faces in time 'The Woman Down There . . . That One'

Many times when with friends or family they point someone out for us to

view -- as 'the one down there', just like this woman, seated down a

sandwich bar in Paris in a neighborhood, some time age, detectable

because she is in 'sharp focus'. Your ratings and critiques are invited

and most welcome. If you rate harshly, very critically, or just wish to

make an observation, please submit a helpful and constructive

comment, please share your photographic knowledge to help me

improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John.

Interesting shot with well done description of the photographers intent. Wish the central figure was in sharper focus.

Thank you for the compliment on the posting.

 

This is an example of 'selective focus', and your comment in general is 'right on' as I view it.

 

However, I must take umbrage with one point -- that you feel the 'central figure' (the woman) was not sharp enough.

 

Because this was taken with Nikon's legendary and extraordinary 70~200 f 2.8 vibration reduction with amazing sharpness with no issue about subject or camera movement -- there being none.

 

You may be thrown off about 'sharpness' thinking it less sharp than it actually is mistakenly by not recognizing how shallow the 'plane of focus' is, so her hair nearest us is in extraordinary good focus while her far eyelashes and hair are completely out of focus. You may have mistaken that variance in the planes of focus for lack of focus, when it actually was the application of a variety of planes of focus, isolated by a telephoto focused at fairly close distance.

 

This is the application of the laws of optical physics - optics.

 

This is a principal that often is used in movies -- to isolate an individual actor who may be speaking, and while they are speaking to focus exclusively on them, then when they are not, to 'pull focus' onto another, nearby actor' while that person speaks, and then 'pull focus' again to the first actor again when that person's turn to speak arises again. In movies it's so subtle it very often goes unnoticed by audiences, but it's part of the magic of cinematography.

 

This is just a 'still' photo application of the same principal. Imagine she is speaking to another person, the focus is in her as here, then someone else speaks and the camera both swings to that person and refocuses on that person's lips, then she speaks again and the camera swings back to her (as here) again, and again focuses on her speaking lips.

 

Done skillfully by a cinematographer, it is almost unnoticeable, but highly effective. It's one reason that cinema is so compelling when it's done well, especially compared to television serial drama, (excluding such high-end dramas as done by HBO, SHOWTIME, etc., which are more Movie, then television).

 

Thanks for a helpful comment. I'm glad you saw the point of the posting and understood it.

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

 

 

Hello John,

 

I like the 2 out of focus figures, which of course draws the eye to the central figure...which is more than sharp on my monitor. I also like the tones in the image.

 

I think you nailed the focus...her hair in front is clear enough to count, while just one the other side of her nose it is out of focus.

 

The only thing that draws me away from her, is the hand, even though it is blurred enough to ignore, the lighter tone keeps catching my eye...on the long look.

 

I'm not sure a tighter horizontal crop would fix it either....

 

With your permission I would like to try it and will post the result of what I see..If that is ok.

I'm sometimes of the view that the good things we have to work for a little bit we value more - we value Grandmother's Thanksgiving turkey a little more (or did when she was still alive) because we had to endure the interminable oven openings, bastings and replacements of the aluminum foil, the opening of the cavity, the pulling of the bird from the oven at the right time, the foil put on it to keep it cooking while out of the oven, and at the same time, pulling out the stuffing when its time was ready.

 

It only whetted our appetites for a good Thanksgiving Day meal (except traditionally, none of this left anything hot in any household I was a member of and so everything was passed around getting stone cold, a sad ending to what could have been a great meal if I were serving it, because I do NOT serve cold food, even if it means breaking a few rules.

 

By all means, please post your interpretation of this image, keeping in mind that what's posted then will become a collaborative effort, with my part ending where yours starts off (and finishes).

 

I'm almost always grateful when someone goes to efforts such as that to show me their skill and almost always welcome attachments. Although I admire your courtesy, from now on you needn't ask to attach your helpful version(s). They're alwyays welcome from you and so long as they're posted in good faith, from others.

 

Thanks for contributing. I'll look forward to your post and workup.

