EESAY #1 Self-Portrait

Self portrait, that is! You are quite a guy, Alfonso! This picture is a pure masterpiece! Good old times shown in the best way possible through a portrait of a photographer! It would have been seven from me if it was ratable!

Best regards

PDE

Thanks Pierre :)

Awesome look - well done.

What sn absolute masterful job, wonderful photo, bravo!  I've added it to "My Favorites" photos.

Regards,

Michael

Thank you all. Really apreciated

Love the theme and the composition.

Like 99% of the photographer's other work, this one is overprocessed to achieve...well, I'm not sure what he's trying to achieve. This type of processing removes most of the humanity from the subject and makes people look cartoonish and somewhat garish in appearance.

This isn't photography to me, it's just more computer effects. And it doesn't work for me. At all.

Thumbs down on this one.

I like it. It's not really serious to my mind: more a kind of Norman Rockwell homage, but I like the way the processing has indeed converted it into something that is halfway between a painting and a photograph. I am usually not a fan of over processed imagery, but given the humerous intent of the image I think this one works nicely. Colors remind me more of Diego Rivera than Rockwell and it has more of a 1930 or 40s vibe on further examination, although the camera is 1950s era. Still I like this one.

I don't see the humor in it that Robin does, but I like it as a piece of art, though I'd have no idea it was a photograph without being told. I think it's well done for what it is. In general, I'm not a fan of taking a photo and making it look like a painting, but I don't find this one objectionable for some reason. I imagine a lot of work went into getting it to look like this as opposed to simply applying a Photoshop filter. I agree with Robin that it has a 30s-40s vibe.

I reall like the composition of the shot, but do find the yellow line on the left to be a bit distracting.

From props and expression to processing, this self portrait seems to obfuscate the subject. It is like seeing someone in a canned masquerade. Come out, come out, whoever you are.

Not much to say about this. Either you like photos that are photoshopped extensively or you consider such images garbage.

It's consistent with Alfonso's portfolio style and enhances the character he's portraying here. It suits him. I like this processing treatment better than the more garish and cartoonish style elsewhere in his portfolio. The processing seems a bit more unique than the too-familiar "crank everything to 11 in Photomatix, make it 1 louder" heavy tonemapping style. Reminiscent of some of Mortensen's work.

I take the image as tongue in cheek, as clearly the self portrait is of the subject assuming a role rather than attempting to portray himelf as he really is. Seems a quite acceptable approach. He is assuming a role as a "man of the people" in the socialist realism style. There's no rule to say it has to be a "Portrait" with a capital "P".

Robin, just to be clear, I wasn't asserting any rule of what a portrait should be. I was expressing what I saw when I looked at THIS portrait and how superficial it felt to me. Even as a role or mask (and I love exploring character, roles, and masks myself), I feel it's a photo that takes the easy way out. It looks like a million other masks I've seen and, as a mask, doesn't really tell me or show me much of interest. It's not the approach I'm critiquing, it's the execution and result.

Yeah, it's certainly overprocessed by my standards, but clearly this is not an accident. If that's what he wants to do, power to him. I think this is effective in its own (painterly) terms.

Coincidentally, I'm back on the east coast for a visit and just had the pleasure of visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. This "Photo" of the Week bears only a superficial if any resemblance to the pictures of Rockwell or to what Rockwell was doing, IMO, which are filled with character, personality, and a true sense of humanity, even if very obviously stylized. The expressions and relationships as well as the environment and the place of the people in that environment HERE and the authenticity of expression and connection to the viewer in this portrait HERE are what make Rockwell so uplifting, nostalgic, and of such acute observation of life among average people in America at the time.

They were authentic, because they were of the time and place in his case - and assuming Rockwell was a true barometer of his time (debatable), and of course this pic is not authentic at all, it's just not that type of pic, it's a perfectly honorable tradition of self portrait of the artist as Christ, as Emperor Charles V, after Raphael etc etc. It's an exercise in whimsy, not a profound statement.

I'm sure this weeks POW was fun to a make, but in my eyes it does not go much further than that.

Not my cup of tea of fun !

My first hit from this image is sort of Fred McMurray in "Father knows Best".

Although I am not a big fan of highly processed images, this one seems a bit more tame than many I saw in Alfonso's portfolio and think it would probably have more application than many of the more over the top images might. From a technical aspect, the construction of the image, it is actually pretty well done and even the processing holds a certain line that I would see very applicable in today's commercial market. But the inconsistency, from fairly straight forward to fantastical in the portfolio leaves me a bit cold--not a photographer I would be willing to hire nor take too seriously overall. Regardless of style, consistency of presentation is an important factor IMO.

addendum to my last post...

Just looked at Alfonso's website and it makes me wonder. The work there has much more substance there than what we see in his portfolio here--in fact, it makes you wonder why the difference--is it pandering to the audience on these pages or....?

John, LOL and completely beside the point. Father Knows Best was Robert Young. Fred MacMurray was My Three Sons.

OK, Fred McMurray in "My Three Sons!"...glad there is soneone out there who cares..... ;))!

The portrait as was placed on the frame (composed) is not bad, even the 'funny' feeling as well, but the PP is what kills it completely.
I don't see a point to repeat what was said so well about it untill now.
I like N.rockwell's work,but even in his PP he is leaving the natural feelings of his subjects.

Norman Rockwell would probably be spinning at about 4000 rpm in his grave if he knew this image was being compared to his paintings.

What an insult to one of the greatest painters of Americana who ever lived.