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Photographer at a press call outside Bristol’s Hippodrome Theatre; 8 Apr 2014.
This was the photo call at which I photographed the giant War Horse puppet, and this lady – also equipped with a Canon, but a rather more up market one! – was there for the same reason. So, as the press photographers (and everyone else for that matter) pointed their cameras and eyes at the huge horse puppet, I swivelled right and photographed the press. How I wished for one of my Nikons that day but, a cardinal rule, you do the best you can with what you’ve got! And that goes for cameras too.
By various means, I’ve tried to remove all extraneous detail from the picture, mainly failing lower right, where there are still traces of the pavement she’s kneeling on. Doubtless these could be expunged (how I love that word!) with sufficient skill and diligence.
I’d thought of cropping much more tightly – maybe a square shot with the lower margin just below her left elbow, but I like her whole shape too.
Canon G11 PowerShot at 63mm (35mm equivalent); 400 ISO; Silver Efex Pro 2, starting at the High Contrast Smooth preset.
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FATman Photos 
Superb !
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Sonali, thank you very much! A 🙂
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Welcome Adrian ji. That is how Indians address with respect :).
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Oh, thank you, Oh Great Indian Lady – that how this barbaric Brit addresses you with respect! And, yes, I remember hearing Gandhi addressed as Gandhi ji, in a film. A
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Yes, Gandhi ji. :). In my state , we have a tradition of attaching suffixes. Male will get “bhai” I.e. brother after his name and female will get “ben” I.e. sister. These are attached to the name when you don’t know other person personally or are known but elder to you. Similar to Japanese “san”.
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This is a great shot, Adrian. Sometimes I wonder if they teach those poses in photography classes 😀 But, back to my original point, I like this for various reasons. I like the fact that you removed all details from around the woman. I think it makes for a stronger impact. I also like that you thought of shooting the shooters … one of my favorite things to do.
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Igor, I’m very glad you like it – thank you! Re shooting the shooters, wowee! just give me my D700 or D800 and I’ll shoot them off the planet!!! Thank you again! Adrian 🙂
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I got totally confused when I first saw this (my age, I expect) and thought it was an image of a man in a balaclava. Just now when looking at it again I thought perhaps a ninja (I hope it’s nothing Freudian 😉 ).
I know, I know, I need to go and have a sit down and a stiff cup of tea or something (I’ve given up the drink – which answers a previous question 🙂 ).
I can see the women crouched down now – thank goodness.
Interesting processing – something I’d like to try.
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Yes, I do see the balaclava, and the ninja too! I just don’t know what to say … that makes a change .. but you got there in the … bitter end, … arriving … as it were … from another place …
As to processing, this was SEP2, which is simply out of this world – but no doubt Adobe products can do it too. Because the woman’s clothing, hair, bag and camera are dark, I was able to make everything else much lighter, so eliminating distractions. Nik Software products, including Nikon’s Capture NX2, use Control Points that can seamlessly alter even very small areas on the image, and which are very easy to use. These CPs helped a lot here. These was a reasonable amount of manipulation involved, but not a vast amount. SEP2 works as a plug-in with Photoshop, Elements and (I think) Lightroom. I run it from Elements, although I don’t use Elements for anything else. A
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This quote says it all:
A lot of photographers think that if they buy a better camera they’ll be able to take better photographs. A better camera won’t do a thing for you if you don’t have anything in your head or in your heart. (Arnold Newman)
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With all respect, my friend, Newman is right – but I still wish I’d had a Nikon! In my hands at least, the PowerShot is just nothing like as speedy or instant, I don’t use it for that sort of thing – 🙂 !!!
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I understand :))
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One would think that, taking into account the apparent intensity that she radiates, she would take the time to get her horizon straight. Or maybe she’s going for an abstract. Or maybe she’s losing her balance. Or maybe her subject is losing its balance. Or maybe I’m losing mine.
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Oh I don’t think there was any thought of horizons, my friend, she and the other press photographer there were just going for it, picture after picture after picture, from all sorts of angles. And its interesting to see her set up for a range of eventualities – jacket with hood, rough boots, zoom – and (most probably) permanently affixed flashgun for use the instant the light becomes less than adequate. A working photographer – I think I’d rather remain amateur.
Digital photography is a great boon for these people – they can blaze away, hundreds of shots if necessary, and even have their shots wirelessed to their picture editor’s desk in seconds. A
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I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard “wireless” used as a verb. That’s pretty scary. I’m more than sure that I’ll be at least as happy to remain an amateur, too.
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Scary? Well, you know me, ever at the cutting edge of chaos! I remember my manager in social services telling me that some people say the wrong thing from time to time, but that I always say the wrong thing – to which I replied that, well, everyone has to have a hobby …
As I type this reply, your glorious selfie is still opposite, in my blog’s sidebar, in the list of images I’ve Likes recently (although it may be displaced soon as I make more Likes). My admiration for that picture persists, totally and mightily. Maybe it personifies my “don’t worry about it, don’t hang back >>> just do it!” approach to blogging >>> very good on you, Sir!
And, an insight I must share early this Sunday morn – give you a pair of tusks and you could be a walrus .. with glasses … “I am the egg man, they are the egg men. I am the walrus, goo goo g’joob g’goo goo g’joob.” … those were the days .. in fact, feeling inspired by that first dose … I’m going to give you some more ….”Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun. If the sun don’t come, you get a tan from standing in the English rain.” … well that’s certainly true of this damp, windy morning … byeeeeeee!!!! …. 🙂 ……
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Ah, how well and fondly I remember those days that the music can still invoke, though I admit I never dreamed of being fantasized about with walrus tusks by anyone. Actually, since you refer to the Beatles, Abbey Road is still one of my favorite albums of all time, along with Rumours, Tapestry, CSNY, and Blue. I think we really must see to it that we get together one fine (or otherwise miserable) day. ‘Twould be my pleasure, Sir.
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Yes, “those days that the music can still invoke” – very well put. And the walrus thing, well, you know, we all have hidden attributes …
Ah yes, Abbey Road – and I’m right with you re Tapestry and Blue too, tho I don’t know the other two.
Getting together any day would be excellent, just excellent. 🙂
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Rumours–Fleetwood Mac; CSNY=Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. Both most excellent!
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Oh yes, I know those bands, though not very well. I think Fleetwood Mac were around in the 70s in the UK, but of course, towards the end of that decade, I went to Kenya and became, effectively, out of touch with everywhere else for 12 years. And I remember Crosby & co for a very fresh sound – Marrakesh Express, wasn’t it?
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Hear you loud and clear. I disappeared into Germany for nearly ten years and missed out on a lot of current music, too–and I’ve been catching up ever since!
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You know, from time to time, I do things on impulse, and if I get a spell of Nutty As Normal, I might just acquire Rumours and CSNY … 🙂 ….
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