Vietnamese Fisherman

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.

Thank you for viewing - michel

Fantastic portrait! A lifetime of toiling in all elements is written in every line in his face. Excellent detail and dof. I can't read the expression very well, but it would seem like the look quiet skeptism, maybe that of a man that had seen most things. Very natural looking image with a great deal of character and presence. 

Sincere Compliments and Best Regards

Alf

Thanks for your visit and comments Alf.  I think you read his expression perfectly, we were interviewing him and a group of fishermen regarding a project i was working on at the time to raise a protective dike along the village water front.  This village gets pounded by one or two severe typhoons every year and the village gets flooded by up to 2 meters of water each time.  The dike was meant to provide some protection but this old man wasn't buying it. I think he'd heard his share of empty promises in his lifetime...  Thanks again for your kind words and your continuing support. Best regards - michel

 

Michel, this is a sensational and powerful portrait. This man looks like he has seen a lot and is a survivor. He looks thin and wirey but his posture and expression show strength and resilience. There may be cynicism in his look but I think I see pride there too. Altogether a compelling portrait. Best wishes, Linda

 

Remarkable portrait of this aged man, superb lighting here and very rich of fine details, the man posed in a very natural manner and thats enhances the quality of this capture.

Thank you for sharing it and wishing you all of the best.

A wonderful portrait , very expressive with excellent seperation from the background . Excellent ! Bill

This picture feels like an experiment in HDR, although more on his face than shirt. I'm really not a fan of HDR in portraits since to me it gives the subject a rather harsh and less than natural look. The man's face is wonderful, though and his expression is straightforward and unflinching. As for HDR, I was looking at a magazine of award-winning color photos and fully 25% of them employed the technique so my personal taste obviously doesn't reflect the majority opinion.

Linda: Thank you for your visit and kind words. I think most people of his age in Viet Nam have seen and survived a lot. You are spot on with your observation, Vietnamese people are proud, strong and extremely resilient, I’m glad you are able to read this in my portrait because that is truly the way I see the people of Viet Nam.

Rashid: Thank you for your visit and continuing support. William: Thank you for your visit and kind words

Jack: thanks for your visit. This is a single exposure portrait (not HDR) but I did process it (in CS5 using Topaz filters) to simulate what is usually known as “Draganize” or ''Dragan'' effect. I like the way this process brings out the character of a face rather than being a simple realistic representation of the features. I have been slowly warming up to HDR. I think there is a lot to be said about a process which can help render a scenery with the same range of light as the human eye can perceive. But you are right it is not for every one’s taste.

I was immediately drawn to this photo in your recent uploads. His face is full of expression but I feel you were right to draw that expression out with Topaz. It has made a very good photo great and anyone would be proud to have as part of their portfolio.........many thanks for sharing.

Mark

Thank you Mark for your very kind words.  I'm glad if any of my image can emotionally touch someone. Regards - michel

Another excellent portrait Michel! The grunge look is well suited to this tough character I think. Superb work Michel!

All the best,
Neil

Thank you for your visit and kind  words Neil. Best regards always - michel

Man - your stuff is "more alive" these days - keep up the good work!