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Roger Cotgreave
{K:15892} 3/7/2004
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gee roger you got some good reviews on this one...that is the problem with the wide angle you are in their face to get a portrait but if you want to show what they are into then WA is good. The man on the bike was cropped it had a lot more in it and everything you said was right. I took it so I would get him against the sky and I was looking from a kids perspective, which you will see in the next I send up. With my wide angle I just nod at people while I take their shot and because it is digital I can show them, then I will take a few more while I talk to them....looks good by the way, roger
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Matej Maceas
{K:24381} 3/7/2004
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The alternative is almost the same, except that the left edge of the frame does not feature a man cut in half.
As for the blurring, in the version you attached it looks unnatural in two places: her finger which you have blurred together with the background, and the sudden jump from the sharp rear tables of the stall and the blurred background immediately beyond those tables. If you deal with these two problems, I think the blur will work well to focus the attention strongly on the lady. But I have to join Bertram in saying that I tend to appreciate it more when the focus control is done in-camera.
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Matej Maceas
{K:24381} 3/7/2004
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What a cool lady! Normally one would expect posed portraits to lose something of the person's real character, but here I think the opposite has happened. The lady looks so relaxed and amused and her pose has taken the photo to a whole new personal level.
The crop is an interesting problem. What I like about the one you have attached is the removal of the corner of the stall roof from above her head. I have come up with two alternative crops - not necessarily better, just different. Both have a 3:2 aspect ratio and retain more of the environment. The first one is my favourite of the two, because it places the lady in a compositionally better spot, and the stair railing in the upper right corner "closes in" the gaze of the woman on the poster.
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George Marks
{K:15437} 3/6/2004
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Finally.... you have some people ion a street shot. See? It just happens when it happens. I think your lens is just fine for this shot.
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The Armed Eye
{K:3563} 3/6/2004
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It's a nice and well done photo, Roger. I like it. If you want to use a w-a lens for people it's an additional challenge indeed for someone who starts new with this issue but worth while IMO because you show the people then as a part of the environment. And this is the more documentary style i suppose you to prefer same as I do. If this is right I would not blur the background, it's somehow looking not "true" with a w-a lens, don't know how I could explain it better.
Blurring background with PS is still one of those manipulations I am not very fond of, first of all because of it's often confusing impression. I LIKE more DOF for more environment and I also accept more than one story in a photo ! Yes, I do.
Read lately a Leica Guru's comment at LUG about a fellow's w-a people shot: "Hey what the hell are you doin' here !!? Concentrate !" Haha, nice folks there ;-)
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Murat Tanriover
{K:8387} 3/6/2004
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She is so sweet doing the victory sign. I love it, lovely shot.
Roger I might have different photos, but the point is not to get stuck in one thing. You can never improve yourself if you look at the world from the same angle continuously. You should always exceed yourself, then your angle would be broader to give you better ideas to come up with better things. I say things, because it is valid for the work being done in the world, not only in photography...Then you can always come back to what you like the best with more creative ideas, because you experienced the others. Plus it is always a big pleasure to look at all kind of good photograpy well done...Where does your photographer friend Loris live in Turkey? I would like to meet him one day. Regards...murattanriover@yahoo.com
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Jose Ignacio (Nacho) Garcia Barcia
{K:96391} 3/6/2004
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cong.marvelous pictures.
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Alex Hare
{K:698} 3/6/2004
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Roger, so glad you like my shot of the Helvetia, I know i've been surpassed by Sarah but she's really rubbing it in somewhat, so thanks for your support mate, it kept her quiet for a couple of seconds! Like you I'm a big fan of those portraits by that chap from Byron Bay (also called Roger). I think one of his secrets is that he does crop tightly on his subjects face but also, you never feel like his subjects have posed-they look entirely relaxed and natural in their surroundings. I'm no expert on this-I can't do it myself, but I think if you used some B+W film and caught some side lit faces that gave some texture to the face you'd have some really top notch portraits your self-use an 80mm lens. And no more posing people-take one when they pose then another sly one when they relax again-that'll be much better than the one they think they've just starred in!!! Regards, Alex
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Roger Williams
{K:86139} 3/6/2004
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Here's a tighter crop with some blurring of the background to try to concentrate on the lady herself rather than trying to include so much of the stall. We got into conversation and I found her daughter was just about to leave to go to England to study social work and that the stalls would all be closed down shortly. Otherwise I would have been back for more informal shots...
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