Does This Work ?

[James Lemon]

 

[Asher Kelman]

Good grab, Jim!

Can you pull back on his hair and sweater to get more detail, or did you make it high key like that and sacrifice the detail by intent.

Not a matter of anything being wrong.

Asher

 

[Tom Dinning]

It's working to give me a bit of a headache, James. Asher is on the money with the whites. Too much to really serve any purpose. There are some interesting little features in the frame that might raise some curiosity, like the split in texture of the metal grid and the arrow leading out of the picture. The mirroring of the shadows might be stronger if the blokes shadow was a little rounder. You should have yelled out to him to cross his legs and pull in his elbows. Maybe we are not quite seeing enough to feel the height either. Maybe a little less emphasis on the bloke and more on the space around him might give us a better view.

 

[Jerome Marot]

For me it works. The composition is interesting with the four elements (man, sign shadow, arrow and large stain on the ground) leading the eye around and smaller elements (lighter line on the top, small dark stains, lines delimiting the white tiles) adding just a bit of change to render it more interesting. It is a very good thing that you cut the arrow just there by the frame to change its shape into a T.

As to the burned highlights, I find it tells me that the day was hot under a scorching sun and therefore helps to tell the story.

 

[Asher Kelman]

..................

As to the burned highlights, I find it tells me that the day was hot under a scorching sun and therefore helps to tell the story.

Jerome,

An important point!

Like the use of a grey card at sunset and one loses the magic! Still, for the scorching mid day sun, the tight position of the dark shadow and a spot of blown out white might be sufficient??

Asher

 

[Rob Naylor]

I have looked at this a few times, and I am intrigued as to why there are double shadows? It seems to indicate two light sources, but how can this be, unless of course this was taken on "Tatooine"

 

[Jerome Marot]

Still, for the scorching mid day sun, the tight position of the dark shadow and a spot of blown out white might be sufficient??

"Sufficient" is not the question. The question is "what kind of feeling does James want to produce in the viewer and how can the picture do that?".

 

[James Lemon]

Good grab, Jim!

Can you pull back on his hair and sweater to get more detail, or did you make it high key like that and sacrifice the detail by intent.

Not a matter of anything being wrong.

Asher

Thank you Asher ! Yes the blown highlights are part of the image. Although it was not my intent at the time when the image was taken and became part of the image during processing .

 

[James Lemon]

It's working to give me a bit of a headache, James. Asher is on the money with the whites. Too much to really serve any purpose. There are some interesting little features in the frame that might raise some curiosity, like the split in texture of the metal grid and the arrow leading out of the picture. The mirroring of the shadows might be stronger if the blokes shadow was a little rounder. You should have yelled out to him to cross his legs and pull in his elbows. Maybe we are not quite seeing enough to feel the height either. Maybe a little less emphasis on the bloke and more on the space around him might give us a better view.

Thank you for your thoughts Tom. The metal grating is interesting like you say. Try looking at it through a pair of sunglasses in low light with some Advil . I shot this through a storefront window located on the second floor of a building. I used a 50 mm lens and the image is not cropped. So what you see is how I framed it.

 

[James Lemon]

For me it works. The composition is interesting with the four elements (man, sign shadow, arrow and large stain on the ground) leading the eye around and smaller elements (lighter line on the top, small dark stains, lines delimiting the white tiles) adding just a bit of change to render it more interesting. It is a very good thing that you cut the arrow just there by the frame to change its shape into a T.

As to the burned highlights, I find it tells me that the day was hot under a scorching sun and therefore helps to tell the story.

Thanks a million very much appreciated! I liked the image for its abstract nature and simplicity but your insight regarding the scorching sun is a good key and helps to pull it together for me.

 

[James Lemon]

I have looked at this a few times, and I am intrigued as to why there are double shadows? It seems to indicate two light sources, but how can this be, unless of course this was taken on "Tatooine"

Thank you for your feedback Rob . I not sure I understand your question. Are you referring to the difference in tonal contrast of the mans shadow ?

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

I can also see two shadows of the man James. One will be due to the sun, the other one must be caused by another light source in the vicinity of the sun since the shadows are overlapping a lot. Was there a reflection of sorts? How does it look in colour? The street lamp/sign's shadow is not double, which makes it curious.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I think there's a white building across the road perhaps!

Asher

 

[Rob Naylor]

Thank you for your feedback Rob . I not sure I understand your question. Are you referring to the difference in tonal contrast of the mans shadow ?

Sorry for my confusing comment James.

I do see two distinct shadows to the man, see the triangle of light (formed by the space between the mans arm and his body) there are two of differing sizes, this suggests two light sources, this for me is intriguing as the light sources appear to be very close together and of equal strength.

The "Tatooine" comment was a reference to the planet in Star Wars which has two suns <grin>

 

[James Lemon]

I can also see two shadows of the man James. One will be due to the sun, the other one must be caused by another light source in the vicinity of the sun since the shadows are overlapping a lot. Was there a reflection of sorts? How does it look in colour? The street lamp/sign's shadow is not double, which makes it curious.

Sorry for my confusing comment James.

I do see two distinct shadows to the man, see the triangle of light (formed by the space between the mans arm and his body) there are two of differing sizes, this suggests two light sources, this for me is intriguing as the light sources appear to be very close together and of equal strength.

The "Tatooine" comment was a reference to the planet in Star Wars which has two suns <grin>

I really can't explain the lighting. I shot it through a second floor window.I think their was a type of corrugated metal on the building behind him causing the sun to bounce back towards him. I don't know how it looks in color Cem because I strictly shoot Black and white.

Thank you both for your interest. I hope this helps to answer your questions.

 

[Asher Kelman]

James,

Do you have your LCD set to b&W or are you using film? I couldn't tell from the file as the EXIF data is empty!

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

James,

Do you have your LCD set to b&W or are you using film? I couldn't tell from the file as the EXIF data is empty!

Asher

I shoot with a Leica Monochrome . The lens used 50 mm / 1.4 summilux but it now sits in a drawer and I now use the 50mm APO Summicron 2.0 ASPH this Lens was built for this camera .

 

[Asher Kelman]

I shoot with a Leica Monochrome . The lens used 50 mm / 1.4 summilux but it now sits in a drawer and I now use the 50mm APO Summicron 2.0 ASPH this Lens was built for this camera .

You have impeccable taste. I have only tried the M8 and was impressed with the Summicron 3.0 ASPH, a lense that one can almost shoot directly into the sun with little to no flare!

So do you also carry with you a set of color filters?

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

You have impeccable taste. I have only tried the M8 and was impressed with the Summicron 3.0 ASPH, a lense that one can almost shoot directly into the sun with little to no flare!

So do you also carry with you a set of color filters?

Asher

I have only entertained the idea of using colored filters but this is a good reminder to explore this avenue more thoroughly.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I have only entertained the idea of using colored filters but this is a good reminder to explore this avenue more thoroughly.

James,

Given that different colors of the same luminescence can look the same in B&W, color filters really help bring out the drama of so many landscapes, skies and portraits!

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

James,

Given that different colors of the same luminescence can look the same in B&W, color filters really help bring out the drama of so many landscapes, skies and portraits!

Asher

The camera sees colors differently at different color temperatures.