"From The Radio....!", a photo from Sichuan, Central

Photographer's Note

This kindly 85 year old ex-factory worker learnt his excellent English from the radio. Encountered in the antique and bric a brac market of Chengdu he adopted me for a while as unofficial guide and interpreter.....a really charming man.....lifetime party member....wedded to the clothes of the past but thinking of the future. Through him I met a Tibetan couple who later sold me an old tanka - religious painting - my last act before going to the airport was thus to leave all of my money with them!

eshirey, bantonbuju, dolin, michiels, pgorod, AnimeshRay, ChrisJ, Galeota, broglia, designsoul, luisafonso, eleparc, richwm, Clairedelune έχουν(ει) επιλέξει αυτή τη σημείωση ως χρήσιμη

Critiques | Translate

eshirey (325) 2007-03-24 4:47

Great shot...B&W is perfect here, and you caught a good expression! I might've left a bit more room at the top of the shot, though.

Nice! :)

everlasting (19978) 2007-03-24 5:07

your own little buddha , Kev.:)
A fine portrait, not only looking good for his 85 years he radiates fun and gentlesness. B&W was good choice here.

dolin (7369) 2007-03-24 5:22

Hi Kev.
A very beautiful portrait in an excellent and very well managed b/w !
I like the attitude and expression of this old man....funny face
Nice one
Fred

adrost (2378) 2007-03-24 5:26

Hi Kev.

Amazing portarit and great face to show all world.

Have a nice weekend.
a.

jcdurka1 (1950) 2007-03-24 8:14

Nice portrait, very sharped. The B&W tone contraste is well done and the attitude of this old man is great.
Well done,
Jean-Claude

michiels (4170) 2007-03-24 12:02

hello Kev,

And thereby you did a good thing ... Such meetings make your trips very special and gives a warm remembering. I love the portrait of the man, it's so real. I hope he can see this !
greetings, inn

vapours (8264) 2007-03-24 12:59

Great portrait once again Kev, and once again another person with a lot of character shown in their face. Another person I'm sure who could tell a story or two.

ninaL (21348) 2007-03-24 13:15

Hi, Kev.
Interesting story, interesting man and good portrait. I like it.
Best wishes. Grazyna.

pgorod (1019) 2007-03-24 15:25

A-ma-zing black & white, Kev! A perfect portrait. Excellent detail. Great expression. Mysterious eyes.

I hope to see more of these "human landscapes" from China...

rigoletto (34279) 2007-03-24 15:27

Hi Kev,
Congrats for your 666th...
This old gentleman granted you the warmest of smiles. How he suits the B&W atmosphere of your photography... Excllent sharpness and liveliness in this beautiful portrait. Congrats as always...
Deniz

AnimeshRay (9089) 2007-03-24 21:05

WHat a powerful and powerfully warm portrait, Kev! A brilliant image with fascinating detail and superb projection of this man's persona.
Regards,
Animesh

ChrisJ (172436) 2007-03-24 22:26

Hi Kev

Good portrait, with excellent sharpness & graphism, of light on dark. Superb tonal range, & the smile is an added bonus. Tfs!

Galeota (10352) 2007-03-25 1:47

Beautiful character, he sort of reminds me Master Yoda. Love the way his bright face and head come out of the dark with a shining smile. YOur black&white conversion and the tone adjustment is perfect as far as I'm concerned.

Furachan (0) 2007-03-25 2:43

Lminous portriat with great toneal control, this is a very tight oackage consisting of Title, Image and Note, could not be tighter if you tried. Top notch contribution to this site, yet again.
Best,
Francis

vagabondtravels (6511) 2007-03-25 4:31

hey Key

Great portrait. You have captured a very expressive moment here. Very sharp with good dof. Nice b&w. Well done.
Ben

hyasar (7775) 2007-03-25 9:15

Hi Kev,

very nice b/w portrait. the smile of old man is very warm and lifefull. Thanks for this shot.

