Arab Boy DSC_5698 Jerusalem

Best regards Meir!

PDE

I really like the expression in the boy's face captured here, as well as the lighting and black and white. Unique and interesting portrait. I would crop to just above your subjects head. The white and bright tones of the sink in the background draws my eye away from your subject and is perhaps distracting. Just my opinion. Thanks for sharing. dara

Thank you for your input.

Nice capture.

Gianluigi

Thank you for commenting.

The crop looks good Meir, I also like the other version. Nice tones. I thought the crop where the frame touching the top of your subjects head. What do you think?

xx

The second image on the right cropped looks great to me. The bright sink and the small dark hole in it no longer distracts the attention on your subject. Thats it ! I think a larger version of this in the same dimensions as your original photograph would look great. Your distinct style of portraits that I always enjoy viewing. Thanks for sharing. By the way I like the cream tones in the highlights. I wonder how you do that? They are gentle tones not harsh. I shall look at your other images soon. Dara 

"I like the cream tones in the highlights. I wonder how you do that?"

Dara; It's just the lighting and the camera. I did nothing. The Raw NEF file was converted to jpg [left panel] and then enhance->adj color->remove color [right panel]. Nothing I can take credit for. The info is under the "Details" Tab.  Thanks again for commenting.

Yes, I now see it in EXIF data that you attached Meir.

I have three digital cameras and none of them (white balance auto) render colors the same and none of them produce the same coloration and contrast as fuji film 400.

Thanks for the info Meir. I never had much experience using this color negative film Fuji, but I believe you that it is a really good film. I know that most professional portrait photography is/was usually done with either color or black and white negative film (that was before digital photography took over, and even yet used today by those photographers, who like/prefer to work with film) Another thing, a few times I photographed using a roll of 36 exposure Fuji Velvia ISO 400 film (transparency film) and was amazed by the results (I did not make so much portraits) but images of graffitti on walls and landscapes etc in Germany. I got very shiny slide images, rich in color and tone, yet natural looking. That was towards the end before digital photography took over. I also made a lot of images on another film- Kodak EIR Infrared color transparency film with interesting results. Usually you must use a green or yellow filter on the lens to use this type of film, but I read in a informative book: "Handbook of Photographers" By John Hedgecoe (I hope I spelt it correctly, he is a British photographer who has been writing these handbooks for years) he says that you could also rate this Kodak Infrared film at ISO 320 (becouse it is not rated definately) and not use any filter with interesting and creative results.... which I did and liked the surreal strange otherworld results I got. However, with this film one had to be careful with loading the film inside the camera and usually storing it in the freezer in your kitchen etc.  Now to the point about digital cameras and what you mentioned about the white balance not being the same, this is very technical discussion, as I never adjust the white balance on camera on location. I usually shoot RAW and then convert in Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom the white balance, I am too lazy :} but professionals usually convert the camera white balance in the field or on location mostly. That is what I think you meant. However, this I have learnt that even the colors produced in JPEG by these cameras are also different. for instance on a Canon G7 or G10 I get different color results than on my Leica D-Lux 4. Not that Leica colors are better, but they just look different in tone and hue. It is how the sensors and processors are manufactured, calibrated and calaculated. There is also I think an illusion built in by the manufacturers of these cameras. Another point, no one believes me, but on my small Leica D-Lux 4 compact camera there is a option to shoot images in "Dynamic black and white" which makes a black and white JPEG image similar to as if you shot with Kodak Tri X 400 film with grain and strong contrast pushed effect of grain (if you raise the EV by 1/2 to 1 stop or more). A lot of times I use this option ( rather than shoot RAW and then convert to black and white in Adobe ACR and then move the color sliders around for tones), I like the results it looks as if you really shot a roll of classic black and white film such as TriX in your camera. Anyway enough me talking. Talk to you later Meir.    

" (if you raise the EV by 1/2 to 1 stop or more" is wrong- correction it means reduce the EV Exposure Value by 1/2 or 1 stop or more for example to go from ISO/ ASA 400 to 800. I hope that makes sense. Sorry for wrong information....

Thank you. Informative comments. Interesting discussion. (1) I've not experience with color film until recent so not much I can share.. Prior to digital I shot only B&W film. Today I shoot 35mm mostly in digital and remove the color in Adobe. And I now (but not in the past) shoot Medium Format with color film and remove or don't remove the color in Adobe depending on the genre of the photo. (2) I store film in the refrigerator but not in the freezer. (3) About camera color I agree. A friend of mine prefers Cannon color over Nikon Color. I think Cannon colors are warmer? Me? I don't care. I will always be a Nikon fan. (4) On White Balance I like you, leave at the default setting of Auto. The more I mess around with a thing the more I mess it up. "Leave sleeping dogs lie." As for changing the image's white balance after the shot sounds like something I should investigate. Good tip. I'll look into that. (5) "Dynamic black and white" on your Leica. I belive you! Leica has everything, yes! (6) On EV. I agree. Increase the EV camera setting decreases the exposure. E.g. EV12=1/125 at f5.6. EV13=1/125 at f8. (7) On the other half of the comment I do not agree. Are not grain and contrast primarily determined by the film type and processing and not by EV; whereas, the EV setting ideally controls only the exposure? Maybe we say the same thing but in a different way? (8) I have Adobe Photoshop Elements of a version of 15 years ago so I think I cannot do most of the post processing that you can do. Thank you always for commenting.