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La serveuse

nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
In a very recent thread (http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9349) Kathy has posted a nicely made portrait of a young blue eyed little girl.
This portrait did move some of our guys here, so I felt I could post here a shot made some days ago while I was shooting a cocktail after a regatta…
The maid was nice and kind enough to let me take thes shots.

The maid… La serveuse :


_45R2120_IJFR.jpg




_45R2246_IJFR.jpg




These are Instant Jpeg extracted from Raw made from raws with Michael Tapes free utility…
I did just a resize and slight sharpening.
 
Last edited:
Cem_Usakligil

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Nicolas,

She has such an intense pair of eyes, it hits one right in the face, wow!
Was the first one posed or candid? Did you shoot more? A very interesting face and very nice pictures, thanks for showing.

Cheers,
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
The maid… La serveuse :


_45R2120_IJFR.jpg

​

Nicolas,

It's so good when you share pictures of the folk around you. Cem surprised me with a picture of a lady running through a flooded walkway designed for that purpose. It's right near you! That's a great site to collect pictures! Maybe you could shoot more there?

I like this first one. The electric blue eyes and the array of glasses make the picture. The strong eyes (sharpened no doubt by your special technique) are riveting! These are counterbalanced by the huge array of shiny empty glasses. One could give her a large bold hat with a huge brim and a Paris Haute couture Suit and she would carry it off with panache, just the clothing swap. In fact, that would be marvelous.

Asher

The second picture is a tad too clinical for me. For that, I'd wait for another drink and the sun to set and it would be fine!
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Merci Cem, Kathy and Asher

1st pic is candid, 2nd was a shot in an instant while I asked her "where did you get these eyes from?" she answered "From Argentina…" shutter click.

@Asher:
no special sharpening technique, just an overall slight 100/0.5/0
I'd like all gals to be as clinical has her ;-)
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Ok
In the original post I wrote:
These are Instant Jpeg extracted from Raw made from raws with Michael Tapes free utility…
I did just a resize and slight sharpening.
Click to expand...

As Asher found the 2nd pic too "clinical", I went back to the raw file in Capture One and then some PP in CS4…

_45R2246_V2.jpg
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nicolas Claris said:
Ok
In the original post I wrote:


As Asher found the 2nd pic too "clinical", I
Click to expand...
went back to the raw file in Capture One and then some PP in CS4…



_45R2246_IJFR.jpg
_45R2246_V2.jpg




Nicolas Claris "La Serveuse" as developed using the Michael Tapes "JPG Extractor" and then in Capture One​

Nicolas,

This means anything is possible, after all!

I like your gentler presentation in the Capture One. In real life we do not stare at peoples skin texture unless one is a a dermatologist, surgeon or makeup artist. The camera does not know these social rules and so is rather too documentary or as I say, "clinical"!

Aside: Some major stars have their own team specify choice softening filters for an interview. One sees that when they switch to another camera for another person and the background is then softer at the same magnification.
​

You resisted your extensive correction skills, so there is no artificiality evident. The smooth marble look is fine for Vogue but not real people! This is a lady who would be nice to chat with and be good company. You have kept that ambience. I would have like more of her left shoulder, as in the original to keep the balance in the composition.

This, was the last thing I expected today! What a surprise. Now I can enjoy La Serveuse up and close and personal. Delightful!

A tiny tad of your sharpening to her lips to balance those powerful eyes would add the magic for a possible twilight kiss .

Asher
 
K

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Wow Nicolas! That lady has quite an arresting set of headlights! Coupled with her dark complexion and pulled-back hair she strikes quite a figure. Personally, I like the core of your first image the best. Her head angle and her posture are terrific. There's also something ethereal about he standing in front of that sea of stemware! There has to be a wonderful studio opportunity there! (Yeah, I know, if she's not floating you don't shoot her. ;-) )

Doesn't this lady remind anyone of Steve McCurry's iconic image of that Afghan girl?
green-eye-afghan-girl-national-geographic.jpg
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Ken Tanaka said:
Wow Nicolas! That lady has quite an arresting set of headlights! .......
Doesn't this lady remind anyone of Steve McCurry's iconic image of that Afghan girl?
Click to expand...
green-eye-afghan-girl-national-geographic.jpg



Ken,

You may have hit on something that is there for all of us without us realizing it!

I felt there was something boosting the pictures impression on me and yes, this might be the part of our consciousness that has become an integral member of the compendium of searing symbols we help to measure things with.

Notice her right eye is so well defined with the concentric so strongly written concentric circles of the iris and pupil, while her left eye merely follow, but is pulled all the way to the nasal margin to do so. She has us locked in her view by her eye movements when a slight turn of her head to her right would have wiped away this iconic look.

Asher
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Ken Tanaka said:
Wow Nicolas! That lady has quite an arresting set of headlights! Coupled with her dark complexion and pulled-back hair she strikes quite a figure. Personally, I like the core of your first image the best. Her head angle and her posture are terrific. There's also something ethereal about he standing in front of that sea of stemware! There has to be a wonderful studio opportunity there! (Yeah, I know, if she's not floating you don't shoot her. ;-) )

Doesn't this lady remind anyone of Steve McCurry's iconic image of that Afghan girl?
Click to expand...

Hi Ken
thanks for stoping by…
I do also prefer the 1st one, although the background is not realy good… but these 2 pics were just candid snaps taken on the fly as I was shooting the party…
She was not shy at all (how could that be with such headlights!?!) and we may be felt something like conniving as we were both on the same side of the party (serving/doing our job as others were enjoying their Sangria or Moritos)…
She wasn't floating, but beleive me she made quite a lot of males floating around!
Definitively, she "had something"…

What is interesting to me with your comparison of the beautifull Afghan girl is that beyond their sights, they wear beauty, despite their completely different situation in life…
A kind of spirit for presence that is more than striking…

Thanks to have shown us this -sometimes forgoten- power of envy for life.
 
Charlotte Thompson

Charlotte Thompson

Well-known member
Nicolas

I love the first shot the best of all of them
what I find so interesting is that you have given me an overall idea of your surroundings
the people-the place etc. so beautiful- I would have loved to have been there- Is this in France?
the maid "has it going on"
she is stunning
you have caught her in my opinion "in the place and time"
I think what I see that you have caught is "contentment" it is in her eyes-

Charlotte-
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Bonsoir Charlotte
yes she seemed to be happy to be there and have a work…

This was shot last Saturday in a small marina 10 km from Palma de Majorca in the Balearic Islands (East of Spain).
 
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