Carnival!!!???

It's CARNIVAL TIME, and this woman sports a home-made Brazilian -

style head dress. But her look betrays the joyousness of the samba-

filled 'world's biggest party' (my words, having been there and

seen it). Your ratings and critiques are invited and most welcome.

If you rate harshly or very critically, please submit a helpful and

constructive comment; please share your superior photographic

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

She does look tired. Not just tired of being at a carnival but just tired of life. The sun is beating down on her from the back and she is just finished with everything. She looks like she is pondering about something (you know I look for these moments in folders all the time). I like that she is chewing on her nail like she is worried about something like maybe she will get in trouble for sitting down. The fact that she doesn't have makeup on is kind of strange since this hat is so colorful and so sharp in this picture and yet she is so dull next to it. Her face shows that she has lived a life of being out in the sun and has the markings of many sun filled days.

This is a wonderful picture filled with many different things, colors, wonders, ponders, lines, sparkels and feathers. You are right !!!??? ~ micki

This is a moment caught in a day of Samba practice -- perhaps just a moment of reflection that does not truly represent what this woman actually looks like.

Nevertheless, she looked like this for a moment, and for that it's a true-to-life capture.

But as for being 'the truth' -- it slightly misrepresents her, as she was full of life and just little tired of Samba Dance practice there in December. I posted it before Carnival was over. She was NOT at a party, but in Balboa Park in San Diego with the sun out, every day's a party.

Thanks for the observations, especially about the sun and nail (one wonders if an idle thought worried her?)

John (Crosley)

Since I do self portraits of myself I have several pictures like this, untouched.

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=5505522

Not that you have to really look, but I DON'T stage them I just click when I am bored or waiting and that is what I was doing and sometimes I am just thinking and I don't really I forget I click and I just put the camera on the contiuous mode.

The moment is just that maybe a minute and then it is gone and I am all smiles.

Thank you for letting me know it was just a quick moment as I understand more now. ~ micki

A photo often can mis-represent.

When that happens, and if I think the person is sensitive, might see the photo, and otherwise is sympathetic, I try to point that out.

This woman saw the photo and felt it mis-represented her, and I agree, compared to the rest of the time I saw her, but not for this moment. As a PHOTO it stands on its own and is otherwise worthy, no matter what.

So, it's posted and will not be taken down . . . a pensive woman is far rarer on Photo.net or other places than a smiling pretty woman, and that's a fact, Jack, or words to that effect. I look for the 'unusual' photo -- the one that is not 'ordinary' or 'usual' and thus 'individual' to me and my camera.

I see this averaged 4.29 on originality with few rates; I acknowledge why there might be few rates, but the 'originality' score overlooks that it is far more than a 'portrait' of head and shoulders -- but a pensive look. To rate it as average for 'originality' denigrates the raters, although it should not rate the highest at all. I have much more original work, but I reserve the right to comment on the ratings here (and never to the Administration).

John (Crosley)

I ALSO hate smiling portrait in the studio crappy stuff. And I just looked at the pictures of me and I think with all the portraits that Andrew has done of me and I have taken of myself there are only three that are smiling and one that I am laughing. I HATE smiley pictures unless you catch a real smile. One that you don't know someone is taking a picture. He took one just recently of me and my best friend and that is a real smile. He must have taken 25 pictures and we were so natural just goofing off that we forgot he even had a camera as we were being silly.

I also think a woman is prettier without so much makeup and in her normal surroundings. Home, work, family etc...

Wherever she is happy. I think this deserves a higher rating. Maybe they see themselves in it. I think when people see sadness they rate lower. I see that in my own pictures. ~ micki

I have little time to comment for a few days -- something's going on that prevents my usual discourse, but I read each and every word of yours with great thoroughness and am continually impressed not only by the depth of your analysis but by your literateness.

And also, in this case, by your self-portrait (which in addition to having a very attractive subject) does one better by being aesthetically pleasing AND interesting at the same time with a high degree of originality (forgive my posting this 'review' here. My left click button on one of my computer is disabled and my ability to copy and paste on that computer is disabled generally until that's fixed (if ever).

I am traveling, lost somewhere in perdition, in a Kafkaesque or Faustian world, sans luggage, being told lies by my airline, in a place that is not my destination, and was never on my itinerary, misdirected, confused, more than a little angry, so excuse my short reply, as I am sandwiching it between trying to rescue my life (and still take an interesting photo) as I try to recover all my worldly goods and try to get where I am going -- it's been five days and I'm little close than when I got part way four days ago.

Your efforts are greatly appreciated, as always.

John (Crosley)