Uncle Basil

Available light shot. I tried to duplicate the look of black and

white Tri-X days.

I don't know what you have tried to duplicate...;-)) but it is a nice semi circle, good use of available light (backlight ). interesting angle that presents well the room, its decoration and people. Uncle Basil in the front does not spoil the view and celebration .

Thank you for your comment Pnina! I used to do a lot of photography in available light in the 60's and 70's using Tri-X film and my Nikon F with fast lenses. That is the "look" I was after here.

i absolutely love this. this is so familiar. i have been in this room, only the people are replaced with my own family members. i love the use of available lighting. i think flash would ruin the whole image.

Thank you Linda. Yes, this is a "real" moment in a typical scene of a family get together probably duplicated everywhere at any given time. I have rarely used flash in situations like these. Most of the time the people don't even know they are being photographed.

this shot hides many good qualities: I like it, a lot. The story, the geometry caught, the timing and the b/w tones, everything is appropriate and balanced. Thank you for sharing, Giuseppe

I tell you, Steve, you do these kind of family gathering pictures as well as anyone I've ever seen. They always have a natural, unself-conscious quality that I find very appealing. You've done several others that I remember well, including that wedding picture and another family living room scene from a couple years back that I thought was just great (and still do).

 

I just went back through your portfolio to see if I could find that picture I mentioned above. It's called "The Pianist" I was the only one to comment on it. Twice.

Thanks Jack! "The Pianist" is still in this folder. I just have too damn many photos. That's what happens when you've been shooting for 40 years!

Wonderful black and white. The attention paid to Uncle Basil by the more central members sitting around the room complements perfectly his dominance in the photograph. It's a kind of documentary of the politics of family gatherings.

Yes, this is one of those remarkable pictures that you seem to be able to capture with complete invisibility. Nothing but a superbly composed image that tells story with want of nothing else. Excellent!

A great shot of the ordinary and their lives. I love this guy's posture, he's commanding, and he's good at it. Wonderful work, Steve.