Results 1 to 9 of 9

Self Portrait - Angst

This is a discussion on Self Portrait - Angst within the Critiques forums, part of the Photography & Fine art photography category; My first self portrait taken a few years ago when I grew a full beard. (I don't look at all ...

  1. #1
    Marko's Avatar
    Marko is offline Administrator
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Montreal, QC. Canada
    Posts
    14,870
    My Photos
    Please do NOT edit my photos
    Critiques
    Critique my photos anywhere in the forum

    Default Self Portrait - Angst

    My first self portrait taken a few years ago when I grew a full beard. (I don't look at all like this today). I deliberately underexposed the shot by about 3-4 stops and I used High speed film to get the grain. I don't know why I was trying to portray this emotion, but I was trying to portray 'Angst'.

    All comments appreciated!

    Thanks
    Marko
    Attached Images Attached Images  


  2. #2
    tegan is offline Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    948

    Default

    Well, you are a good actor and the concept of cross lighting is effective but the execution of that lighting presents problems.

    The old cliché still applies that "the eyes are mirrors of the soul', which makes them a required part of any portrait. You have your key light but no fill at all, which leaves one eye not present at all and the other with a very little bit of detail, in a dark shadow. The trick to using shadows is to make sure that even with the shadows present, that they do not hide important detail. I think for example of some of the low light portraits that Karsh did of Hemmingway and Churchill for example.

    You got some creases in the forehead for example which certainly got across the angst and were lit very well, but I am sure that you missed a lot in the shadow areas. The piece of beard shows great texture and sharpness from the lighting too, but a lot of the beard is missing in the shadow areas as well. You are missing a thumb too. Leaving very much at all to the imagination in any media-oriented art form is considered a weakness by those who evaluate and/or buy our work.

    Tegan
    Last edited by tegan; 03-28-2007 at 01:57 PM.

  3. #3
    gibbon is offline Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    58

    Default

    Really good shot. I think this is an unusual shot that is very powerful. If you changed the lighting you would change the whole mood so I would leave it alone. I agree that normally you should see the eyes, but not always. Rules are made to be broken.

  4. #4
    tegan is offline Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    948

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gibbon
    Rules are made to be broken.
    Not, when following them can produce an even more effective photo with a stronger mood.

    Tegan

  5. #5
    Ludi is offline Junior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Berlin, Germany
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by marko
    My first self portrait taken a few years ago when I grew a full beard. (I don't look at all like this today). I deliberately underexposed the shot by about 3-4 stops and I used High speed film to get the grain. I don't know why I was trying to portray this emotion, but I was trying to portray 'Angst'.

    All comments appreciated!

    Thanks
    Marko
    Perfect light & shadow. Well done.

    Ludi

  6. #6
    kiley9806 is offline Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    AB Canada
    Posts
    731
    My Photos
    Please do NOT edit my photos

    Default

    this is cool - i like the fact you can see your hand near your face, and an 'almost' tear in your eye. great self photo!

  7. #7
    dmartins is offline Junior Member
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Berlin, Germany
    Posts
    10

    Thumbs up

    I must say...this is a really awesome shot!

    Dan

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    83

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tegan
    Not, when following them can produce an even more effective photo with a stronger mood.

    Tegan

    Agreed... There are sometimes that, while rules are meant to be broken, guidelines are there for a reason.

  9. #9
    Marko's Avatar
    Marko is offline Administrator
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Montreal, QC. Canada
    Posts
    14,870
    My Photos
    Please do NOT edit my photos
    Critiques
    Critique my photos anywhere in the forum

    Default

    Thanks again for recent comments on this photo.

    Even though I'm always open for ideas and critiques about my own work there are some phoos that I am inherently happy with and this is one of them.

    I am a HUGE fan of theatrical portraiture and I must start taking more shots!
    - Please connect with me further
    Photo tours of Montreal - Private photography courses
    - Join the new Photography.ca Facebook page
    - Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/markokulik
    - Follow me on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/111159185852360398018/posts
    - Check out the photography podcast


    "You have to milk the cow quite a lot, and get plenty of milk to get a little cheese." Henri Cartier-Bresson from The Decisive Moment.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36