 

John (Crosley)

 

John, thank you for the clarification. I failed to be as specific as you were in your reply. My comment referred specifically to the focus being on a plane other then the eye of the subject, thus, at first glance my mind registers a question of focus. For me, the largest delight of this image is the triple layer effect with a strong out of focus region both in front and behind the major subject. Regards.

It is most common for accepted results to focus on an eye of the subject for it to be accepted as 'in focus' and for any other focus point to be rejected by the viewer, but in this view, that was not possible, nor desirable, and thus it became an exception to a general rule.

 

In general shooting, I almost always will focus on an eyeball, and if I hit that, with all else out of focus, I will regard my shot as 'in focus' if the eyeball (even one) is 'in focus'. (in most cases, there being exceptions of course).

 

I am glad you clarified also what you had written and accepted my clarification.

 

Thanks.

 

John (Crosley)

Hi John,

 

I find this an intriquing image, I am immediately wondering what is on her mind, is she sad or happy, concentrating or just pensive? Wonderful.

 

My question though is more one of the act of taking the photo. Being quite new to this whole photography thing I wonder how you go about capturing this image of what I assume was a total stanger to you. Did you seek permission to take the photo first (in which case I wonder how you get such a natural look from the subjects) or do you take the photo and then ask, or simply take the shot and hope that the subjects don't notice and are thus none the wiser that their image has been posted on the internet and they are the subject of a photographic portrait. I have on occasion seen someone in a situation that I thought would make a good shot but have not taken it because I wonder what right I have to take a picture of them. And to ask beforehand obviously spoils the whole image becuase the subject is then aware that they are being photgraphed and you have to stop them doing what it was that you wanted to take the picture of to ask them.

 

This may not be the right spot for this question, but your image was just a classic example of what appears to be a very candid shot of a subject unaware of the camera being on them, and I wonder how you go about doing that without offending or upsetting someone or getting beaten up and your camera trashed by someone upset that you have taken a photo of them.

 

A great shot though. You really feel like you are there with her and you wan't to ask them if you can help in anyway with the problem they appear to be pondering.

Thanks for the compliment and noticing this particular photo, which is a bit older, but just worked up after some years of sitting idle on hard drives with the intention of being worked up, when just I had the time . . . .

 

This is the 'girlfriend' (then) of one of the owners or the owner's relatives, and this was a small restaurant. She had been brought in to be introduced around, but she had been there before. I think her boyfriend sometimes worked in the small bar/restaurant.

 

As in many Parisian neighborhood establishments, this one was a neighborhood establishment, and these people largely are North African. I liked their sandwiches, they were considerably cheaper than the hotel nearby where I stayed, so sometimes I ate there.

 

I would walk in with cameras and the men sitting around and the counter personnel and I would occasionally talk and my cameras were a primary source of discussion, and occasionally they would ask how they worked, and I would show them.

 

When asked how your camera works, ALWAYS demonstrate, for when demonstrating, you never can tell when an owner's relative's girlfriend will walk in and you can continue 'demonstrating' or pretending to demonstrating while you take 'serious photography' as here.

 

So, if one shot is a demonstrating or twenty, just take a few more and your companions or fellow diners (at a counter or small tables) will tell interlopers 'it's just a demonstration' and protect your rear end', and so it goes.

 

It's always different Graeme; one has to improvise on the street. Just be daring and innovative and use every chance you can to get that camera up and shooting, and showing off your work even if just to 'demonstrate and try to impress with demonstrations - focusing tightly and getting exposures right, so they'll see you're a 'serious photographer and bring in friends to show your work to.

 

When that happens, you're accepted and given all sorts of latitude; you have now freedom to shoot most everything. You have become within limit 'one of them' and they have embraced you.

 

If you use it wisely and show them the good stuff, and share, they will feel rewarded.

 

It's a great way to use your camera to make friends, if that's in your personality . . . . . it's one way I sometimes use my camera to get so many captures, (but only one).

 

Very good question Graeme, I hope my answer is up to it.

 

Best wishes.

 

John (Crosley)

 

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