Having a Smoke

[Ollokot]

Hi Folks,
Your thoughts and comments would be most welcome on this image, Best Wishes, Pat

[MilT0s]

This is a powerful portrait Pat. I like it a lot.

Some quick suggestion to consider in PP:

- I think it is a bit underexposured (but probably you like it this way)
- I can see noise in the background you can reduce
- You can easily remove this distracting thing on the upper left corner
- The eyes are not evenly lit. You can brighten the left one a little
- You can soften the noise shadow a bit

Probably better suggestions will follow from the portrait masters of the forum.

[Donald]

Have sat looking at this for ages trying to assess what is the little thing that was niggling me, because the post is great, the lighting is wonderful and, to all intents and purposes, it is, I think, a very fine image.

The one point I'd raise for consideration is .................

The light on the hand is just magnificent and that, I'm sure, is a contributory factor to the hand 'popping' in the image. In contrast, I feel the face is slightly flatter and I wonder of a small dose of Local Contrast Enhancement, just to give it a bit more 'bite' would improve an already very good image? One for debate?

[Mike Buckley]

I'm the farthest thing from a portrait specialist, but I like this image so much that I'll make a comment. In addition to the stuff the others have suggested, the hand seems to be the brightest part of the image when I think the face should be the brightest.

A trick Colin taught all of us recently: Shut your eyes. Think about anything other than this image. Once your mind is cleared of the image, open your eyes. What's the very first thing that you see? For me, it's the hand and I don't think that's what you want.

[rpcrowe]

Generally I like the image but also have problems with the hand. In particular, I have problems because the shadow on the subject's thumb is right in line with the neck of his sweater. When I first looked at it, I thought that the thumb was appearing from beneath the neck of the sweater, After a bit, I realized that the rest of his hand was in the shaow.

However, when I look at a portrait and am attracted by anything execept the face and eyes, it bothers me a bit.

[Cogito]

The comments so far say it all. Not sure about the glitch in the upper left - maybe you've edited the image?
I did however copy the obviously reduced image that you posted and gave it a bit more white clipping, black clipping, clarity, contrast and exposure and came up with this.....
http://tonysx.zenfolio.com/img/s4/v66/p1138265614-4.jpg
But the original image is excellent! But as others have commented, maybe a slight adjustment?

[Soozie B]

What a great photo. I hope this man is an Author, as the picture should be on the back of a book just above a bio :-)

[Ollokot]

Many thanks to you all for your informative and helpful comments. The main distraction for me is the shadow on the thumb, I will try a few small adjustments in pp.
The subject is in fact myself, an attempt at a self portrait.
Best Wishes, Pat.

[Mike Buckley]

I am absolutely blown away that this is a self-portrait. It's probably the best one I've ever seen. I've tried a few myself, finally gave up and asked my wife to shoot me.

[pnodrog]

Good strong image but I wonder how it would look if the highlights on the finger nails were toned down and the whites of the eyes lightened up very slightly - shifting the brightest tone to the eyes. Just a subtle shift but the eyes have it in a portrait.

[Ollokot]

Hi Folks, I done a few tweaks and would appreciate your comments as to whether the image is better, have I gone a tad to much with the eyes, Best Wishes, Pat

[AB26]

Hi Pat,
You can now frame it and hang it. It will draw attention.

[Mike Buckley]

Absolutely huge difference and well worth the trouble, especially considering that it was such a nice image to begin with.

Take a very close look at 100% at the entire background as someone mentioned earlier. You haven't gone to full black there and I think that's the look you are probably hoping to achieve.

[Donald]

Hi Folks, I done a few tweaks and would appreciate your comments as to whether the image is better,

Brilliant. That is now a cracker. Definitely the image to be used on the cover of your autobiography, or on the programme cover for your next exhibition!

[pinakibaidya]

I like this pic very much.2nd one is even better after tweaking.

[darknight]

this is a lovely image, as is the way, the only thing i would change in the first one is the lighting on the thumb, i would leave the eyes as they were.
not wanting to be stereo typical, but as soon as i saw this image i thought it must be irish/scottish, it just for me has that look about it, a very striking image i like a lot, congrats

[Polar01]

Now comes the real fun, what do we print it on. Do we go with the Hahnemuhle 308 photo rag one of my favorite, which will give it a rich deep texiture with the slight off white, that I think would go well with it. Maybe a new one I quite light the Epson Hot Press Birght, again another stock which I find gives a rich deepness to an image, it is smoother and a brighter white than the Hahnumuhle, but I am finding that I am really liking it. Or maybe the Epson Exhibition Fibre which is smooth and very bright, which cojuld work here as it will give a good contrast between the dark and white areas of the image. I use it sometimes for B&W as the image appears to me to be too deep into the paper and needs to come out (I do not know it that makes sense to you, however it works for me to explain it)
Oh did I say that I love the 1st image and adore the second one.

Cheers:

Allan

[IvorJRoberts]

I probably would agree with the comments below, but my first, and still impressions, I like it.

[pnodrog]

The eyes are as light as you can go but if you had not seen the first version I do not think anyone would think they are to light. The second version works for me.