Miserable

[dubaiphil]

And this guy asked for his photograph to be taken!

I'm not sure on this one. I normally like to get a bit of separation between subject and background. Busy backgrounds don't bother me because where I usually shoot clutter cannot be avoided and sometimes adds to the image for context, but I was in a processing quandary with this shot.


35mm, f5.6

[Mike Buckley]

I like this one in all aspects better than the other one. There is just enough blur in the background around his head to provide ample separation while retaining enough detail to provide an interesting environmental portrait.

[gcowan]

Hi Phil,
I like this. I don't see a problem with the separation between subject and background. I see it as an integrated image of person and environment.
Did you take this with a view to monochrome?
Graham

[dubaiphil]

Hi Graham - I took this with a view to B&W, as with all scenes around the markets here for consistency. That's due to the fact that some backgrounds are far too colourful and distracting.

[dubaiphil]

Thanks Mike - I did a little work in layers on this one

[Mark von Kanel]

Phil, this works very well. When i first looked at it i agreed that the separation wasnt enough but when you look at it a little closer and concentrate on the subject seems to pop out at you. Nice image well done.

[AB26]

Hi Phil,

You say he asked to be photographed. I guess he also wanted to be pictured in the environment he is working in. Maybe you are not perfectly happy, but he probably is. This to me would be the most important aspect, to keep the “client” happy. You surely captured him in his working environment and to the viewer the image tells a story.

If you separated him from the background he would have been separated from his working environment. Don’t think that is what he would have wanted. So, the shot works very well.

[rpcrowe]

I like this image very much. The background really adds to the feeling of the venue. It's not. IMO, really a background, but rather an integral part of the image...

Sometimes when we see a person like this, we may tend to judge his life in comparison to our lifestyles and it is easy to feel sorry for the subject.

However, often when compared to the lifestyles in his original country, he many not feel so badly off after-all...

[djg05478]

I don't know how you pulled it off but well done. [Note to self: Busy backgrounds are not completely out of the question]

[dubaiphil]

Thanks everyone - he was just tired after a very early start to his day and unloading the vehicle in the market. He did break a smile later