Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/04/06

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Subject: [Leica] Re: portrait portfolio
From: jean.louchet at inria.fr (Jean Louchet)
Date: Tue Apr 6 17:20:35 2004

Phong,
> http://www.phongdoan.com/Photography/PortraitPortfolio/

1 (4243) is my preferred. Lots of emotional mystery - and interest - here.  
She may be 18 or 28, hard to tell. She is not smiling but her eyes seem to
be smiling - are they really? She is not saying anything but looks as if
she is about to say something. Looking at you on a way only a long time
friend can. Lovely portrait. As another lugger said, lots of interaction.
A mountain photographer told me that the best pictures are taken when the
moutain's teperature is changing: same here, she is just on the edge
between several meanings, you got it just right.  The longer I look at it
the more I like it. Like with great paintings.  EXCELLENT.

2 (4698) is good on a strictly photographic point of view (nice lighting,
overall balance etc.), but for a musician (I am not a violinist though) it
is shocking. Any classical musician would be shocked I think. The left
hand and fingers' position is absurd (it's unplayable, even a first day
beginner won't do this),the right arm's position is very awkward,the bow
is not at a right angle w. the strings - the sound produced must have been
terrible. Obviously not a natural portrait. I am conscious this will not
shock a majority of people, but you might lose musicians as potential
customers. I would reject.

3 (4754) nice and simple portrait. Not the amount of suggestion and
romance of #1, but this may well be the style of portrait most NA ladies
would like to get of themselves. Very good.

4 (4424) technically excellent, but I feel indifferent to her expression. 
She looks as admiring herself in a mirror, period. However a lady customer 
may rate this portrait higher than me???  Ask a lady's opinion.

5 (6466) just excellent. If he is a novel writer, this is the picture to
sell his book. If he is the big boss, this is the portrait to include into
the company's prospect. Excellent.

6 (6577) good, 

7 (6932) very good, although a bit impersonal.

8 (0881) I don't like it. Having got everything very soft except the eyes 
and the lips doesn't add much to the story - which may not have been very 
intellectual. Not my glass of beer.

9 (8155) good but, again, ask a woman.

10 (8580) another charming portrait. Not as much loaded in mystery as #1 
but very, very nice.

11 (8182) a bit surprising at first glance, but remarkable pose and use 
(and rendering) of the velours. Excellent in a portfolio.

12 (4833) unconvincing, conventional and not very natural.

13 (6593) very good. Technically perfect.

14 (8559) acceptable, although a bit too "flashy" - this being said I
think many AF-press-button photographers are disappointed when they don't
have the pop-out flash glare on a picture.

15 (0912) good - but again this is not my cup of tea.

16 (7249) good - would be even better if less contrasty (that may be my 
screen) and less bright. Beautiful light into the hair. A nice, 
``interactive'' picture.

17 (4425) Very fine lighting, beautiful technique, but I don't like.

To summarise, imho
best: 1,3,4,5,10,11,13,16
worst: 2,8,12,14.

Concerning portraiting two people, it may become more complex in terms of
(triangular) interaction. As an example (of interaction, not of pictorial
technique) I think of a picture of my daughters I took long ago
(CLE,rokkor2/40,HP5+diafine, coarse scan):
http://fractales.inria.fr/~louchet/C+A-C.jpg

Take my opinions above with caution as I am totally novice in studio
portrait. Looking closely at all these beautiful pictures was a real
lesson of photography! Thanks!

Jean (Paris, France)


Replies: Reply from phong at doan-ltd.com (Phong) ([Leica] Re: portrait portfolio)