best regards,
Hakan

designsoul (17843) 2007-03-25 13:17

Besides it being one of my favourites, of course, for its incredible qualities, superb light and capture of the moment via this remarkable face, I am also puzzled Kev what you say about him. It just doesn't make sense to me that he is a lifetime party member but introduces you happily to a religious Tibetan couple obviously not fond of anything he stands for... please explain, Kev!
Warmly from Ottawa
sasa

luisafonso (862) 2007-03-26 10:17

Beautiful character indeed. The exposure is very good, but by this time you already know that. ;) That 5D really performs well in your hands. The dark background works wonders providing a lot of contrast to the pristine face of the old chap. Great shot!

eleparc (24063) 2007-03-28 7:50

This man has indeed an excellent friendly and funny face... ;-) i like the b&w here! something i do so seldom!
Eric

Polonaise (5802) 2007-04-04 16:51

Can't pretend any longer that I don't know you Kev...
Not after you have posted this incredible smiling Chinese Buddha' man ...(:-))))
Boy, what a great face it is...What a most wonderful, sensitive portrait of a oriental man we have here.
This is a classic all the way from Ming dynasty down to Mao' stylish era, to the present digi age...
That smile erased the time, the differences, the distance...
Sublime photography to the very essence of that word...You give me so little and you let me use my imagination, instead...
His face and the fabric of his coat...The whole world is there.. I don't need the map of China any more.
IMHO...Smithsonian Institute of photography should ask for it, get it and keep it for the future generations

g.

richwm (1215) 2007-04-05 12:57

Wonderful photo and accompanying note, Kev.

Good composition and good, sharp details in the man. You've captured his warmth and friendliness in this photo and the black & white format works really well here.

Reading your intro page and looking at your photos it reminded me of a place I visited in Beijing in February this year. The place is called Factory 798 and I think you'd have really liked it. Originally an electronics factory built in the 1950's it was abandoned and left to ruin in the 1990's. In 2002 the city's artistic community started to take an interest in this great industrial carcass. On the outside it looks pretty much as it always has done, a rundown factory complex, but inside they have really gone to town transforming the space into hundreds of individual galleries and shops and classy little cafes. I could have spent all day here wandering in and out of doorways and finding some incredible studios and galleries hidden away behind them.

Anyway, I've completely digressed from critiquing this photo. Great capture and warm regards,

Rich

Clairedelune (4923) 2007-05-02 19:25

... And I fall on the floor seeing this photo.
Or on my knees and I am praying the Eight Immortals themselves to tell me your secrets! ;)
I swear to you, dear Kev, that I have a little white Buddha that has this face. Or at least, this man's face gives me exactly the same feeling. With a smile like that, I have the impression that all my sins are forgiven, that I am a good person again, that I can start a new life. Bah... a bit of exaggeration I guess, but what is true, is that you have capture a very fine character and you have done it in a very well and good manner. You have given us a soul.
I am very in awe in front of your photo. Each time I see it. I guess it is time to put it on my favorites.
Is it me or I have the impression that your photos are better and better and ...!
Claire

yang_yt (803) 2007-08-01 19:18

As a Chinese,you allow me to know China by the different angle again!TSF

Photo Information

Copyright: Kev Ryan (KevRyan) (22956)
Genre: ’νθρωποι
Medium: Μαύρο & Ασπρο
Date Taken: 2007-03-00
Categories: Καθημερινότητα
Camera: Canon EOS 5D, Canon 70-300mm
Έκδοση φωτογραφίας: Πρωτότυπη έκδοση
Θέμα(τα): Your Favourites 2, Sasa's Favourites, 100-200 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-03-24 4:45
Αγαπημένα: 2 [view]

Viewed: 1873

Points: 46

Discussions

To eshirey: Hi Elizabeth - tight tops! (1)
by KevRyan, last updated 2007-03-24 04:56
To designsoul: ....simple complications....... (2)
by KevRyan, last updated 2007-03-25 04:16
To Polonaise: don't know about my photo but... (1)
by KevRyan, last updated 2007-04-04 07:27

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::: "From The Radio....!" by KevRyan (22956)

Photographer's Note

Critiques | Translate

Photo Information

Discussions

Additional Photos by Kev Ryan (KevRyan) (22956)

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