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Captain Nicolas

A friend of mine, photographer and native from Bretagne, the land of sailormen...

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EDIT : new and more natural version
 
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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I do like the red scarf but it's quite strong and does it overpower him, especially since his eyes are somewhat hidden by his glasses. The knot of the scarf makes for a great feature of interest. I'd have expected wilder her, but, of course, elegant gentlemen are sea captains too! Would this be better in B&W? One would have the strength and interest of the scarf but the facial feature might hold their own better. What do you think?

I can imagine him on a mast of a ship looking at the horizon! What boat does he sail or is it a motor vessel? By coincidence, our own Nicolas, Nicolas Claris, is not only an ex-sea captain devoted to nautical architecture and photography of the ships at sea, but also was a boat builder too.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Cedric,

Just to let you know that I like this portrait.

Asher, I actually think that the red scarf makes the portrait stronger, IMO. :)

Cheers,
 
Hi Cem and Asher,

Actually, this friend is NOT a captain, it's just a nickname due to his living place, Bretagne. ;)

I have volunteerly increased red tones to give scarf more presence and, as Cem noticed, it is stronger.

I tried B&W version too but i haven't been convinced as it was quite soft and dark...

Thank for your comments !

Cedric.
 

Ben Jones

New member
Critique.

For a snapshot it is nice. For a "natural light portrait" it is lacking in several areas. The 1-1-1 pose is not very exciting. The busy background is distracting. The main light (sunshine) is too specular and not at a pleasing angle on his face. Lastly the lighting ratio is too strong for the pose this gentleman is in. I get an "R" reading in Info in Photoshop above his right eye of 248 and an "R" reading of 120 on the shadow side of his face. This means there is approximately four stops difference between the two. A lighting ratio of this magnitude (about 1 to 8) is acceptable in some images provided the lighting accentuates the features of the subject. I don't find this the case here.

I will post an image with a 1 to 8 ratio (approximately) entitled "Paris" in the Studio, Portrait, Still Life, Lighting Equipment and Technique forum.

Benji
 
Hi Ben,

Let me say that i absolutely not agree with your way of making photography... Your light analysis in particular is wrong... Light and centered pose are indeed classical, because linked to the idea of a captain watching the horizon and the sea, as in old painted portraits. Colors treatment goes in this way too. Ah... lastly... it's a street shot. ;)

Regards,

Cedric.
 

Ben Jones

New member
Hi Ben,

Let me say that i absolutely not agree with your way of making photography... Your light analysis in particular is wrong... Light and centered pose are indeed classical, because linked to the idea of a captain watching the horizon and the sea, as in old painted portraits. Colors treatment goes in this way too. Ah... lastly... it's a street shot. ;)

Regards,

Cedric.

A sea captain watching the horizon is fine, but there is no horizon or sea in this image.

Ben
 
Hum... do you know things like "second degré" or imagination ? It's an allusive picture, based on mood and title. It's not a very good picture, so i won't defend it much more, but you lack of imagination dear friedn, too much numerical analysis of pictures maybe ? :D
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Critique.

For a snapshot it is nice. For a "natural light portrait" it is lacking in several areas. The 1-1-1 pose is not very exciting. The busy background is distracting. The main light (sunshine) is too specular and not at a pleasing angle on his face. Lastly the lighting ratio is too strong for the pose this gentleman is in. I get an "R" reading in Info in Photoshop above his right eye of 248 and an "R" reading of 120 on the shadow side of his face. This means there is approximately four stops difference between the two. A lighting ratio of this magnitude (about 1 to 8) is acceptable in some images provided the lighting accentuates the features of the subject. I don't find this the case here.

I will post an image with a 1 to 8 ratio (approximately) entitled "Paris" in the Studio, Portrait, Still Life, Lighting Equipment and Technique forum.

Benji

Benji,

I think you misread what you are looking at. I travel extensively and take in at least 20 exhibitions a year. Cedric Massoulier is one of the most significant new photographers I have seen from Europe and come to know, in the past three years.

His work is certainly not beyond reproach but appears to be beyond your reach. It is ludicrous to take measurements on the face here and say it is poorly lit. This is street photograph and one cannot alter the angle of the sun or the time of day. Henri Bresson didn't position people or stage the shot. This is not a picture for a school album.

