A picture I took

brentbrent said:

brentbrent wrote:

I am not a very good photographer. I'm learning and trying to stretch a bit, and looking at others' work here really helps. I think what draws me to photography the most is that essence of capturing a moment. Life in made up of moments, and they pass by so swiftly. Sometimes just being able to freeze a moment and and then being able to take the time to see and look at the meaning of the moment, means so much. Even if the photo may not be a "10" on the artistic scale.

I confess that to a great degree, moments that I've captured in images may mean more to me than to others. I think that is completely OK, that photographs have a personal meaning that may not always translate to others.

Your photo may not have all the best technical attributes that a photography critic might be looking for. But to me, the smiling face of the caretaker and the light on her face, the rather dull and drab background, the presence of the walker, all speaks volumes. I know the photo and the meaning of the photo speaks to you, in your personal situation. And I see you, the photographer, in this image. Your photo brings tears to my eyes . . .

Peace.

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rpm40 said:

rpm40 wrote:

It is a fine, if a little bland, starting point. Maybe try playing around with it to see what results you can get- maybe crop closer/get her out of dead center? Black and white conversion? Get creative and see what results.

Technically- keep an eye on your settings. That fast lens can keep the iso low for best results, but only if you open up the aperature. That said, I don't think the image is too noisy, so the actual benefit to the image would have probably been negligible.

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brentbrent said:

brentbrent wrote:

I am not a very good photographer. I'm learning and trying to stretch a bit, and looking at others' work here really helps. I think what draws me to photography the most is that essence of capturing a moment. Life in made up of moments, and they pass by so swiftly. Sometimes just being able to freeze a moment and and then being able to take the time to see and look at the meaning of the moment, means so much. Even if the photo may not be a "10" on the artistic scale.

I confess that to a great degree, moments that I've captured in images may mean more to me than to others. I think that is completely OK, that photographs have a personal meaning that may not always translate to others.

Your photo may not have all the best technical attributes that a photography critic might be looking for. But to me, the smiling face of the caretaker and the light on her face, the rather dull and drab background, the presence of the walker, all speaks volumes. I know the photo and the meaning of the photo speaks to you, in your personal situation. And I see you, the photographer, in this image. Your photo brings tears to my eyes . . .

Click to expand...

brentbrent said:

Peace.

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rpm40 said:

rpm40 wrote:

rpm40 said:

brentbrent wrote:

I am not a very good photographer. I'm learning and trying to stretch a bit, and looking at others' work here really helps. I think what draws me to photography the most is that essence of capturing a moment. Life in made up of moments, and they pass by so swiftly. Sometimes just being able to freeze a moment and and then being able to take the time to see and look at the meaning of the moment, means so much. Even if the photo may not be a "10" on the artistic scale.

I confess that to a great degree, moments that I've captured in images may mean more to me than to others. I think that is completely OK, that photographs have a personal meaning that may not always translate to others.

Your photo may not have all the best technical attributes that a photography critic might be looking for. But to me, the smiling face of the caretaker and the light on her face, the rather dull and drab background, the presence of the walker, all speaks volumes. I know the photo and the meaning of the photo speaks to you, in your personal situation. And I see you, the photographer, in this image. Your photo brings tears to my eyes . . .

Peace.

Click to expand...

Your comment made me take a second look at the photo, and see it in a different (and more meaningful) light. Thanks.

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brentbrent said:

brentbrent wrote:

I am not a very good photographer. I'm learning and trying to stretch a bit, and looking at others' work here really helps. I think what draws me to photography the most is that essence of capturing a moment. Life in made up of moments, and they pass by so swiftly. Sometimes just being able to freeze a moment and and then being able to take the time to see and look at the meaning of the moment, means so much. Even if the photo may not be a "10" on the artistic scale.

Click to expand...

brentbrent said:

I confess that to a great degree, moments that I've captured in images may mean more to me than to others. I think that is completely OK, that photographs have a personal meaning that may not always translate to others.

Your photo may not have all the best technical attributes that a photography critic might be looking for. But to me, the smiling face of the caretaker and the light on her face, the rather dull and drab background, the presence of the walker, all speaks volumes. I know the photo and the meaning of the photo speaks to you, in your personal situation. And I see you, the photographer, in this image. Your photo brings tears to my eyes . . .

Peace.

Click to expand...

doto41 said:

doto41 wrote:

This is a clear case where the subject and theme are way more important than technical aspects. True, it could have been technically much better, and maybe thus would have told the story in a stringer way, but the story is still there, and it is a touching one, and the expression and kindbness in her eyes speak volumes.

Be strong my friend, my thoughts are with you and your wife.

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radamczak said:

radamczak wrote:

I like this portrait, the window light works very well; the natural smile is captivating. This one is all about content, the type of family photo I like to take where the background clutter = context, and a backstop for memories in future years. You could darken/blur out the background in PP, perhaps crop to have the figure less centrally placed, heighten the lighting effects on the face, etc. In the end, it's how you feel about the result. I wish you all the best in what must be a very difficult time.

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Member said:

Darrell Spreen wrote:

.....with most of the remarks so far.

I think this is an excellent informal portrait. As others have said, the background -- the walker and the partial view of the person in the chair -- gives it much more meaning. I think the face of the subject is wonderful with a genuine openness.

But I think the photograph is technically excellent. It caught my attention immediately. On my monitor, the colors are extremely natural with beautiful lighting and a full range of tones. It shows the beauty of realism instead of the "pop" that so many seem to strive for.

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Member said:

--

Darrell

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danielsonkin said:

danielsonkin wrote:

Hi Russ,

I haven't been around here for a while. I am sorry to hear that your wife is at the hospice stage. I probably have missed other posts with updates. I hope she is comfortable and you are getting all the support you need. I love this photo; maybe because I understand the context, but also because the ambiant lighting is really nice. Her skin and the beautiful color of her blouse. But mostly I love her smile. I would hope that the hospice worker that cares for me or a loved one looks as loving and kind as Misty. Thanks for posting the photo. My thought are with you.

Daniel

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