The 'Catcher'

'The Catcher' describes himself as a 'Bering Sea crab fisherman'

during the fishing season and off season spends his time elsewhere --

this was taken duriung his 'off season'. Your ratings, critiques and

remarks 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 improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! john

Excellent portraiture of that "pomor". An extraordinary personality.

Thank you for the compliment on my portraiture, taken on location.

This was one of many which were exposed with great difficulty under most difficult lighting; I was attracted by this man's unusual, but most handsome, and still sometimes almost scary look.  Indeed, the handsomeness here seems to predominate over the scariness, which pleases me, as we almost tried to bring out the latter.

Taken with a slow lens, stopped down (not a 50 mm though this is a 48 mm exposure with a slow zoom), the clarity of his right (as he looks at us) eyeball struck me and made me choose this one.  Slow shutter speeds caused problems with many others, and I work entirely without a tripod -- too cumbersome and too inhibitive.  I miss a lot of shots due to subject movement from slow shutter speeds and subject movement, as I encourage many to speak to me, then fire away as they both move and lose inhibitions.

I as so moved because even from a distance I saw his face has 'character'.

I admit to being to being very puzzled by your comment's reference to 'pomor',  looking it up and finding it belongs to the dialect of certain Russians, especially from Archangelsk to Finland, and not such a popular dialect -- endangered a little.

Well, he's an American by birth, and if memory serves me, however, he does have a parent or grandparents from Norway, (somewhat nearby physically -- North Europe) but also a heritage from 'native Americans' so he has ancestral feet planted on both continents, and he has the look of someone from NorthEast Russia, where pomor-speaking predominated. 

You have taught me something, and if not completely on the mark, you came so close to it judging his heritage from his 'look' alone, it's pretty astonishing.

That made your brief remark both interesting and educational as well as congratulatory. 

Thank you so much; no reason to 'dumb down' remarks made under my photos as you can see -- I am able to consider more complex thoughts.

My best to you and thanks.

john

John (Crosley)

Only lacks sharpness a bit, but on this kind of portrait is expected perfect sharpness and details, simply for the character shown!

Best regards John!

PDE

Thanks for the compliment; I'm glad you like it so much.

About sharpness, did you leave out the word 'but'? 

Your sentence reads as though it would read better if the word were inserted in the sentence, since you started with the word 'but'.

I'd have a look at his right eye (as he looks at you) and his chin stubble to see if you really feel it is not optimally sharp; you might change your mind. 

;~))

I spotted him while a little distance away, asked permission to shoot him from close up and was welcomed.  We played together with the camera for 10-15 minutes, and when I finished and left, he shook my hand, very thankfullly.

It really was shared fun from two people who otherwise would probably otherwise never would share much in life, and it was a pricelss experience, our impromptu collaboration in an interesting place where you would not expect to find me.

I'll show this finished one to him when I see him  next, if I do.

john

John (Crosley)

Very attentive and interesting look!

When I took this shot, i asked this man to look and accentuate his 'meanness' of which he has some (looks at least).

But instead, he came out looking masculine and handsome, I think (though as a man it's hard for me to judge).

I think he has classic features, though the pony tail in the back does not show, and this photo is not harmed by his day or so's growth of whiskers without shaving . . . . . sometimes things that are 'turnoffs' in person can add character to a photo and make it better.

Thank you for stopping by and commenting; I always love it when you do.

john

John (Crosley)

I am ready to pick the secrets os street photo one by one! Asking for permission!   let me write it in my notebook. Great picture

Carlos from Venezuela,

I took this in a homeless mission, and the man is both a fisherman and an ex-con, but a nice guy.  (people make mistakes, and they pay for them but it does not invalidate them as people or their entire lives -- not all ex-cons are losers, nor all felons bad people, because most 'respectable' business people have committed felonies in the course of their businesses but just didn't get caught.

When I posted this, I did no post processing, such as burning or dodging, and it could have been improved by a little of both.

I told him to 'look mean' but he came out looking 'handsome', and that's great . . . . you never know how a subject's going to look unless you're God, even if you have great experience, and that's why we keep pressing that shutter, even when we think . . . . we know what we'll get . . . because we can be surprised.

Perhaps a 'talent scout' from Hollywood would have recognized his good looks, but as a guy (and a heterosexual) I am little aware of male good looks, but I had him spotted as a likely subject from across a very large dining hall/room.

It worked out for the best, I think.  I'm glad you agree.

john

John (Crosley)

Important point:  If you have auto focus with 'street portraits' if you have time and little depth of field, try to get the focus point on the closest eyeball, as the viewer looks for clear focus on the nearest eyeball first to determine if you have good focus, then looks at everything else.

If you 'miss' then you should 'select' then 'sharpen' as much as you can get away with, or settle if you have the other eye in sharp focus and see if that's acceptable, if it's a true facial portrait.

However, sometimes a cigarette, a nose, a finger on a nose, or something else is the proper focus point - there are no real rules - only what looks 'right' and sharp focus on the closest and nearest eye is just what often works best, but not always.

Poor focus or camera movement can sometimes be remedied a little by 'selection' and good, strong sharpening with some noise reduction or two-state sharpening (maybe even more) and use of plug-ins, and applied only to the out of focus or slightly blurred eye.

The rest can be just a little forgiven if the rest of the capture is strong enough.  One of my strongest and oft repeated captures had four stages of sharpening on the face/eyes.

My most viewed photo is seen as out of focus except on one line - man peering down woman's 'top' while disapproving mannequin (woman) looks on.  Quarter-million views.   Worst focus in my portfolio -- most viewed photo.

john

John (Crosley)