Photographer's Note
Why ceremony?
We met her at the old, Christian-Orthodox cementary. She was doing it as on the following day an Orthodox Easter would fall. And the graves, those symbols of the ancestors, play an important role in their lifes.
So it was the whole ceremony of preparing the gaveyard, old, ruined, located in a field, with several scattered graves.
She spoke in a dialect. She often used a Russian word "batyoshka" which I had not heard since my primery school when learning Russian.
I was kind of drivven by her unusual eyes.
Tech: in this brief series, back in Podlasie, I'd like to excersise b/w. I'd welcome all your technical views.
pasternak, Paolo, gelor, luisafonso, eleparc, chrisdane, m_s_s, KevRyan, AnimeshRay έχουν(ει) επιλέξει αυτή τη σημείωση ως χρήσιμη
Critiques | Translate
e30mike
![Silver Star Critiquer [C: 45 W: 0 N: 1]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-n-n.gif){kind=small}
(312) 2006-09-07 3:32
Great detail, her eyes look liek they hold many stories. Interesting what you did with the PP, nice work.
pasternak
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1341 W: 179 N: 3373]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif){kind=small}
(15185) 2006-09-07 3:40
Is it in Poland??? I thought this babushka was Russian... Very good portrait of her, B&W work very well, I like the textures of her face and the tonalities of her hair. And yes, this word you put in the title is Russian, its straight meaning is "father" but now it is used for "priest" mainly.
Cheers
Alexander
barrufeto_77
(28888) 2006-09-07 3:42
Hi J.
I'm sorry but my technical comments about photography in general are very poor, as my knowledge.... :P
Anyway, excellent contrasts. MAybe I preffer a little more centered POV but It's only an opinion.
Anyway, of your last posts, this is the more I like it.
Rgs from Barcelona, Oscar
marianita
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 489 W: 20 N: 482]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif){kind=small}
(3455) 2006-09-07 3:43
Jerzy
her expression is great! nice back adn white!indeed, i can here her telling stories
marianna
Paolo
(41258) 2006-09-07 3:53
Hi Jerzy, beautiful portrait of that old woman, with a great use of light and contrast.
excellent quality and composition with that large blurred background and great note too.
thanks, ciao
s10001in
![Gold Star Critiquer [C: 591 W: 0 N: 0]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-n.gif){kind=small}
(0) 2006-09-07 4:08 [Comment]
adrost
(2378) 2006-09-07 4:20
Witaj J.
Twarz piekna tylko co to za poswiata wkolo naszej Babuszki ?
Lubie takie "stronne" kompozycje ale boje sie ze zbyt duzo bylo tutaj ingerencji PS.
A naturalizm jest taki piekny.
Pozdrawiam i milego dnia.
a.
faubry
(35447) 2006-09-07 4:20
hello Jerzy, this woman seems to be from Russia? i think like "lipovenes" great B&W portrait, eyes are very strange!!! about technic i don't talk about it.. sorry
have a good day
francine
brevbrev14
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(140) 2006-09-07 4:33
Hi Jerzy, this a very great picture!!I like very much the datails of her face, they looks the passages of the time..Great compo, but you are a teacher in this...!!I like it very much!!
Bravissimo Jerzy!
Ciao Valeria
Furachan
(0) 2006-09-07 4:36
Strong portrait - unflinching, direct, with that pronounced bokeh in the back. You know I had a thought just now - how you made a choice basically to go with Nikon (somewhere along the line), right, J? Well maybe Nikon serves your particular purpose, your vision in some way. Like here, or in yesterday's picture. SOmething about "precision" a kind of almost harsh "realism" in the Nikon look, quite different from the perhaps more romantic aspect of Canon.
Any thoughts on that (I'm really curious...),
-F
gelor
(3233) 2006-09-07 4:42
Bonjour Jerzy,
Un beau portrait en N&B donnant du caractθre ΰ cette ancκtre. La composition est surprenante au premier regard mais trθs agrιable. Beau travail !
Gιrard
jasmis
(58653) 2006-09-07 5:00
Nooo, piękny portret. Starzy ludzie mają doskonałe twarze, poorane, głębia spojrzenia etc. Dobra robota. Pzdr.
luisafonso
(862) 2006-09-07 5:47
Why didn't you go portrait here Jerzy? I know that my question may sound silly but since there is no context here I probably would have gone to the vertical format to focus more on the eyes, skin and clothes. I guess she would hold a very good photo just for herself. I know this is a composition choice, I respect that, but I wonder if this does full justice to your subject. Your b&w is very good, at least to me, but I am not expert on that matter. Love the strong deep blacks and the good contrast. In the end, I do like this portrait. It’s impossible not to be touched by those wrinkled eyes. So much life in that look...
drewniany
(1142) 2006-09-07 6:06
cze¶ζ. Dobry ten portret-widaζ kobietκ ktσrej los pewnie nie rozpieszzca³ w zyciu. Fajnie zebw, dobra g³κbia-moze tylko wola³bym j± w lewej czκsci kadru aby nie "uciekaa" z foty (imho)
Ogσlnie bardzo siepodoba
Pozdrawiam
M
prantik
(1136) 2006-09-07 8:13
Outstanding portrait Jerzy. The eyes are mesmerizing. The fascinating thing about them is that both the white dots as well as the black dots look like pupils and depending on the choice she is either directly or obliquely looking at you.