Most photographers here would benefit from going back to review each and every photo Cedric Massoulier has posted here on OPF. Each of us would learn something. To measure and compare the brightness of two areas of the face and announce it's off by 4 stops is an irrelevant description here. Imagine this: I would, (with my limited knowledge of the French language), take a page of Sartre and tell us he should not have use the word, "est" (unless I really am Bertrand Russel escaped from my grave, awke from the dead and reincarnated).

En Français aussi:

Je crois que vous mal lisez que vous regardez. Je voyage abondamment et prends à au moins 20 expositions par an. Cedric Massoulier est un des nouveaux photographes les plus significatifs que j'ai vus de l'Europe dans les trois ans passés.

La plupart des photographes ici profiteraient de retourner réexaminer chaque et chaque photo La plupart des photographes profiteraient ici de retourner réexaminer chaque et chaque photo Cedric Massoulier a posté ici sur OPF. On apprendrait quelque chose. Pour mesurer et comparer l'éclat de deux secteurs du visage et annonce le c'est de par 4 arrêts est une description sans valeur ici. S'imaginer ceci : Je, (avec ma connaissance limitée de la langue française), prends une page de Sartre et nous dit il ne devrait pas avoir l'usage le mot, « est » (à moins que je suis vraiment Bertrand Russel s'est échappé de ma tombe, éveiller du mort et réincarné).

Son travail est bien sûr pas au-delà du reproche, mais a l'air d'être au-delà de votre portée. Il est ridicule de prendre des mesures sur le visage ici et dire qu'il est pauvrement allumé. C'est la photographie de la rue et on ne peut pas changer l'angle du soleil ou du temps de jour. Henri Bresson n'a pas placé les gens ou arrange l'angle de la lumière. Ce n'est pas une peinture pour un album scolaire.

 
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Ben Jones

New member
This is an age old disagreement-if photography an art form then anything goes. An image that is five stops over exposed and out of focus in my mind is worthless, but to the one who captured the image it is a work of "art." Others may also see it as art.

I see Cedric's image as a snapshot and not a very good one at that. Others who are apparantly more artistic than myself see a great shot. On the other hand Cedric saw my portrait of Paris as "not interesting" centered, emotionless and unnatural." He was the only one who saw it that way however.

Perhaps I can make everyone happy by leaving and then every time someone posts an image they can expect a huge pat on the back, a high five, a good job and they can tell each other what great photographers they are. Without a critic everyone will be quite happy!

Ben
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
This is an age old disagreement-if photography an art form then anything goes. An image that is five stops over exposed and out of focus in my mind is worthless, but to the one who captured the image it is a work of "art." Others may also see it as art.

I see Cedric's image as a snapshot and not a very good one at that.

Ben,


You have no experience of all the many photographs Cedric has shown here. That's the position from which his work should be viewed. Cedric photography is, to a considerable extent, social commentary or posing of questions. There's no documentation nor celebration.

In your own pictures of young students in school, it's totally different! Everyone knows what the picture should look like as there are standards and expectations. Similarly the pageant scene demands the glittery image you have made. It fits. In dong so you are using a whole different set of considerations that do not apply to work that is dealing with feelings, ideas and questions about our society. Cedric's work could, in some cases, be only a little above pure black and I would not protest. Such s the difference in the parameters that matter.

For this reason, you might best focus on work like yours, pictures of people representing how they wish to be seen. You see, the sort of art Cedric does is not approachable with the rulers your hold to it. That means it's perhaps better not to comment until you are up to speed and comfortable with the world of more abstract thinking in photography that is not necessarily about what is shown. Otherwise, I have to spend a lot of time explaining in English and French what's wrong!

Asher


Ben,

Vous n'avez aucune expérience de tout nombreux de photographies que Cedric a montré ici. C'est la position dont son travail devrait être vu. La photographie de Cedric est, à une mesure considérable, un commentaire social ou le fait de poser de questions. Il n'y a aucune documentation, ni célébration.

Dans vos propres photos de jeunes étudiants dans l'école, c'est complètement différent! Chacun sait que la peinture devrait ressembler comme il y a des normes et des attentes. De la même façon la scène de spectacle historique demande l'image brillée que vous avez faite. Il va. Dans le dong donc vous utilisez un différent ensemble entier des considérations qui ne font pas une demande au travail qui s'occupe des sentiments, les idées et les questions à propos de notre société. Le travail de Cedric pourrait, dans certains cas, être seulement un peu au-dessus du noir pur et je ne protesterais pas. Un tel s la différence dans les paramètres que la question.

 
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