ricardo navarro

I really do not know what I would have done here with the lighting and composition-wise, probably end up with a headache, as Herman said, but you did succeed, and I find it very pleasing with texture, shape, and overall.

Incidentally, I am pretty well attuned to what you say about natural and unnatural "enhanced" photos in your bio, and the two shots of yours I just commented do attest to the point!

Regards

Simplicity is indeed the key, as well as contrast and composition, with the semi-diagonals and the keyboard in the lower third, to make this picture stand out, and it certainly was the first in your portfolio to catch my eye. Well done.

Wonderful shot, the setting, models, timing, framing, exposure, detail, toning, the lot. Love it. Molodets!

Hello, Karolos. Just passing by after years of absence from PN, I spotted this portrait of yours, and could not help commenting on it.

 

Handholding a 100mm at 1/15s without camera shake does sound like mission impossible, so in the absence of some kind of camera support, I would at least have gone for ISO400 and pray for a steady hand at 1/30. The result might well have been better than resorting to heavy PS sharpening, which does a poor job with highlight-ridden areas such as the white beard and the headgear, giving an overall "scratchy" look. And composition-wise, just cropping out 1/2 to 2/3 of the free space above his head balances and rounds it off for me. The muted colours, tough,  work very fine by not interfering with the content (would also work beautifully in b&w).

 

But technical issues apart, this is an admirable portrait in that the humble shepherd's movingly vital and bright expression causes wondering and deep reflection, as has already been pointed out by others. Kudos to your interaction with the model for a most inspiring shot. Well done.

 

And congratulations also for your POW. Quite an amazing shot!

 

Regards.

Comments appreciated

Comments most appreciated

Thanks, Carsten. Of course it will eventually crash. Then the lady will have some wooden bars installed in the lower part of the window for protection and sit behind them, the ironwork formerly supporting the balcony sticking out the wall below her. That's what you can often see in the Malecon and other places in Havana. A stoic queen ...

Magnifica y poeticamente descrito, Francisco Javier, creo que a la dama le encantaria oirte! Gracias y un abrazo.

Comments appreciated

Thanks, Born2Click, you kept your word ... :) I used no filter here, and did no post-processing whatsoever, so the "dark frame" is entirely natural: just the already deep shadows made deeper by a deliberate low exposure to emphasize highlight detail. Regards.

I think I'll go for that idea, Ton, thanks a lot :)

Comments most appreciated

Beautiful, spotless, evocative shot. Regards.

Well, Pete, if you had actually "vandalised" the wall, perhaps I would start regarding you more as a painter than a photographer, because indeed it looks like art, one that perhaps I would not mind having hanged on my wall! So kudos to the vandal, and to the photographer for a good eye.

 

I think those indiscriminate 3/3s will make me puke one of these days. I do not usuallly rate photos any more, prefer the discussion by far, but this time I will make an exception, if only to somehow compensate for the affront. Regards.

Mary, this must be one of my favourites in your portfolio. Composition and exposure about perfect for the purpose, and delightful subdued, subtle colour for a very aesthetic image with an abstract quality to it. Excellent job indeed. Kind regards.

Alessio, this shot has caught my eye within your portfolio. Elie has already put my thoughts into words, and like Kaushik I like how the sunglasses work for its character, while the sepia toning also contributes nicely. Complimenti.

I think I prefer the b&w version, and it seems this is becoming my rule with your photos! It looks more elegant to me, and I don't know what Pascal exactly did in addition to the colour conversion, but the sunrays look great in there! But perhaps the main reason for my preference is that, unlike the others, I dislike the blue tint in the rays. I often see the digital processes, including scanning, developing (very) strong colour casts, usually blue with daylight, so this is how it may have come from your camera. Whatever the reason, that strong blue does not harmonize well with the interior's warm hues for my liking, and at any rate it looks (is) unnatural, the effect stealing from the atmosphere. Just for comparison I am enclosing a version where 50% blue and about 70% cyan have been removed, nothing else ...(?) Apart from this, I am not sure but I think I would have tried to further bring the top right window into the frame and accentuate the diagonal by tilting the camera further counter-clockwise, which in addition would have diminished the lower-right arch, surely expendable. Best regards, Dennis and everybody.

 

I agree with Douglas. In addition, this is a classic boat with a beautiful rigging one cannot see nowadays any more, so I think it deserves more "presence". Perhaps cropping half of the sky and one fourth of the sea at bottom for a more panoramic format may turn out more dynamic and could be a good starting point. It may also benefit from decreased brightness, perhaps combined with increased contrast, for better detail and colour, since it looks somewhat washed out as it is. I think there is still potential to exploit. Regards.

Hola de nuevo, Lannie. Despues de observar un rato tu album, esta es una de las fotos que mas me ha atraido. Debe ser su simplicidad y lo bello y apacible del lugar. La composicion de las lineas guia perfectamente la vista hacia el fondo del encuadre y quiza el no incluir mas "informacion" (probablemente redundante) por arriba contribuye a meter mejor al observador en la escena. Y, finalmente, creo que esta version en blanco y negro transmite la atmosfera de forma mas eficaz. Un saludo.

Again a clean and effective crop with sober and subtle colour. You have a sensitive eye. A "newbie" or not, I think you are not going to need much inspiration from people like me, honest! Push on, this looks pretty promising! Regards.

 

P.D. Thank you for your comment, although the very same one distributed en masse eventually carries little meaning ... ;)

A minimalistic, nice and clean, inspired shot. May I only suggest a slight adjustment (increase) in brightness-contrast to exploit its full potential, since otherwise looks a bit dark. Regards.

I agree with Michael about the composition. This shot already stands out in thumbnail size within the folder, nicely balanced and with the model coming out straight at you. The lines of her arms, and especially the diagonal formed by the highlights in her legs against the background's straight ones seem to be the key. Exposure and overall sharpness also look good to me, and I think it is perfect as is. Well done. Regards.

Por su peso cae, Francisco Javier. Luego se dice que si los maños son cabezones, pero Fidel gallego es y lleva 50 años sin bajarse de Sierra Maestra ... Y ves a la abuelita en el peligroso balcón de su casa en ruinas y tantas otras cosas por las que pasan los cubanos, con resignación fatalista y ese humor suyo francote e inocentón, y no puedes dejar de sentir simpatía y compasión por ellos. Que les lleguen pronto tiempos mejores.

 

Pero oye, ¿me has visto por un agujerito? Que justo hoy te he estado "espiando&quot ;). Gracias por tu elogio, ¡en letra y en cifras! Pronto volvemos a hablar.

Scary indeed, Francois, dangerous in a very real sense, since sometimes these buildings, especially after rainy periods, collapse with all their dwellers inside! Cuban friends told me that people prefer to take the risk rather than end up living in the out-of-town camps where the unfortunate homeless are sent. This is the sorry state in which 50 years of neglect have left the city that Hemingway once considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world ... Thank you for your comment. Regards.

Pues a mí me pareció bastante obvia mientras paseaba por el Malecón a esa hora. La primera vez tomé una casi idéntica en diapositiva color que subiré aquí más tarde, y cuando lo volví a ver otra vez que llevaba cargada película en blanco y negro no pude resistir repetirla ... Muchas gracias por éste y todos tus amables comentarios, Lannie. Hasta pronto.