pnital 36 Posted August 12, 2010 This is the rabbi , important part of the wedding ceremony.please read preface:Opening this file is for me closing a circle. In 2003 I was asked to write about life in Israel, to my world wide women Org ( Soroptimist International ) the editor and partner of mine was Dr. Hendre Falkson, an oncologist, and a member which belonged to the South African Union.( it was written for 3 years until she died. May her soul rest in peace). One of the letters is telling about a man which is the founder of a group by the name of "ZAKA.(Acronym of " Identifying disaster victims") enclosed is the letter that will tell his special story, to the interested, rolling down the page one can read about- ZAKA- Meshi Zahav, which I have then interviewed.Http://sisouthafrica.freeservers.com/Israel_glass3.HTMLThe man and his life surrounding, are ultra religious, where I'm secular. It did not disturb him to invite me to his daughter's wedding, and was generous in letting me photograph the wedding and let me show the results freely. (even though he has invited professional wedding photographers), My point of view of the ceremony, reflected in the photos was my present for him, the young couple, and his family .For me it was was a very different /exciting experience .They have received and liked the results very much. I would like to share some of them with you. Thanks for viewing Link to comment
pnital 36 Posted August 12, 2010 It is a series of a wedding ceremony,a very ultra orthodox.Please see wedding N 1and N 2 .Thanks Link to comment
jeffl7 0 Posted August 12, 2010 Oh the glow. Such a lovely, lovely capture. His eyes, soft and wise. Link to comment
gunnar1664882369 1 Posted August 12, 2010 The light is used as the grand painters did in XVII century. Very-very nice work. Link to comment
andrea allison 0 Posted August 12, 2010 Wonderful shot and composition Pnina!! I really like the expression and softness of his beard... Link to comment
Donna Stavis 0 Posted August 12, 2010 A gentle portrait with beautiful light; he illuminates the darkness probably in many ways. Link to comment
toloduran 0 Posted August 12, 2010 Excelente retrato, magnifica composicion y encuadre, con una estupenda exposicion, sensacional luz tonos y enfoque. ++Saludos -Tolo. Link to comment
LenMarriott 9 Posted August 13, 2010 My favourite of the three. What does it say when the Rabbi's candid portrait upstages the bride's & groom's? :-) This one has a very painterly quality to it. He is very photogenic. I've seen a similar image in an art book. (Rembrandt's 'The Rabbi' or 'Bearded Man in Black Baret'?) http://www.abcgallery.com/R/rembrandt/rembrandt156.html Also, I like his placement in the frame and the amount of negative space you've allotted. Nice tight crop at the top as well. Seems to give his face even more prominence. The beautifully soft warm light reminds me of that used in the wedding scenes in the movie "Fiddler On The Roof". Best, LM. Link to comment
pnital 36 Posted August 13, 2010 Jeff, he is a very impressive rabbi for me, it was very hard to photo him under the canopy....Gunnar that was my impression as well some figure from Rembrandt or other paintings of that period,...., thanks very much for the analogy.Andrea, nice to see you again, thanks for liking. Donna, I was informed that he was writing the "כתובה" , a very impressive man.Tolo, and Tony thanks as well !Len ,your analogy (and thanks for the link) was my impression of him as well but you saw only 3 of them , I was uploading 4 of them that day(very rare usually), because I wanted to show some chronology as a beginning ,so look at all the wedding series till now,and stay tuned ,to be continued....;-)) Thanks for your nice impression of an impressive Rabbi and human being.http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=977641 Link to comment
amalsircar 2 Posted August 14, 2010 Pnina, this portrait is, indeed, a masterpiece. Cropping, exposure, light and skin tone are superb. Many thanks for sharaing the four images together, for us to view the ceremony and customs of your ancient country. Link to comment
AJHingel 127 Posted August 14, 2010 Absolutely gorgeous photo Pnina. Great! The composition the sharpness of his beard and the smoothness of his skin with the totally black background makes this photo a great technical achievement. The eyes looking downwards and his reflective look makes it into a great portrait too. Just beautiful, Pnina.Added to my favorites. Link to comment