Best regards
Prantik
Polonaise
(5802) 2006-09-07 13:38
Her face?
Is she annoyed by your presence?
Is she glad to have someone to talk to.
Is she smiling..? Philosophical..? Curious..?
Some centuries ago, there was a painter, who (since 'camera obscura' was in the developing stage only), instead of taking a picture, have had chosen an easier way of creating a portrait - by simply painting it on a canvas!.
The results of such procedures are far from being significant! The people till these days are asking the questions about that smile on the face of the painted woman and no one seems to have an answer.
Wasn't that good enough lesson for you, Mr.B.?
Did you have to commit another 'doubtful', mysterious art?
Think please, next time before you do, Mr.B.
Just think about it.
Disappointed greatly...George G.
PS: Possibly...One of your greatest portraits, Jerzy.
Hard to say...so many of them.
eleparc
(24063) 2006-09-07 13:48
this photo seems taken in the 40's at the time of WWII...it is striking to me! she could be a refugee fleeing from the soviet or the german army... technically, someone might say that she'd be better on the left, but i'd say that her looking at you backwards is quite more powerful a pose...voted!
rbcy1974
(20758) 2006-09-07 14:09
Hello Jerzy
Going back to the TE meeting I see.
Very nice pportrait, greatt contrasts and tones, very welll done
Regards
Daniel
keribar
(43841) 2006-09-07 14:26
Very impressing one Jerzy,
I like teh fact that she is positioned wrongly according to composition rules. But what gines the strenth here is the BW and the DOF of the background.
Friendly yours arkadas - Izzet
tcht
(7565) 2006-09-07 14:32
Hi Jerzy
A dramatic portrait with strong emotions. The atmosphere you have here is powerful and I like it. Good PP work to enhance the effect. Lovely shot.
Regards
CheukHin
don_narayan
(2014) 2006-09-07 14:37
Czesc Jerzy. Wow, such fantastic facial details you got... and the b/w is grat, really bringing out the contrast... a very suggestive background as well. Nice work.
narayan
maki
(0) 2006-09-07 16:22
Bardzo mi sie podoba to jej spojrzenie, wolne od sztucznosci, bez sladu pozy czy czegos wyuczonego w "dzisiejszym swiecie". To jest sila tej kompozycji, ogromna zreszta. Zastanawiam sie co do formatu, bo ktos tam pisal, ze w pionie... Ja bym zostawil jak jest, bo kombinowanie tutaj mogloby chyba wiecej zepsuc niz poprawic.
pozdrawiam i zycze udanego wyjazdu jutro,
maki
InasiaJones
(31566) 2006-09-07 20:47
Hi Jerzy,
I really like this composition, where arid and desolate land seems to merge with the expression of the lady’s face, creating a tangible melancholic atmosphere.
Good use of the large aperture for a nice out of focus background that still retains descriptive informations and contrasts. I don’t know if the dark strip at the top of the photo was necessary; maybe I would have crop this part, closer to her head, creating a more intimate mood and avoiding the slight tilt that is a bit disturbing.
Excellent work Jerzy,
Andrι
chrisdane (18) 2006-09-08 5:49
Hi Jerzy.
Amazing photo, but although your technique is of a professional and the picture is perfect, my gratitude goes to the old woman, with her priceless expression and her aged but extremely expressive eyes.Im in awe with your ability to capture this moment, my congratulations to you and my thanks to this woman for reminding me life is too powerful to be dimmed in old age. Do not go gentle into that good night.
Best wishes, Chris
KevRyan
(22956) 2006-09-09 4:50
Such a strong portrait J - the contrast and tone are great - the point Keribar makes about the composition is right I think - it's a strong image despite compositional rules etc. - I started to play with cropping top and left and then just sat back and looked at it again until the space she is in sang a different tune........
best wishes Kev
jrj
(34843) 2006-09-09 7:17
hi jerzy
I see you use our friend in the field by the little graveyard.
The original is well disposed with good use of the dof. The pp is interesting and perfect for the final result where the final bw choice seems to be just the right thing.
AnimeshRay
(9089) 2006-09-10 1:15
A haunting portrait...powerful, moving, respectful, stark, dark. Those lines are the pages of history. Wonderfully empathatic.
Photo Information
-
Copyright: Jerzy Bucki (bantonbuju)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3364 W: 166 N: 7137]](//i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(51815) - Genre: Άνθρωποι
- Medium: Μαύρο & Ασπρο
- Date Taken: 2006-04-22
- Categories: Καθημερινότητα, Τελετή
- Έκθεση: f/2.8, 1/500 δευτερόλεπτα
- More Photo Info: view
- Έκδοση φωτογραφίας: Πρωτότυπη έκδοση
- Θέμα(τα): Podlasie 2006 Workshop, AA Your Favorites 2 [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2006-09-07 3:30
- Αγαπημένα: 1 [view]
Discussions
- To pasternak: russian or polish (2)
by bantonbuju, last updated 2006-09-07 03:49 - To Furachan: nikon vs. minolta vs. canon (1)
by bantonbuju, last updated 2006-09-09 02:09
