3 Environmental Portraits

[dubaiphil]

Occasionally I get lucky with light when I'm out on a photowalk.

I got lucky big time this morning, with 3 different guys in 3 different locations. Generally I like to process my colour shot, and then complete in black and white, but I like both versions with these. Unfortunately I had to crop the last one by 50%, as if I had moved him or got any closer I would have lost the light and moment.

Anyway, here are 3 sets - colour and b&w - C&C more than welcome:

1.col and 1.bw - 2/35 Distagon, f2.5, 1/50th, ISO1800






2.col and 2.bw - 2/35 Distagon, f3.2, 1/100th, ISO2000






3.col and 3.bw - 2/35 Distagon, f8, 1/50th, ISO720, 50% crop

[Mike Buckley]

Really nice images, as usual. What is creating the interesting light on the man's face in the first one? Fire from a furnace or stove? There's something about the second one that I can't put my finger on that the black-and-white version loses the vibrant nature of the skin tones.

(While writing that last sentence, I learned that Firefox, Word and some online dictionaries think "vibrance" is not a word; they apparently think it should not be used interchangeably with "vibrancy." Tell photographers that!)

[dubaiphil]

Thanks Mike

#1 is lit by the daylight at the end of the 8ft wide alleyway - around 30ft away

#2 is lit by daylight left and right at the end of the alleyway - around 30ft and 50ft away

#3 is lit straight on with diffuse early morning light through an entrance over my right shoulder

[Sergio M.]

Occasionally I get lucky with light when I'm out on a photowalk.

Phil, it might have been luck to find these three gentleman to photograph, but the resulting images are all skill.

Great photos.

Serge

[Shadowman]

Color works best in the first photograph, black and white for the second and third.

[rpcrowe]

Phil, I like them all - B&W and color just about equally. You are doing a great job in documenting the workers of Dubai,,,

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Phil,

My thoughts are;

#1 Prefer colour, but I am distracted by the items on left and the tape on door behind him.

#2 Like both colour and B&W equally.

#3 Prefer colour, love the lighting of his features, this is also my favourite of the three subjects

Cheers,

[dubaiphil]

Phil, it might have been luck to find these three gentleman to photograph, but the resulting images are all skill.

Great photos.

Serge

Thanks, Serge!

[dubaiphil]

Phil, I like them all - B&W and color just about equally. You are doing a great job in documenting the workers of Dubai,,,

Thanks Richard!

[dubaiphil]

Hi Phil,

My thoughts are;

#1 Prefer colour, but I am distracted by the items on left and the tape on door behind him.

#2 Like both colour and B&W equally.

#3 Prefer colour, love the lighting of his features, this is also my favourite of the three subjects

Cheers,

Thanks - I might try to crop #1 a little - cloning out the trolley might be tricky.

#2 was a simple background with no distractions, so I'm happy with that.

#3 was a crop of a crop. There are lots of possibilities with this image. The original SOOC shot had lots of background distractions - I'll have to post it. Plus there was an electrical cable over his left shoulder, which was easy to remove. I have to shoot these guys as I find them as otherwise I lose the pose and light, so its a tough call that I have to make do with. His hands were crossed over his knees, which were out of focus and much closer to the lens than his head and shoulders, so I just had to shoot to crop.