pnital 36 Posted August 14, 2010 Amal, thanks for all of them, it was a very pleasant surprise for being invited to this unusual ceremony ( for a secular woman which I'm). It was exciting and educating at the same time, also for me Anders, thanks a lot, I must admit that I "fell in love" with that human being,(seeing him for a fraction under the canopy) . I called the family to ask who he is.They have told me who he is and said that he was part of the ceremony, but may not want any details about him , so I respect it. I find him a very impressive human being and a rabbi. Thanks again for making it your favorite,You know I appreciate it!Charles thank as well.! ( found you after I have finished writing,whithin the 10 minuts limits....;-)) Link to comment
wogears 186 Posted August 14, 2010 Pnina, this is absolutely lovely. His expression, glasses and beard all work in harmony, and the light is very much like a 17th c. Dutch painting. Two things bother me: the blurring on his hair is overdone, IMO, and the streaks from his eyeglasses to camera left of his right eye look unnatural. Link to comment
jamieh 0 Posted August 14, 2010 The lighting and expression is wonderful! Terrific photo! Link to comment
jim_hoffman 0 Posted August 14, 2010 Wonderful light here,Pnina!The blurry parts in this image give it a paintinglike appearance.Very nice portrait indeed!Cheers,Jim Link to comment
vadima 0 Posted August 15, 2010 Outstanding work, Pnina, the whole series is very lively. Regards, VA Link to comment
joe-tury 0 Posted August 15, 2010 I find it to be similar to the style of the old painters who used light to draw focus , especially in portraitures. I do agree with Les' assessment. Overall a good photo. I also like the negative space that you kept on the left. Nice series. :) Link to comment
pnital 36 Posted August 15, 2010 Les ,thanks for your added points.His hair is as in reality . As it was taken under the canopy, another man's back with a blue shirt was covering part of his hair, the rest is as came out from the camera, I will look again ,the streaks are easy to correct. This one was the hardest to PP, of them all.....Jamie, Jim, Vadim and Alberto ,thanks as well, I have many photos taken at this beautiful /unusual wedding ,quite some in difficult condition, especially under the canopy...Joe thanks,fresh from school ...;-)) you know the art history...Light was and is always an issue in many paintings ( for sure portraitures, but not only) of the past,and photography in general. Link to comment
Jack McRitchie 150 Posted August 17, 2010 Wonderful, rich tones from the dark umber of the clothing to the glowing skin tones and finally the whispy off-white of the rabbi's beard. He is very much present in this exceptional portrait. Link to comment
adan1 0 Posted August 29, 2010 A powerful capture with presence. I am mesmerized by the light and the deep expression on his face. Thanks for sharing this fantastic series and allowing us a rare glimpse into the lives of these protagonists. Link to comment
3m 0 Posted August 29, 2010 I too was immediately drawn to this photo, as it is a very powerful capture indeed (even seen smaller). I very much love your composition here and use of fine light, (& especially after the difficult circumstances, you mentioned!) as has already has been noted by others above. The serious and applied expression of the rabbi, and the beautiful (lack of) colors and light make for an original, very interesting and very fine portrait, imo...! (& I agree, it definitely has something Rembrandtesque...) -- PS: I will add this to my favorites :-) My best regards to you, Pnina (and thank you again for your recent email!) Link to comment
pnital 36 Posted August 31, 2010 Jack, Thanks , it is as I wrote one of my favorites as his face are reflecting so many humanity generations.I hope this photo has arrived to him. Adan, it was a rare, very unique occasion for me as well. I'm glad to see you here and reading your impressions. Marjolein, thanks for both. Finding the time to write your impressions and adding it to your favorites( with Anders too). It is a great compliment for me that some people were reminded of the old masters, like Rembrandt's work ( Len's link, Les and now you...;-)) Thanks to all of you in this thread ,I'm very thankful ! Link to comment
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