The best soccer player for all the times

You certainly have captured a mood here. Allow me to be one of the first to congratulate you on POW.

Wonderful portrait! I don't think that there is anything to change about this. Very well done, and congratulations on POW.

Congratulations on your POW and on your beautiful portfolio, which is very much worth seeing.

I just can't get past the snapshot quality lighting the flash or whatever caused it creates. It just doesn't quite get there for me. I like the profile and tight crop. But the lighting and loss of focus around and towards the front of the face is very distracting.

I like the profile against the nicely controlled pitch black background, but the reflections off the side of his head are distracting to me. Maybe its my monitor, but I also feel that there is too much of a fall-off at his chin/jawline.

 

A most excellent portfolio!

 

Paulo's portfolio makes me think about what is fun for me about photography. Intresting pick for POW. I like how they presented an entire folder. I like the portrait but, the out of focus nose and mouth kinda make it look he is about to sneeze. Brazilian flag colors on the forehead and face add passion to the shot. LOADS of sweet shots Paulo!

There are some technical issues here - the light fall-off has been mentioned. But there is also the too-narrow DOF - the sharpness here doesn't extend beyond his right eye. And it has a greenish cast - obviously shot in mixed lighting with daylight film. And the angle is perhaps a bit low, resulting in our looking up the nose of the master footballer. Anything else? I think that more or less covers it. But what does all that tell us?

It tells us, for starters, that it wasn't a studio shot. It tells us that this was done ad hoc - that the photog, when faced with the opportunity to shoot one of the world's icons, had the presence of mind to do it under the conditions presented. Notice there is no ear. Pele is presented to us in noble profile, as a god. It's right and fitting that we should be looking up slightly. Paulo might have focussed on mouth and nose - but then we would have lost the critical sharpness of that fascinating skin texture. What the photographer has done here is to bring us so close to Pele, we feel as though we could perhaps reach out and touch him.

I've been following this photographer's work here since I joined this site, from the days when he had no camera to now, when he works as a pro. And what I see in that work is passion, for the place he lives in, for the subjects he shoots, and, most of all, for photography. I'm glad he got the PoW. I must be dreaming. Somebody tell me I'm not dreaming . . . .

Well, at least this week there should be no accusations of "Photoshopped". But as far as this choice of an image as POW, I really think it misses the mark.

 

Granted the access to shot one of the greatest Soccer players of all time, and perhaps the most famous Brazilian alive (Reubans Barichello still isn't at Pele's level yet, and Aryton Senna is dead).

 

The DOF is a bit shallow, and the composition could be better. Personally I think that Paulos "Faith" (http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=627633) would have been a far better choice.

I'll speak my native language also, sorry for that.

 

Minha oportunidade de falar português com meus compatriotas também. Gostei da aparição do Pelé poraqui, e principalmente do reconhecimento do trabalho de um compatriota. Parabéns, bela foto.

I have to wait before giving technical comments

since I'm on the laptop for two/three days and

I cannot see colors on a calibrated monitor.

 

I took a look to Paulo's portfolio and I join others

suggesting to visit it - it's worth while, I think we have a talented photojournalist here. Again, apart from tech details about single shots, I think in many photos Paulo demonstrates to be able to catch the moment.

 

PS I'm glad that this time we won't talk about PS :-)

Sorry to be contrary, but I don't think this is a particularly attractive or interesting image, and I think that the sole quality that makes it noteworthy is the celebrity status of the subject.

 

The framing is too tight, the lighting is particularly unflattering, the expression is somewhere between impassive and unpleasant, and the only mood it expresses to me is that of a convict's mug shot. All that's missing is the second full face shot with the numbers underneath his chin.

 

I have to assume after looking at the other images in Paulo's portfolio, that as a previous poster commented, the award is going more to the photographer than the photo, as he has some truly beautiful and expressive images that are more deserving of the POW honor than this one.

 

Sorry to be so blunt...congratulations nevertheless, on the recognition and the other outstanding work in your portfolio.

A very talented photographer with an unusually strong and obviously professional eye for line and composition.

 

I think the faintly patronizing First World tone of the elves about the photographer "having the talent to represent it (Brazil) well" is a bit out of place... This photographer would represent any place well.

As an Italian fan of soccer, but moreover a fan of photojournalism I am happy of this POW. :)

This is not his best, but some his works are really outstanding. Congrats, Paulo.

I think this really captures the mood well but I agree that the depth of field is too narrow.

The textures and composition of this image make it solid for me. Great work. The green cast is a bit strange though it may be intentional. It could be a little sharper but all else I believe to be fine.

Paulo has found himself in photo.net. I'm glad to see that finally photo.net found Paulo. He's a self taught and natural photojournalist. In his folder you will see some excellent, and some not so excellent, but you will always see truth. His vision, not something staged or created. Photography.

 

It's obvious why this one was picked, they even say it in the POW caption. Representation. I'd say it's time we go over these concepts. Paulo has obviously images with universal appeal. At least now he's got sufficient exposure so everyone can enjoy them.

 

Paulo, parabéns! Estou contente de ver como tua vida melhorou desde que entraste para o photo.net. Fico feliz em saber que finalmente estás bem contigo e tua profissão. O teu talento está patente nestas poucas fotos que tive a felicidade de ver. Sucesso, cara!

That many excellent pictures in your folder, and in my opinion one of the lesser ones has been made POW. The colors are very unflattering with this green cast, the contrast too harsh and the DOF isn't good enough, also it looks like the ear was stretched to get it out of the image.

But still congrats for many pictures in your folder!

Even though I am a fan of Pele, and recognize that it is an exploit just to suceed taking his picture, I don't like this shot because I cannot feel/understand any particular mood or message. However, you have some jewels in your portfolio that unfortunately where not chosen POW (e.g., Icaro's dream)... In addition, I would like to see you shooting some of the UPs of Brazil and its people, you seem to be only interested in the DOWNs of the Brazilian society...

must mean Photographer of the week this week. It must be a near impossible task to pick the perfect POW for the elves every week, and upon entering Paulos folder it does not become easier to chose the best one. There are som many really excellent pictures in his folder. Congratulations Paulo, and keep up the good work.

(edited) This photo is strong because the subject is dark skinned. I don't think my interest would have been as strong if it were a portrait of a lighter "whiter" ethnicity.

Nice grab.

Your statement could have had some validity to it, except for the fact that Pele is Brazilian.

It is not my absolute favorite from Paolo's folder which, as others have said, is superb. However, it is certainly one of the handful of the best. It is a very striking profile, emanating a kind of sensuality.

 

Perhaps the image would be a little better if the neck and chin were not in such deep shadow. The focus on the cheek rather than the nose or eyes is not a problem, in my view. The focus on the texture of the face almost makes it a monument, befitting the subject.

It would seem that there is some detail in the shadows around the neck and chin. One wonders why the photographer chose not to render it.

Fiquei uns 15 minutos tentando definir seu folder. Como não consegui, deixo apenas a minha satisfação em ter visto esse trabalho excelente.

 

This folder is a little compilation of a contradictory city in a contradictory country. It´s real world. Wish all of you could fully understand the words and recognize the people, to realize the irony of some pics.

 

Mauricio.

I really just do not see anything remarkable about this photo. There is an extensive amount of bright (colored as well) glare off the subjects head which seems to add a cheapness to the photo. I also have to agree with previous statements about the choice of focus point, etc. I would also like to add that I feel there were much better choices in the photographer's collection than this.