A different sort of portrait

[Big_B]

I was playing around with a couple of different ideas for portrait shots, and this one came out. The DOF is a little too tight, but what do you think? Does this work for you?

http://www.pbase.com/sam_blackie/image/39444235/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/sam_blackie/image/39444236/original.jpg

[marie]

no.

I like the idea but think the person would be better in focus at the end of the tunnelhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif


or leave him out if you mainly want the insides of the tunnel to show .


it's not a portrait









unless of the pipehttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif


http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_redface.gifops:



http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif ?


and if taking his face again (at the end of a tunnel)
try make sure that there are no distractions behind him.



maybe move the tunnel ........

:confused:





:lol:

[wintoid]

It works for me, I really like it.

[peter/c]

I agree with first comment..great idea but i find peoples features more interesting than graffiti.Intersting shot nevertheless.
Peter.

[charlesu]

I like this. Not a portrait. This is an offbeat, whimsical shot. It's good.

[Fer]

As charlesu said, this is not a portrait, but I do like the photo. Maybe if you blur more the background (not the person, behind him)... hmmm... just an idea.

[HJMinard]

I like them ... particularly the second shot. Interesting and different.

[dobova]

It can work, for me. You should try to put a non smiling face and closer to tube just to crop part of face... May be more drama..

Ciao

[shawnee_rebel]

that is so cool.........if you could somehow bring in your dof ,it would really be fantastic!

[Ikinaa]

I prefer the first one ... In the second the person is too centered.
Also you shouldn't consider this as a portrait, because IMO in a portrait the person should be the main subject which here it isn't really.
What could perhaps make the picture better is if the person wouldn't smile but have a somewhat absent look not directed at the camera.

Nice use of creativity...

[D Boone]

I agree... First is better, I don't like centered...

[dewmuw]

Whimsical is a good word! If we all tried to do straight head and shoulders shots we'd never get innovation. I like what you are doing and trying to come up with - thanks for sharing.

[Andy_T]

Very nice ... I like the first one.

And for all we know ... this guy could have a horrible skin disease, and still look pleasing in this 'portrait' :lol:

Best regards,
Andy

[Big_B]

Wow, thanks for all the replies! :D

charles/dewmew - I was just playing around with a few ideas and I'm glad you liked the outcome. Perhaps portrait isn't quite the right word, but I couldn't think of anything better. :)

fer/shawn - definately agree with you about the dof. It would be really nice if we could see a little more detail in his face.


dopova - nice idea. I'll have to give it a go some time.


Andy - are you psycic?! :shock: Actually its my brother, who had just broken his front teeth in a fall on the way back from the pub :rolleyes: Here's the incriminating evidence

http://www.pbase.com/sam_blackie/image/39444871/original.jpg

[johnellisphotography]

I like the first one. It shows that you try and see things differently. Don't fret about the comments of a certain creatively handicapped individual(s) here who criticize the interesting and praise the mundane. Keep it up.

[marie]

I like the first one. It shows that you try and see things differently. Don't fret about the comments of a certain creatively handicapped individual(s) here who criticize the interesting and praise the mundane. Keep it up.


be careful

wrong about creativity
wrong about handicapped
wrong about criticising
wrong about just praising the mundane

he asked a question
I answered

and then forgot to be careful with the laughs
laughing with the person hopefully
never at them or their talents

quote
"I was playing around with a couple of different ideas for portrait shots, and this one came out. The DOF is a little too tight, but what do you think?


Does this work for you? "

that was the question.
no was my truthful answer.
it still is



this was part of my reply

" no.
I like the idea but think the person would be better in focus at the end of the tunnelhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif
or leave him out if you mainly want the insides of the tunnel to show .
it's not a portrait "



and then I thought what I had said sounded funny (to myself)
as that's the way I sometimes see things
so I was laughing


it was never ever to criticize


he asked a question

(and I imagine with tongue in cheek as he knew what he was doing,
so why did he ask ?)


:confused:
you know, we are all grown ups here
we don't need someone to hold our hands when our photos don't look so good to someone else
your comments (shown in the next sentence) would insult me if I were the poster of the above post


quote
"Don't fret about the comments of a certain creatively handicapped individual(s) here who criticize the interesting and praise the mundane. Keep it up. "
unquote


otherwise they (your comments) run off me like water off a duck's.... back

just wanted to make my point about my side of it
and as I said
be careful

[johnellisphotography]

Marie, Thanks for attacking me. Re-read my post. Your name appears NOWHERE in it. Also, thanks for threatening me. Thats always nice. I'm really tickeled at how you assumed that post was directed at you. Could be about anyone. Could've been posted to the wrong message. You don't know. You just chose to attack and threaten because you assumed it applied to you. What exactly do you mean by "be carefull"? I'd really like to know.

