Boo by firelight

Nick, this is a wonderful portrait. Timeless.. modern face with a classical expression, she could have stepped out of Casablanca! The softness really adds to the photo. Impressive

Dilber, you say the nicest things. I was thinking very much of the moody Holywood films of the 1940s and 50s when I posted this image, and you have ratified my liking of this shot!

 

Fond regards, Nick.

Nicholas, This is a fine image, the close depth of field is wonderful, and the grain exquisite. You have quite a talent. Keep on shooting and posting and I, with delight, shall keep on looking! Regards, Todd

Hello Nick, The writing on the t-shirt distracts a little, but none the less, this is a classic Price portrait. Well done.

 

Regards. Pete

there is really a fifties-look in this one, only interrupted by the writing on the t-shirt, which I don't find disturbing at all. Classical non-glamour beauty. Like it very much.

Kind regards Chris

To me the face is of an English movie star of the 40's who the brave lads are fighting to protect. The T-shirt does dispel that rather but acts to make one reassess the original impression so it works.

Nick, my first impression looking at your last 2 uploads, and especially that one was: the man likes old history (and the 40's.....)

well, it looks like that period( was already said), but it is beautifully lighted, and good angle chosen for presentation. Pnina

Nick, this is absolutely beautiful. The depth of field and the softeness create a sort of classic aura. She looks like a young Queen Elizabeth.

Another ageless shot (except for the clothing that offers a clue to the era).

Is this me or you are keep getting better in a very speedy (!) manner?!!

 

Wonderful work.

 

7/7

 

Cheers

 

Misha

 

PS: You use the Kodak film just great. You understand it nicely. It would be very easy to get over exposure for the forehead in this shot.

Thanks Todd. I do love my 50mm f/1.4 prime lens for this sort of thing.

 

Thanks Pete. There is no better compliment than being told that you have developed a style of your own!

 

Thanks Chris, thanks Colin. I agree about the T-shirt, and think that it adds ubiety, despite the obvious retrograde feel of this image. I wanted to produce something that was of two worlds, and your kind words make me think that I may have achieved what I set out to do!

 

Thanks Pnina. The light levels were very low, and essentially this shot was lit by a log fire in front of which Boo was sitting, The lens was wide open at f/1.4, the film was rated normal (at 100 ISO), and I remember the shutter speed was in the region of 1/40s. The depth of field, although advantageous to the mood of the shot, was essentially unavoidable.

 

Thanks Dino. Boo would be flattered by that. Our queen was rather attractive when young in the 1940's!

 

Thanks Kim. I think that the T-shirt was essential in making this a "modern" photograph, despite the heavy nostalgia.

 

Thanks Misha. Once again, I appreciate your wealth of experience in this medium, and am rightly honoured by your praise.

 

Fond regards to you all, Nick.

This reminds me of the sort of portrait you'd see in Life magazine in the 50's. Classic indeed.

Thank you Ned, kind words indeed!

 

Nick.

Hi again Nicholas. This is one of the most interesting portraits in your portfolio to me. Love the shallow DOF and the classic looks as the others. Compositionwise I think I would have preferred the framing just a bit more to the right. Ah, and she does look to me too like your queen in her younger days :). Cheers.

Thanks Ricardo. I know what you mean about the framing, but Boo was sitting on the floor in front of the fire, and her back and head were resting against a sofa, which I didn't want to include in the portrait. I am however glad that you like the photograph.

 

Kind regards, Nick.

I don't usually put portraits out for general critique as I feel quite self conscious in doing so,

but people seem to like this one, so I will. Kind regards, Nick.

I like the grain and the DOF in this... looks like a photo taken in the 40s to my eyes.

Hi nick, another striking portrait. You have that flare,what makes it exciting. the way You see it, the right light. very good, sorry, only frienchip

Thank you Hashim, thank you Alix. I am overwhelmed by the positive responce from so many accomplished photographers.

 

Kind regards, Nick.

Great! I just had to tell you before reading all the comments. This beautiful, timeless image seems straight out of a David Lean movie (never mind the modern logo on the t-shirt). It is beautifully constructed and very natural looking.

Thanks Leo.

 

David Lean is on my top 10 directors list, and he was such a great cinematographer. He was a man who really understood the visual image, I suppose because he learnt his trade as an editor obsessed with what is "seen".

 

I embrace your keen observation, and agree that this photograph does have a Celia Johnson look about it from the 1945 Lean classic "Brief Encounter", and from this association I feel very flattered, and I'm sure that Boo will be so, also.

 

Kind regards, Nick.

hi nick....this is a fine image...& while i agree with what has been said, i would like to add, thank you for your detailed, candid, & informative responses.

I don't know why people get back to the 40s with this ... My grandma's portraits from the 40s are all sepia with one exception - the sepia ones are face, the B&W is full size in folk dress.

 

There are photos of myself when I was 3 years old (1977), made by a professional painter who also did photography, with that kind of grain and that kind of shadow ...

 

regards

Maria

Thanks Gary and Maria.

 

Here is the image in sepia for comparison.

 

Gosh, I don't usually hold with this sort of thing, but now that I look at it, I think that I really prefer this image in sepia!

 

Regards, Nick.

Hi Nick,

 

thanks for posting for comparison.

 

hmmm ... the sepia photos I have have different grain , so B&W is still the ideal version :)

 

regards

Maria