'Crinkly Eyed Smile'

When I took a minute or so to photograph this gent, age unknown, but maybe not as

old as he looks, I asked him maybe to smile, and although I could not see his mouth,

his crinkly eyes rewarded me with his own amazing 'smile'. (That's a request I almost

never make). 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

The displayed image showed too dark.  A brighter image has been uploaded and will have to work its way through the PN servers.  You may have to clear your browser cache to view the brighter version if you have glanced at this photo previously once that has happened.

john

John (Crosley)

Press F5 to see new image if old one displays, but PNs at least three servers do not always update in 'real time'.

jc

Outstanding expression you captured! There is a magical spirit in the eyes that I haven't seen in any other portrait. If there was a Santa Claus this is what he would like. Great crop, really hones in on those amazing eyes. 6.

Best Regards,

Peter

I goofed, the lighter, digital image when it finally showed had way too much digital noise, so I've again uploaded a replacement image, this one far better and from a much larger, higher resolution source, and it is what I expect will be the last, final image in this file.

It's embarrassing to have a really good image then find the upload is not the best for show and have to replace it not only once but twice.

I hope you like it as much as I do, now at long last.

john

John (Crosley)

Such an image is rare and I fouled it up when I posted it too dark, then working from a web rez jpeg lightened it, but it produced way too much noise, then went away before I saw it on the Internet.

Now, having seen it, I know I goofed, and I've replaced it with an image version worked up from a 7200 pixel image properly reduced to web resolution, but also processed better to reduce noise and other disturbing artifacts.  My apologies; it was all my fault.

Thank you for the gracious remarks about this fellow's 'look'.  I showed the  camera desaturation to a woman I know who is a very, very tough critic, who doesn't like much I produce and she stepped back two steps and said this was among my best and that this guy seemed to be like a magician with those eyes.  That's a rare compliment from her.  Many people I know are very tough critics and not easily impressed, so when they acknowledge a 'good one' I know I've struck gold.  That was the camera desaturation (and the color version too) and they were very good from the D3200 image editing shown on the camera screen -- sometimes Nikon's image editing can be very good.

This was taken in a very dark place at ISO 3200 and yielded a very delicate image, and if it were film we'd say it was 'very thin' and somewhat hard to work with.

But the proof is in those eyes.

Thanks for the compliment.

Best to you, Peter.

john

John (Crosley)

A marvel - max!

But to no avail, so I just shot what I saw.

Boy, how wrong was I.

It waa 'just right'.

I was stupid, just as I was first for posting a darkened version, then for using the small jpeg to lighten, complete with artifacts.

Now, the displayed version is much better, but it could still use an expert Photoshopper.

I just couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this, color or black and white, there in the bowels of the Metro, with this lonesome guy sitting on a bench, passed over by everybody (but me).  

Heh heh!

And as may be evident, he was delighted to have some attention paid him!

Thanks for the outstanding comment, Vlad.

john

John (Crosley)

Vlad,

I reviewed lately the rest of the captures -- really not too many, as this really was a rush job, and who knows?, maybe shooting in the Metro is forbidden and this was in the most central station of all, so I don't ever want to get stopped and warned, as then I would be 'on notice' -- a status I don't want.

So I hurried, as usual, and as is my style anyway; I"m geared for speedy shooting and work well under such circumstances.

I took mostly portrait orientation photos of this man at the start, his eyes weren't crinkled which appears to be solely as a result of his 'smiling' which I had asked him in Russian to do.  I can't be sure he's smiling, but I'd bet that's exactly what he's doing, based on my request and the eye crinkles then comparing with the rest of the captures which were really rather 'ordinary'

In fact,the other captures show a pretty uninteresting face, in the portrait orientation except for that fantastic beard, and even it's so white, it's hard to get any texture in it in those photos.  So, those photos probably won't be shown, except one in color which is OK.

Vlad, it's the sudden realization that he needed to attempt to 'smile' (olipka) that got this great look, I now realize.  He bugged his eyes out, and I had turned my camera to landscape orientation, and this and another were my last two shots under horrible light before heading off for the next train and avoiding being 'warned' if that were a possibility. 

I had sat next to this man on a bench and offered him an absurdly small sum of money to sit still for two or three photos -- basically the price of one Metro fare.  I NEVER do that, but something impelled me this once - and I didn't want this one to get away because I misread him or scared him and he looked destitute.

If I had more, I would have offered it but at the time for cash (not plastic) I just had enough for the bus ride at the end of the Metro, and if I see him again, I'm going to give him more - again something I NEVER do.

In any case, the crinkles are what makes the photo.  Otherwise, as shown in other captures where he's not attempting a smile, his face is quite ordinary and without wrinkles.  Those truly are 'crinkles' from smiling and not age wrinkles as his face is otherwise fairly wrinkle-less.  A note:  An inspection of his eye whites from captures, shows them to  be really white, not the milky yellow or brownish that one sees from alcoholics, hepatitis victims or those with bad heart disease.  This man is not only pretty healthy physically, but may indeed be younger than his long, mostly white (with some red) beard makes him look.  

He may be poor, mentally disturbed, or even slow, but he's not badly taken care of.  (he had packages with him in bags and had been waiting; I had seen him before (not since).

There you have it; a chance happening created what I think is a great look.  If only it had happened with more light than calling for ISO 3500 on a D3200.

Maybe that also gives it its charm.

If I work with the capture carefully over time, maybe with some aid.  This is a precious capture to me.

Thanks again for your comment.

john

John (Crosley)