[Russt]

I ran into a nice old gent today painting a landscape. I got to chatting with him and he was kind enough to let me take some shots.
These are a couple almost straight out of the camera.........I have had a play with different pp but I always came back to the original. Any comments or suggestions welcome.

#1


#2 this one I was trying to frame the shot close to what he was painting

[Schellamo]

I do like these, I would have liked to have seen more of his face, or even a seperate shot of just his face. I like how in the second shot you can see the painting and the scenery that inspired it.

[Irma]

You did great work with these pictures Russ...

#1 is really great to see him in action, painting and see his hands working in the detail, I find that great. I see that the painting, as important part of the subject in this picture, is a bit dark and the light of the background takes my attention somehow...

As a suggestion perhaps, changing the lights, I mean desaturate or darken a bit the background and lighten up the painting?

#2 It is very interesting how you related all the elements with your composition. I admire the fact that you can see the artist, his work and the landscape his painting... The only thing I would have like to see a bit more is the tray/place where he has de colors and brushes...

My suggestion in this one would be probably just to lighten up the painting... to have a lightened spot in your foreground/subject so it will catch your attention ... It might work as a triangular composition... the painting, the bush at the right with bright green color and the back of the painter... Well, this how I see it..

Hope this helps

[Russt]

Thanks for your input Schell and Irma.

Schell, I think that is part of what is missing for me, a mood or feeling which his face may have brought to the pic. This was the first time I had asked a complete stranger if I could take some shots. I didn't want to intrude too much. I was mindful that he was trying to enjoy his pass time. We talk (I listened) about his paintings and art in general it was very interesting.

Irma, Thanks for your ideas I will be trying them. It was the middle of the day I knew I was going to have a hard time with the exposure. :| I wanted the background in #2 as its part of what I was going for in composition, I think about it now and wish I had used some fill flash... :/ I did have a bit of a play curves and masks but I was doing a poor job of it. I will come back to it later.

#3 Joe........

[Irma]

If you have raw file of them exposure is not a problem... and you did great, despite the bright light...

This last portrait is great!!

[wulinka]

nice job!
I don't want to make any comments on color or brightness, because I think my screen is way off anyone else's.

But I like the intimacy of these pictures. I only tried a couple of crops to make that atmosphere stand out more, don't know if they will appeal to you.....
In both of crops you lose the brushes, which is too bad, but I thought they didn't really stand out and all the blown out background in that part of the picture did not add to it.





No 2 has its own charme, and I like it. at some point though, everyone is obviously going to ask for his face, you should put together a series! they are beautyful!

uli

[guerito]

These shots are great. Wonderful portrait of an artist performing his art.

IMO, if you like how they came out of the camera originally, you shouldn't change them. It's probably just me, but I think for some shots the content is so much more important than the technical quality or the finesse of slightly different crops. Your subject is properly exposed, that's the important thing. There's no need to change anything.

Sometimes, very seldom, I get one of these pictures too. I normally do a lot of post processing on my pictures and when I come up with one of these I'm baffled because I can't improve it. I wish I'd get these more often.

Just my €0.02, anyway.

[Keith Alan]

I love them all, originals and edits.

My opinion is that the average viewer (non-photographer) will instantly 'get' that the artist is in the shade (because he's old and wise) and never give a second thought to the way it affects the exposure, or wish the old gent and his artwork were brighter or better-lit.
A terrific example of how great photos of great subjects transcend the 'rules' we sometimes impose on ourselves.

[alastair_hm]

Good subject, I like the first one since it seems more animated.
The second one the background is lighter than the foreground which I find a bit distracting, maybe some fill in flash would have helped.
Such character in the portrait shot

[Toad]

I'm sorry, Ruust - but your shot inspired me. I hope you don't mind that I had a litle "artistic" fun with it...

[Russt]

Excellent thanks everyone for taking the time to share your thoughts on my pics........

Uli, I like your crop on #1 I understand that the blown detail of the table is distracting.....the brushes is why I didn't go that way.

Guerito, I hear where your comming from in terms of pp it can be like that sometimes........I think the problem for me was I was doing a poor job of it....

Keith, thanks for your thoughts....its good to hear. We can get caught up in the technical aspects sometimes!

Alastair, I was so caught up in getting the comp on #2 that I forgot to try some with fill flash....it was not until I got home that I thought! Glad you like the portrait, I have a couple....... one was more posed. I decided on that shot because it was more candid and thought it showed more character!

Toad, thanks for taking the time to do some PSing (don't be sorry). I really like it well done....its one process I had thought of but I would have made it the whole pic. I like how you have masked out the subject.

I went to this area to take some shots of different subjects........it funny how sometimes something else presents itself.

Thanks again to all.

[Schellamo]

Thanks for sharing the portrait shot of him, it looks great! I agree, the three together make a great series!

[shuttertalk]

Nice work Russt... it must have been hard getting the exposure right, because the background would have tended to blow out. Maybe a job for HDR?

I sorta like #1 for the foreground because you can see him "in action", whereas I like #2 for the background, because it actually looks like the painting he's creating. If only you could somehow combine the two...

[Petographer]

Very nice photos Russ. I spent a little time looking at your shots before I decided to post. One major thing I might have done differently with these is used fill flash. Also the point of view you chose in the 1st image doesn't reflect the landscape the artist is actually painting as the 2nd does. In the 1st he is signing his name to his painting in the 2nd he has finished and is overlooking his creation. This is why I would have liked to see both from the same perspective.

[Russt]

Schell, thanks and I'm glad you you like them...........next time I do one like this I will put them together

ST,..........aint it always the way

Peto, I appreciate your comments and agree...........cheers

thanks again to all

[wulinka]

Toad, I really like that! nice job.