Faces of Mt Bromo

[teokf]

The beautiful faces of the people in Mt Bromo, East Java. The lines on their faces have many stories to tell.

1.
Faces of Mt Bromo by teokf, on Flickr

2.
Faces of Mt Bromo by teokf, on Flickr

3.
Faces of Mt Bromo by teokf, on Flickr

4.
Faces of Mt Bromo by teokf, on Flickr

[MariaMaria]

Awesome captures! #1 is my favorite

[deetheturk]

Nice series Steven!

[Jeffbridge]

Very nice series. I really like the first one. Well done

[Stagecoach]

Interesting series Steven, there's sure some stories there to be told.

[John 2]

That's a beauiful series Steven.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[Downrigger]

So very much to enjoy and admire in these. Really makes me want to get on with trying people instead of landscapes and critters. Hard to know how to start. Any tips?

[teokf]

Awesome captures! #1 is my favorite

thank you Maria, glad that you like one of it

[teokf]

Nice series Steven!

thanks David, hope your "stars" are shining bright over your side of the world 8)

[teokf]

Very nice series. I really like the first one. Well done

Jeff, thanks for the compliments, looks like the first pix is the favourite

[teokf]

That's a beauiful series Steven.

thank you John

[teokf]

Interesting series Steven, there's sure some stories there to be told.

Including those without the lines, they have care free stories

[teokf]

Really makes me want to get on with trying people instead of ... landscapes and critters. Hard to know how to start. Any tips?

Mark, you should!
To start with, use a prime lens if you have one. And do not use a long zoom. The reasoning are;

1. you are "forced" to interact with the people whom you want to shoot. This will eventually remove the uneasiness you feel about approaching strangers. You will be surprised that many people do not mind that they are being photographed.
2. a short prime lens would allow you to shoot fast as many of those moments are only for a short while.
For eg the #4 pix of the two young girls. They were shy and would not respond to my conversation. Every time I lift my camera either one of them would turn their head away. So, to "catch" them. I photographed a cow that was tied about 90 degrees from them. While shooting the cow, I had them in my sight. The moment I saw the older was "piggy backing" the little girl and about to stand (which I knew they would not have much opportunity to turn their faces away) I turned around, composed, focused, pressed the shutter all at the same time. This is the only useable shot I have of them.
3. Lastly, go out and start shooting. Be aware of the direction of the light.
Hope this helps

[bnnrcn]

Very nice series Steven , my best is #1 too

[teokf]

Very nice series Steven , my best is #1 too

Thanks Binnur

[Manfred M]

Great people shots Steven. I suspect that the B&W conversions are likely better than the original colour ones. I think that you captured the hard life these people probably lead very well.

It looks like you were really fighting with the harsh light on the first three shots though; the shadows are quite heavy and the shots are a bit contrastly for my liking. The second and third ones especially look like they could use a heavy duty dose of fill light.

The lighting is much more diffuse in the fourth image, and I assume that you used a light vignette to reduce the impact of the background. I wonder why you didn't go a bit further as the dark areas around the heads are even more noticeable.

[teokf]

Great people shots Steven. I suspect that the B&W conversions are likely better than the original colour ones. I think that you captured the hard life these people probably lead very well.

It looks like you were really fighting with the harsh light on the first three shots though; the shadows are quite heavy and the shots are a bit contrastly for my liking. The second and third ones especially look like they could use a heavy duty dose of fill light.

The lighting is much more diffuse in the fourth image, and I assume that you used a light vignette to reduce the impact of the background. I wonder why you didn't go a bit further as the dark areas around the heads are even more noticeable.

Manfred, thank you for the detailed critiqued. Much appreciated. Life is hard for these people. Glad that you caught what I wanted to portray.

I generally prefer to use whatever light is available when I do street portraits. That being said, I do agree having a fill light, especially for the #2nd image would have been a better choice, but then there was no choice of having an off camera flash at that moment as the group was walking back to our hotel after a night of shooting the stars. Just had to depend on whatever PP skill I have which is still very much desired. For the #3rd image, it was done on purpose.

For the #4th image I was blessed with an over cast sky 8) as it was shot on a different day. Thanks for the comment on the vignette as I was thinking of re-processing the vignette.

Again, appreciate detailed critique.

[Manfred M]

Manfred, thank you for the detailed critiqued. Much appreciated. Life is hard for these people. Glad that you caught what I wanted to portray.

I generally prefer to use whatever light is available when I do street portraits. That being said, I do agree having a fill light, especially for the #2nd image would have been a better choice, but then there was no choice of having an off camera flash at that moment as the group was walking back to our hotel after a night of shooting the stars. Just had to depend on whatever PP skill I have which is still very much desired. For the #3rd image, it was done on purpose.

For the #4th image I was blessed with an over cast sky 8) as it was shot on a different day. Thanks for the comment on the vignette as I was thinking of re-processing the vignette.

Again, appreciate detailed critique.

You are quite right; in street photography, ambient light is usually the only light source, and one doesn't get the opportunity to do much else. I have used on-camera fill flash on some occasions, but this is definitely something I do very rarely.

I was more thinking along the lines of trying to soften some of the harsh shadows in post, but again there are limits as to at can be done there.

Regardless, very nice shots that bring out the personality of the subjects!