Chet

that this is a mighty fine portrait. It is simple so that you focus on his face, which certainly has enough character to stand on its own, as you have allowed it to do. Framing him to the right also adds character to the photo itself. All around, I think it is a brilliant piece of work, and you should be very proud. This would look great framed with a museum style matting with that cool black core.

 

I am going to rate it VERY highly!

 

Dave

 

 

Perfect !

This photo really grows on you after awhile...the expression at first looked rather dour, then the guy looks to be smiling the more I look at it, very well done.

 

I had to laugh at your posting title, "....Look!" It seems unless you put "...NUDE..." in a posting you get maybe two people to actually look at and rate your photo. I think when I put up the B&W photos of my cat I think I'm going to announce it as NUDE KITTY(which will be technically correct) and see if I get more hits that way!

Your connection with your subject is obvious and immediate. Dare I say it puts me in mind of no less a talent than Avedon. The reason I say this is the direct, no frills style and masterful composition. Not to mention that Chet's eyes seem to burn holes through his viewer. Well done.

It 'feels' that he has just asked me a very difficult question, and is waiting for the answer. You asked for my reaction, and that is it :).

 

I've noticed, after viewing some of your other portraits, that the far right of the frame seems to be favoured in your head shots. An interesting style which is quite successful.

Just a little too dark in the eyes, I cant see any life in them. Otherwise a great portrait

The ENTIRE folder is sensational Jill. Just great.

I would like to see these portraits with harder light in actual B&W. Every wrinkle, pore, and blemish would contribute interest. Excellent subjects.

As a viewer of this image, I am left frustrated because I don't have a context for the motivation of why the image was made. For instance what is (or was) this person's occupation? Did he suffer some personal misforture? It's a good image in that it sparks the viewer's interest, but would make more sense if it were displayed, for example, as part of an exhibit of the portraits of people who had made their living working as staff for a small town mental institution (if that were indeed the case).

I dont agree with the previous comment... Not every portrait have to be an "enviromental portrait". The surroundings of this man doesn't even matter, you can guess it or imagine. And that's the great value of the composition: it leaves you something to think on... ie, for you: where he may be now? what could had happen to him through his life? and so on...

this guy really looks alot like the guy richard avedon shot. the one guy that was all covered in bees. anyway nice choice of the white backdrop. really like the negative space. good composition. overall excellent shot.

excellent portrait. The cropping makes it a lot more interesting that a standard centered portrait.

 

One minor pick though, catchlights in the eyes would be nice but I know how difficult that can be to accomplish sometimes, also knowing the place you took this picture at.

Judging from your request for critique, i get the slight idea that you don't perceive the value of this picture. It makes you imagine a whole life, in the way it makes you imagine the cropped part as well... Having seen your portraits, i think you should try to use your inherent ability to uncover characters. (Just be a photographer, that is all!)

Would be a good portrait,but IMHO I find it very weak in the eyes which is so important to this type of image!!!!

I like the crop, and it's an interesting subject. The lack of light in the eyes is a drawback. The skintones seem a little gray, as if another 1/2 or 1 stop of exposure might have been needed to achieve a Zone 6 or so, instead of a Zone 5. As for the inevitable comparisons to Avedon: Avedon's shots typically show much more contrast and detail. This shot seems a little soft and a little flat.

 

Some of these criticisms might be the result of the scan. A darkroom print might be a whole different animal.

Sorry, the crop doesn't work with me. It doesn't seem to have a purpose in the portrait. Just trying to be different isn't enough. Just my opinion.

The photograph is technically well done and the crop, I agree, makes the shot more interesting than your typical straight-on head and shoulders mug shot. By now though, I find the wrinkled-old man subject rather cliche'. Old age and time worn faces do seem to photograph well, and with lots of character. But, what is different here....different from so many of the other close-up pictures of aged seniors that we've all seen time and time again. Is the crop really that unique...unique enough to garner the attention of POW. I can think of other photographers like Rene Asmussen and Piotr Kowalik who use creative cropping to create much more powerful images. Maybe their only fault is that their subjects are too young, having not earned the age old wrinkles that capture the tones of black and white photography so well.

I would like to see a highlight in the eyes. Also the framing really bugs me. It seems too off balanced for a portrait and I feel thats too distracting for me to read the picture.

I too think the highlight in the eyes is needed to make this portrait sing. I'm also not very fond of the coloring. The framing is different for the sake of being different and seems to have little reasoning otherwise. He's cut off in akward ways. Could have been better with a more neutral tone and some more environment IMO.

This man has a very steely-eyed look on his face, as if he really knows the score. The discussion around the eyes leaves me confused, since I see a lot in those eyes.

 

At first I was put off by the framing of the subject, but as another reviewer put it, he grows on you.

 

This is a well deserving POTW. I'm glad I thought about this before writing any comments. I would advise others to do likewise... take a long look at this. This man is like a fine wine, it needs time to breathe.

 

Great picture, and good choice by the elves.

It could definetly use some highlight in the eyes, but I don't mind the flatness or lack of environment. Sometimes potraits with no environment are better than those with environment...they put no prejudices into the viewer's mind when trying to find emotion or life in the subject. So, I like it - and at first, I must say, it did remind me of one of Avedon's portraits...maybe it's just the similarity of the subjects...

Those eyes say, "I'm tired. I've seen more than I care to. I'm used up, nothing left."

This is great! I don't think every picture has to paint an environmental story for me. Some images are just good enough all by themselves. This is one of them.

Thanks.

I hate these cheap Hollywood movies, full of cliches, giving you everything on the plate and leaving no room for imagination. I like my thoughts, they are nice and smooth and no director can reach the same heights for me. For the very same reason I love headshots with no or minimal context - they provoke my thought, instead of insisting their own. Jill has done it well.

 

For me it is hard to look at this photo without feeling sorrow, even a bit shame for being young and healthy. After viewing entire folder, things grew worse. There is nothing beautiful here. Ruthless fatality, no future.

 

The crop is nice. It works and as such needs no justifications. You cannot view the photo as a bunch of dots or technical concepts and think that "oh my god, she broke the symmetry". It is a whole and should be viewed as that, as long as no details distract you from the point. Maybe for someone this type of cropping doesn't work, but it does for me.

 

Jill, you have done a good thing with this photo, you have caused some feelings and, doing this, you have changed the world.

 

Raul