy]

the story behind my photo is that this girl is up way past her normal bedtime watching tv during the winter holidays. normally she would aggressively fight any rabbit ear antics or photos with unapproved stuffed animals, but by being so weary she is letting her guard down.

ampguy: it took me a while to get used to this shot. It disturbed me. :) After having looked at it for some time, however, I look at it differently. The girl's expression is great: absent from the world, yet focused (probably on a tv program or such). The rat on her shoulder doesn't bother her, as if it always lives there. The rat seems to be looking at the same thing as the girl. There's a story for everyone in that shot. The shot makes me wonder and imagine.

[Gabriel M.A.]

My posted photo was taken with a Leica M6 and a Nikon 35mm f/2.5 LTM lens, wide-open. Given the feedback (and its stead) I can see that the prevalent notion about portraiture is to focus the face, and blur everything out. That's what normally people want. Normally, portraits are also posed, and taken with artificial light and telephoto lenses.

There is no color correction or saturation; the colors are as shot.

This was taken with a moderate wide-angle lens, with everything in focus, and unposed. She was just standing there, looking out the window, waiting for her husband to come back as they were getting ready to leave. Her lively, yet quiet demeanor is what I wanted to capture. The scarf, her hands, just like her hair, her eyes, her lips, they are all important. And that is why they are all in focus, and all in the frame.

[Gabriel M.A.]

I'm just a little distracted by the placement of the geisha
I don't understand this comment at all. How are you distracted? What is it distracting you from? What are you looking at mainly, that the placement is taking your attention from it? How is the main subject of a portrait distracting from the main subject of a portrait?

Could you elaborate on your distraction?

[visiondr]

My shot was of my son (then 2 years old) this summer with his favorite outdoor toy; his wagon. I too wish the fourth wheel were completely in the photo. Unfortunately, this was a case of not paying attention to the framelines.

It was shot with my Leica MP, 50mm Elmar-M, and Portra NC 160 film, scanned on a Nikon Coolscan IV at highest resolution. Only mild sharpening was applied in P'shop with dumbing down to net resolution.

Thanks for your comments.

Ron

[RML]

Gabriel, let me explain as good as I can.

The position of the subject doesn't feel right. Somehow there's an imbalance in the shot: too much weight on the right side and not enough to counter on the left side. The negative space on the left doesn't balance the railing and the light on the right. I think this imbalance could be brought in balance if the subject would be either more to the left or to the right.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Alright, fair enough; valid points.

Still, that doesn't explain how it is "distracting" and what it is distracting you from; I am curious to learn what the distraction is and what is the main focus that you are being distracted from.

Also, do all photographs need to be balanced? Does this one need to be balanced? It's already out-of-focus, so why should it be "properly" balanced, when it's "improperly" focused, logically speaking? Would it be fair to say that if the main subject were not centered, that other viewers would feel that it is not balanced?

[RML]

Still, that doesn't explain how it is "distracting" and what it is distracting you from; I am curious to learn what the distraction is and what is the main focus that you are being distracted from.

The imbalance between positive and negative space is disturbing me (perhaps initially I should have written disturbing instead of distracting).


Also, do all photographs need to be balanced? Does this one need to be balanced? It's already out-of-focus, so why should it be "properly" balanced, when it's "improperly" focused, logically speaking? Would it be fair to say that if the main subject were not centered, that other viewers would feel that it is not balanced?

I'm very partial to the notions of Japanese and Chinese aesthetics and as such I have become attuned to the importance of positive and negative space. I feel an imbalance in those forces in this photo, and that imbalance is disturbing me, distracting me from fully appreciating the beauty and emotion in this photo.

[shiro_kuro]

Interesting comments ...my shot was random ..standing on a dark balcony watching some performers and this women appeared beside me so I took her photograph .. there was hardly any light and handheld and this was the result .....which I am pleased with .. This is a cropped version ,the originally shows more of the railing hence not so centered .

Visiondr wrote "Distracting background and foreground. The apparently metal railings don't seem to belong with such an 19th century (at least to my Western mind) tradition. Though the obliquely angled railing does serve to help bring my eye back to the subject. " I really do not mind the background or the metal railing .... It belongs because it is now and this was the environment she was in ...for me it shows the how far Japan has drifted away from its culture and more often than not you catch glimpses of traditional Japan through concrete ,neon lights and metal railings ...

[Gabriel M.A.]

I really do not mind the background or the metal railing .... It belongs because it is now and this was the environment she was in ...for me it shows the how far Japan has drifted away from its culture and more often than not you catch glimpses of traditional Japan through concrete ,neon lights and metal railings ...
Thank you for the info; it gives the image more context. I don't understand why the use of the verb/adverb "distraction" is made in lieu of something that is not or won't be understood.

To me, everything in this picture has my attention.

[visiondr]

I really do not mind the background or the metal railing .... It belongs because it is now and this was the environment she was in ...for me it shows the how far Japan has drifted away from its culture and more often than not you catch glimpses of traditional Japan through concrete ,neon lights and metal railings ...

I get it. I see now what you meant. My gut reaction is that the 21st century elements make sense only insofar as they are clearly, unambiguously of the here and now.
In other words, a bit of out of focus neon (as you mention) in the background would have been the icing on the cake as far as the temporal juxtaposition of the Geisha and today's Japan. Of course, you can't just put neon wherever you want. You take the picture with what you have (sounds like Rumsfeld's comments: "You go to war with the army you have.").


Ron