Thursday, June 18, 2009

From Newborns to Senior Citizens

I don't know exactly why, but I did not enjoy photographing at Dickens on the Strand nearly as much as when we all went out to the Renaissance Festival a month or so before. Partly it was the urban environment versus the woods in Magnolia, partly the bright sun and deep shade in Galveston compared to the more open shade under the trees up north, and maybe it was shooting portaits at events like that just too close together for someone who isn't very confident of their skills. Whatever the reasons, this gentleman was the best I did that day. He was on his way to perform a wedding on the Strand but stopped long enough for me to shoot a few pictures. The bright red phone booth behind him was pretty out of character so I chose a sepia tint to blend it in more. Although I had my flash on a stick, I did not use it here...but can't remember why, it has been too long ago. That bright white square in his collar really bothers me but I tried to bring it down with a levels adjustment, it didn't work, then I tried burning it in and it just got brown in the center, so any suggestions?

Camera info: Nikon D200, 70 -200mm 2.8 VR lens at f2.8 and 1/350th, ISO 200, sunny whitebalance
Post processing: cloned out telephone and grafitti from inside the booth, Touch of Light on face, the Edge and Popsickle for sharpening and a final levels adjustment for global brightening.

2 comments:

  1. I like the shot as it is, white square and all. I suppose it possible that the white square is blown out a little but for my 2 cents worth it's not an issue.

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  2. You will be seeing my version of preacher next Tuesday.

    I like your selection of sepia. I think it fits his appearance. But, he does seem to be a little stiff and doesn't seem to have much of an expression. I think a play on this might have been for you to really go in that direction and make it look like one of those old time photos where they had a bar running down their backs to keep the subject still.

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