'The Unexpected Rightist'

This man, encountered in a supermarket where the homeless often gather to

fight the cold in the morning, on questioning announced his unexpected support

for police and right wing values, despite his rough dress and grooming which

suggests that he might have had one, two, or more encounters with the

constabulary. Your ratings, critiques and observations are invited and most

welcome. If you rate harshly, very critically, or wish to make a remark, please

submit a helpful and constructive comment; please share your photographic

knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! john

Hi John,

 Well this is certainly an excellent example of the old adage "Don't judge a book by the cover", or the person for that matter. The detail and tones of the image are as usual excellent as well.

Best Regards,

Holger

I was surprised, and relearned a lesson I learned long ago.  It was a good lesson to re-learn.

Thanks for the kind remarks about tone and the photo in general.

john

John (Crosley)

Best regards

PDE

They come in all shapes and sizes here in the States as witnessed by our recent elections. :-)

Part of taking what you call a 'lovely portrait' is (1) identifying the subject, (2) when the subject says 'no', overcoming his objections until he says 'just one', then taking one so good he says 'ok a few more' and taking so many in ten minutes his head spins, and having them ALL turn out really good and being able to choose the best.  This one is not worked on in Photoshop either, other than a minor levels correction and some in camera editing; imagine what it could be if I had the use of a full range of Photoshop edits available to me and some substantial time.

Another part of taking such a portrait is using a pleasing background -- here I saw the print on the wall and took care to center the guy, then trimmed the edges of the 2:3 aspect ratio capture to make it more square, and voila, what started out as a guy in a supermarket began to look more like a guy in a gallery or museum wall.

That's what I like about photography - turning ten minutes, unplanned, into something that might even be regarded as 'lovely' and in my mind 'powerful'

I'm glad you approve.  Best wishes.

john

John (Crosley)

This guy's avid support for police took me aback enough to write about it, but it really is the photo and the contrast between his 'look' and apparent hardship and his politics that took me by surprise.  I delight in contrasts.

I think from your comment you take special interest in them too in this, our great democracy (if you can call it that -- all the government that you can afford to buy).

Best wishes, Jim.

john

John (Crosley)

There is sort of invasive curiosity in the man's eyes which instantly attracts attention to this portrait. The crop is tight and the viewer may get the impression that the man is about to leave the frame and disturb their personal space. All works well here and creates interest.

Yours is an interesting analysis; I'll take it under consideration and give it some thought -- sort of see how it stands up.

Thank you for your contribution.

Best wishes.

john

John (Crosley)

I've taken your above critique under consideration as promised, and I find on reflection that it accurately reflects one considered view of this photo.  I hope you don't mind that your remark caused some reflection, as my subjects sometimes (often) adopt poses for me that are a little outside their true personalities (at least the ones they display to the public when they meet me or are around me, but at the same time, those 'poses' really may be manifestations of parts of their personalities others may see on an infrequent to regular basis which is how they can 'bring them forward' on short notice).

Best wishes.  Thanks for your patience.

john

John (Crosley)

Sun streaking cold an old man wandering lonely.
Taking time the only way he knows.
Leg hurting bad,
as he bends to pick a dog-end
he goes down to the bog and warms his feet....

Aqualung my friend....

(I would like to see the top of his head in the picture)  Cheers John!

Wonderful poetic response and critique.

I have been criticized, but seldom, for chopping off the tops of people's heads.

I do it to focus on faces and keep the frame from having a blank and detracting space at the top.  It's an idiosyncracy of mine, but thought out.  It has detractors, but few; I don't do it in long (tele or normal) shots, but only in closeups and portraits if you view my entire (huge) portfolio.

Happy holiday season and best wishes.

Thanks for a highly original critique. It warmed my heart.

john

John (Crosley)

Please do not see my remark as a criticism.  Not even as remark that would improve your photo.  Your version shines and I loved it.  Just wondering to see a full face portrait of this very interesting man that made me smile and remember my youth holding the cover of the Jethro Tull album and imagine figures like him....perhaps one day I will be lucky to meet such a guy with an expression and poetic look like yours that would make my day...Cheers!

Thanks for such a sweet and generous comment.

I always regarded skillfully made comments with helpful suggestions as a help not a hindrance and far from being unwelcome, such comments are entirely welcome; they help me become a better photographer.

With regards to finding such a 'character', he may be around you somewhere, or you may have passed him but you may have been too reticent, embarrassed, or halting in the busyness of life to stop and engage him long enough, flatter him a little ('you have a VERY INTERESTING FACE, I'D LIKE TO TAKE YOUR PORTRAIT TO MEMORIALIZE IT), and at first grudgingly gain his acceptance, then take more as he warmed up to you and saw that the capture was not of a bum but of a real man with emotions and feelings.

That's how I get my portraits -- by treating my subjects as PEOPLE, not bums or exhibits in some subhuman category, despite sometimes contrary feelings.  In the practice of law when I did practice, I tried to focus on the good parts of my clients, and that sufficed in general, as most people are a mix of good and bad, and there often was plenty of good to focus on, just bad situations (I didn't do criminal law).

Again, thanks for a heartwarming followup critique -- it made my day.

john

John (Crosley)