Portrait of man reading green news

[Antonio Correia]

[Shadowman]

Nice effort, the green glare on the glasses is a bit distracting.

[Manfred M]

It's an interesting image and the look of concentration on the man's face gives the image strength and character.

What does not work well fro me are the way his hands are cropped, especially his right hand. It looks quite strange and not really all that much like a hand.

[mugge]

I like it well enough. How about getting rid of the right hand and also convert to black and white?
Cheers Ole

[Manfred M]

also convert to black and white?

Why? B&W is "out of fashion" in photography right now.

I have not seen any B&W shows in galleries with contemporary photography over the past few years, other than for historical works or historical techniques (for example, platinum prints or glass plate photographs). When I checked with photographers that show their work in galleries and when I talk to curators, I was able to confirm this is indeed the current trend.

[Antonio Correia]

Thank you all, for your comments.
This photo was taken inside a house where I was waiting for a doctor consultation.
The guy did not noticed I was taking his picture as it was in silent mode. I was not very careful because I was just 2 meters way from him. I think I would have noticed the green plant on the right side if I had been careful enough.
Well yes, those are only sad excuses for a poor shot. I admit it.

The green is very easy to fix on his glasses but I couldn't do it on the large area. Anyway, it was not worth it as the portrait is poor.
The his forehead looks a bit overexposed but...
I will try to do something better next time.

As it happens with all of us, some photographs don't work at all and we erase them but I decided to show this one.

Cheers !
Anyway, here is a black and white with a tad of sepia I often use

[Manfred M]

I find that this crop draws even more attention to the glare on the glasses and because it is so prominent, it is quite distracting.

[Antonio Correia]

You are too demanding Manfred !

[Manfred M]

you are too demanding manfred ! :d :d

[Donald]

Why? B&W is "out of fashion" in photography right now.

In Canada maybe. Certainly not in Europe.

[Antonio Correia]

In Canada maybe. Certainly not in Europe.

I do agree with Donald. Here in Portugal, it is in fashion.
In fact, I think it is an easier way to produce good and nice images as a lot of "problems" are quickly solved.

[Manfred M]

In Canada maybe. Certainly not in Europe.

I can't say about Europe, but it is certainly North America wide.

I would suspect that there are exceptions to the rule but I know one well known photographer who was looking for funding from some national level funding organizations for an exhibition he wanted to hold. B&W; no funding. Colour; no problem.

[Donald]

B&W; no funding. Colour; no problem.

That is interesting. Europe and North America tend to walk in tandem on things like this, but certainly it doesn't seem to be the case here. Maybe one is just catching up with the other.

I'm exhibiting in September with 7 other photographers under the auspices of Society of Scottish Landscape Photographers. Much to everyone else's horror and my delight, it was stipulated that everything in the exhibition had to be in B & W.

[Manfred M]

That is interesting. Europe and North America tend to walk in tandem on things like this, but certainly it doesn't seem to be the case here. Maybe one is just catching up with the other.

I'm exhibiting in September with 7 other photographers under the auspices of Society of Scottish Landscape Photographers. Much to everyone else's horror and my delight, it was stipulated that everything in the exhibition had to be in B & W.

Jim, the photographer who had the funding issues is someone who prefers to work in B&W so he is a bit disappointed that his preferred genre is out of fashion right now. He is a landscape photographer who specializes in shooting mountains and glaciers and his B&W work is stunning. But so his his colour work...

[lovelife65]

Why? B&W is "out of fashion" in photography right now.

I have not seen any B&W shows in galleries with contemporary photography over the past few years, other than for historical works or historical techniques (for example, platinum prints or glass plate photographs). When I checked with photographers that show their work in galleries and when I talk to curators, I was able to confirm this is indeed the current trend.

Who cares if it is "out of fashion", if it works better for an image? I don't think this photograph is going to any galleries.

[Jim A]

Why? B&W is "out of fashion" in photography right now.

I have not seen any B&W shows in galleries with contemporary photography over the past few years, other than for historical works or historical techniques (for example, platinum prints or glass plate photographs). When I checked with photographers that show their work in galleries and when I talk to curators, I was able to confirm this is indeed the current trend.

Fortunately, not here in New Zealand, Manfred. Perhaps my main strength is in B&W and I have done well in our National competitions. However, thinking about it, 2017 VG, 2018 VG, 2019 bombed out. I must check back!

[billtils]

Who cares if it is "out of fashion", if it works better for an image? I don't think this photograph is going to any galleries.

Well said Sharon

[Donald]

Who cares if it is "out of fashion", if it works better for an image?

It not so much a case of what works for an image, it's about what appeals to potential viewers. If it is for personal consumption, yep, I agree with your view. However, if you are trying to get a gallery owner interested in hanging your images, then if that gallery owner knows that people just want colour images and that is all he will exhibit, then it becomes rather an important point.

[Manfred M]

Who cares if it is "out of fashion", if it works better for an image? I don't think this photograph is going to any galleries.

Sharon - Some members will, especially if they are active in photo competitions and / or sell their work, especially in the fine art market. The other trend that was confirmed to me late last year is that the papers of choice in competitions seem to be the cotton rag papers and to some extent the baryta papers. The coated papers seem to be out of fashion as well.

Because photography is a creative endeavour, there will be trends and fashions, just like there are in architecture and in the fashion industry. There will be photographers at both ends of these trends; the leading edge will be criticized because the masses don't understand what they are doing and the trailing edge will be criticized because they are being recognized as working in genres that are no longer "in".

The Pictorialists (Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen were leading photographers of that style) were the leading style of photography from the 1880s through to the 1920s when they were displaced by the Modernists (Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, etc.). A lot of photographers, especially B&W ones were heavily influenced by their work. By the mid-1970's post-Modernism was in fashion (Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, for example) and they have a very strong influence on today's street photographers. Photographers are exploring all these styles; both consciously and subconsciously.

So while not everyone may care, Antonio's work is definitely at a level where he might care. Even for those who are bucking the trend and trying to explore different paths, it is still interesting to understand where the photography world is heading.

[Manfred M]

It not so much a case of what works for an image, it's about what appeals to potential viewers. If it is for personal consumption, yep, I agree with your view. However, if you are trying to get a gallery owner interested in hanging your images, then if that gallery owner knows that people just want colour images and that is all he will exhibit, then it becomes rather an important point.

And it's not just at galleries. Photographers have their images on display at many venues. There are quite a number of restaurants around town that cater to supporting the fine art photography community by displaying the works of local photographers and some pick up sales and recognition.

Right now I have my work on display at a community centre, at one of the branches of the City of Ottawa Library as well as at a activity / recreation centre. I'm not particularly interested in selling my work, but I was approached by these groups to display some of my works there.