[jgbeam]

Marie, Thanks for attacking me. Re-read my post. Your name appears NOWHERE in it. Also, thanks for threatening me. Thats always nice. I'm really tickeled at how you assumed that post was directed at you. Could be about anyone. Could've been posted to the wrong message. You don't know. You just chose to attack and threaten because you assumed it applied to you. What exactly do you mean by "be carefull"? I'd really like to know.

It is quite obvious who your first post was directed toward. There was only one person who did not like the shot. And that person took the time to explain why, just as Big_B asked.

And Big_B...you owe the courtesy of a reply to those who your shot didn't work for as well as to those who liked it.

Jim

[D4VE]

That's good. the one with the face blurred compliments the one with the face sharp. They look good together IMO.

Sorry to hear about his tooth, at least he is smiling :D

[johnellisphotography]

My biggest beef is the list of people who told the guy that his portrait wasn't a portrait. Marie was just one of those. Thats like telling someone who took a landscape picture that the bird in the sky makes it a wildlife shot and not a landscape. As far as my comments go, Marie chose to inherit their direction as hers. Thats fine by me. Seems fitting in retrospect. Later.

[defordphoto]

Us bystanders should be aware to let the photographer himself answer his own critique.

[jgbeam]

My biggest beef is the list of people who told the guy that his portrait wasn't a portrait. Marie was just one of those. Thats like telling someone who took a landscape picture that the bird in the sky makes it a wildlife shot and not a landscape. As far as my comments go, Marie chose to inherit their direction as hers. Thats fine by me. Seems fitting in retrospect. Later.

So people have different definitions of portrait. That doesn't make them creativelly handicapped. Big_B asked a question and he got answers. So what's the problem?

Jim

[Belmondo]

Okay, everybody. Let's just step back and think about this a bit, and re-read the original post in this thread:
I was playing around with a couple of different ideas for portrait shots, and this one came out. The DOF is a little too tight, but what do you think? Does this work for you?

A number of people responded at his request, and I believe they all answered honestly. Now, I am seeing a whole lot of overreaction, and it simply isn't appropriate in this forum.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with a member saying whether they liked the photos or not. There was nothing wrong with saying how they might like to see the photos improved. There wasn't even anything wrong with saying they felt the photos were mis-labeled as portraits’. There was everything wrong with criticizing those people for expressing their opinions, especially when those viewpoints were thoughtful, sincere, and freely given at the request of the poster.

For those who have trouble with the concept, please allow me to clarify....
A comment like this is a personal attack, and a not-too-subtle one at that:
Don't fret about the comments of a certain creatively handicapped individual(s) here who criticize the interesting and praise the mundane. The ambiguity of the sentence aside, there is no question in my mind about who the author was referring to, and that he was way out of line. Not only are remarks like this insulting to the person(s) in question, but they are also offensive to others reading them.

It's fine to say you disagree with someone's opinion. They might love something, and you might hate it. A spirited, healthy difference of opinions can be a good thing, and the photographer will almost always benefit from a variety of constructive suggestions. Calling someone creatively handicapped is not a friendly exchange of ideas, and is totally unacceptable behavior, even if your authority for making such divinely inspired pronouncements is established.

Four of the first five posts were not blanket endorsements of the image. Would it have been better if those people had just kept their opinions to themselves? Better yet, would they have been doing more of a service to the poster if they had praised the photo, even if in their opinion it was mundane?

I'm sorry, but there was nothing in any of the responses deserving of the kind of response that prompted me to write this.

Thanks for your future cooperation.

Tom

[jgbeam]

Amen. :)

Jim

[johnellisphotography]

Fine. Enough said about this issue. I'll take up my issues with Marie with her personally.

[neutral]

I agree with a few people in this thread, the person being out of focus takes away from the shot.

[Belmondo]

In looking back at the original photos, and it occurs to me that if the subject of the photo was a celebrity, and his image was unique and/or familiar, these could be very effective, such as on a CD cover or something.

[jgbeam]

Now that that's all out of the way...

I see this as an inverse portrait. We, at the sharp end of the image, are being looked at by the guy at the end of the tube. He isn't the subject... we are! :cool:

Point of view is everything. ;)

Jim

[Belmondo]

Now that that's all out of the way...

