miles1

Thankyou for your incisive words.

When I composed this I did something which I seem to do a lot which is to balance the subject(s) with something else suitable. Here I placed the woman in the bottom left and the sunlit door in the top right. Regarding the highlights on the ground and in the window, these were exaggerated when converting from colour to black and white using the channel mixer and I always add a little contrast via curves in the process. I actually like the effect and is partly influenced by an infrared photographer I met in Siem Reap in Cambodia. When you use Kodak HIE (black & white infrared) film the highlights often glow and bloom due to the lack of an anti halation layer and this gives an ethereal quality which is most suited to the temples of Cambodia. This is what I was aiming for here.

I have also posted the colour version for comparison and, to my eye, this black & white version is far superior and much closer to capturing the atmosphere as I recall it.

Thanks for taking the time John. I always enjoy your critiques of my photos and especially of your own fine work.

Regards, Miles.

This is a colour version of the same photo previously shown in black & white. I've played

with the shadows/highlights in order to reveal more detail.

href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3572925">Please compare with

this version.

Comments welcome!

Ian, how interesting, he is absolutely fascinating isn't he? He told me that he shot his last book on a point and shoot Minolta zoom on ordinary Kodak colour film and then scanned, desaturated and played with the curves to emulate the TRI X look of his older work. He does indeed have some great stories. In his books he combines the written word with photographs more powerfully than anyone I can think of. I took this with my Leica Minilux which he said he used to get some of his best shots!

Cheers, Miles.

Thanks Tina, you always say such nice things about my and other people's work!

Cheers, Miles.

Thanks for your comment; this was actually shot in natural daylight and then partially desaturated in order to give a subtle effect somewhere between colour and B&W. I think as you say a black background would be interesting too.

Cheers, Miles.

Timing is everything and this proves the point. Reading the comments above I'd like to add that many photographers shoot instinctively, especially you John, keeping a mind's eye for composition and the moment but in in a subconscious and automatic way as there's not always time to think things out. You can plan things up to a point but always be ready for the extraordinary. You can just "feel" something good can be captured at a moment which is why it is always great to find wonderful images such as this when you get the "film" back. You are right, it is rather infectious this one, a beautiful moment with a simple universal message. It is good to see equilibrium amongst these people in a disequilibrious situation in these times of disequilibrium. Well done John, this is artful.

Cheers, Miles.

My brother taken over 20 years ago with my then new Olympus OM2. I was only a year

older than him when I took this picture on Kodachrome in Spain. The trasparency has not

been cleaned up yet but I'll do some Photoshop on it soon. Comments welcome!

Excellent composition and pleasing depth of field.

Cheers, Miles.

Great capture of eyes, good composition and beautiful model. I like the desaturation combined with the warm tones. Excellent.

All the best, Miles.

A beautiful portrait of a beautiful woman. Great rich colours - and all with the kit lens which everyone says is no good. It goes to show that the photographer is more important than the lens.

Your other pictures are excelent too!

Miles Morgan.

I feel your comments warrant a response.

1. It was actually a very hot day in the studio and everybody was pretty warm in fact.

2. This was a candid shot in natural daylight and she just looked particularly beautiful, she was not really posing.

3. It's her own jewelry that she is wearing and I agree she may look better without it although I do not not even remember her wearing it at the time.

4. I agree it would be better without the blown out background but it was against a window with strong backlighting from the hot sunshine.

5. I can assure you Lana is not a crack addict but a well balanced intelligent and professional model who is also rather proficient with Photoshop, maybe she could do a much better job than me with this image. The backlighting makes her look thinner than she is although there is nothing wrong with being naturally slim. Her hair or anything was not styled as I say this shot was quite candid.

What concerns me is that you seem to perceive her as some kind of victim which could not be further from the truth. It's just a very simple shot in which this woman looks beautiful. You say "I just can't refrain from voicing my opinion as a woman" which suggests that from a woman's viewpoint this is not an attractive image; does that mean that it may be attractive from a man's perspective? Is there something that you object to about that? Maybe you think she is pandering to men's tastes with her look, maybe you are right.

This is very good. A fleeting moment but what I really like is her smile opposing the tears on the clock, sort of the other way round as your Balloon Man. The surreal look is heightened by the Daliesque clock. I'd be interested to know more of the story behind this one as it is clearly of an older vintage. I bet you've got quite a few of these old gems up your sleeve which you can trickle out as you see fit?

Best Regards, Miles.