I see this as an inverse portrait. We, at the sharp end of the image, are being looked at by the guy at the end of the tube. He isn't the subject... we are! :cool:

Point of view is everything. ;)

Jim

Works for me.

[Big_B]

In looking back at the original photos, and it occurs to me that if the subject of the photo was a celebrity, and his image was unique and/or familiar, these could be very effective, such as on a CD cover or something.

EDIT: I can't type!!! :evil:

My brother a celebrity? Don't let him hear you say that, his head is big enough already :D

jgbeam - cool idea. I wish I'd thought of that :lol:

[Andy_T]

Andy - are you psycic?! :shock: Actually its my brother, who had just broken his front teeth in a fall on the way back from the pub :rolleyes: Here's the incriminating evidence


Ouch! :rolleyes:

Do give my regards to your brother!

I still like the sharp portrait.

Best regards,
Andy

[Big_B]

And Big_B...you owe the courtesy of a reply to those who your shot didn't work for as well as to those who liked it.

Jim

Jim makes a good point. I actually do like getting comments even if they aren't positive. So thanks to all for your honesty and for making the criticism constructive :D

[jgbeam]

jgbeam - cool idea. I wish I'd thought of that :lol:

But you did! ;)

Jim

[jwcdds]

hm... I don't know about you guys but I feel like I'm looking threw the inside of a gun barrel. The round opening, the grooves (although the grooves would show more rotation), but you get the point. :lol:

a "bullet's-eye view" per se. Just a thought. :)

[Geeeyejo]

IMHO - I like the last best. Broken tooth and all! Agreed, if the DOF could capture the end of the tube and his face - voila!

[marie]

I really appreciate everything which was said .
things I had wanted to say and didn't......... many thanks Tom and Jim and RFM

John , you ask what I meant by 'be very careful'
I meant with your words...
those particular type of words.
I have been guilty myself at times I imagine
even at times when I never noticed it but someone else may have been hurt by something I said

I knew you added the (s) to make it look as though 'not exactly aimed at one person'
but the message was meant for me especially
I knew it and you knew it.


why do we bother to give any replies.
why do some bother to ask for opinions.
at the end of the day there's nearly always different views.
but no one should be any unhappier.
none of us mean for that to happen
I guess it's all about sharing and learning
(and caring)
it's ok John
I unravelled my fist and dried my eyes

if the smilies cause confusion sometimes there's even more without them
so I am putting just one here

thanks all

:)

[Richard51]

I'm new to this forum, but it seems to me that this is where one gives opinions about photos, not opinions about opinions of photos. Everyone sees a photo differently. Maybe keeping the comments directed at the photo would be a good thing. If two people like the photo and one person doesn't what does that mean? It means two people like the photo and one doesn't. PERIOD!

[johnellisphotography]

If you got my messages marie, I assume we understand each other a little better now. Look on the bright side, two type A (personality) people rarely form friendships without first fighting, so theres hope. Its how we establish grounds. My closest people in life became that just after we bloodied each others noses.;) Sorry if I offended you and I think I better understand your previous comments towards me. I extend my hand to you if ever needed. They're will probably be a joy buzzer in it:shock: , but it will be none the less sincere.

[Belmondo]

Let's confine all future remarks in this thread to Big_B's photos. We've discussed the other issue sufficiently, and have no need to rehash it further.

Thanks Marie, John, and everyone else who participated in the discussion. It's over now.

[IainB]

Nice photo. It's like the person at the other end is a reflection of the viewer. It emphasises what we are (both) looking at. Clever!
IainB

[marie]

If you got my messages marie, I assume we understand each other a little better now. Look on the bright side, two type A (personality) people rarely form friendships without first fighting, so theres hope. Its how we establish grounds. My closest people in life became that just after we bloodied each others noses.;) Sorry if I offended you and I think I better understand your previous comments towards me. I extend my hand to you if ever needed. They're will probably be a joy buzzer in it:shock: , but it will be none the less sincere.

Look on the bright side, two type A (personality) people rarely form friendships without first fighting, so theres hope. Its how we establish grounds.

I agree wholeheartedly with you
thanks John

[Wazza]

I like the shots, they're unique, and have never seen similar ones before.
I would perhaps just blur out the background more, or just make it a dull, non distracting white.
:)
Glad everyone is friends again. That's the way, a big family needs to behave.

[snakeman55]

I like the tunnel in focus. I think it's great.

[blueskybutterfly]

wow I love this :)