Candid Portraits

[tommiejeep]

The Migrant birds are starting to arrive which means many Raptors (my favourites) are also back but I always shoot people I run across when out and about.  Many are know to me but this lady is new.  She was not too happy to see me and my jeep on the Bullock Cart track but did smile and nod when she reached me 

Just playing with PP.
Shot with D750 ,300 2.8vr w/tc 1.7 yesterday in hot, bright morning sun.




Not the same image.  Thoughts please
Tom

[RobOK]

I like the first better. I like the colors of the cloth. In the second I can't see her eyes and it overall feels dark, her skin looks too rough in the second.

Nice capture!

[elsa hoffmann]

The first images is softer and more feminine.
The converted image is dalk, hard and masculine
In my opinion any conversion should be light - unless your intention is to have a dark mood.
I like the image - lots of character and well shot.

[tommiejeep]

Well, not my intention but I replaced the first version on the other site and it so it popped up here 
Saves me having to post another image 

Rob, many thanks for the comments and have a Happy Thanksgiving.  I only get turkey at Christmas here and they are scrawny to say the least. I can buy one from one of the 5star hotels for about $150 and then cook it.   

Elsa, you are a master at shooting women  . Funny, I spotted her at about 1000 mtrs but even through the lens I was not sure if it was a woman or a man  .  It was not until she was at about 50 mtrs that I saw the she was a woman.    I always do several versions of each image.  It is the look on her face, and the fact of the harsh light, that I decided to try very dark .  I am still searching for a B&W style that I like  .

With film I always shot B&W except for some holiday and family pics.

Many thanks for commenting.
Tom

[elsa hoffmann]

I am still searching for a B&W style that I like  .

that makes 2 of us.....

[Mike G]

The colour version has so much more going for it, in every department!!!!

In my book India is alive with vibrant colours why not use them!!!!

[armando_m]

Nice portrait Tom

As far as the b&w conversion the detail in the wardrobe is very good, but this make the skin look to dark, it would need to be two approaches, one for the skin, one for the wardrobe and mix with layers, probably to much work

[Alex Cejka]

Nice street portrait.

 I also prefer the color version as the colors compliment the mage nicely. In b&W version  I would do some dodging especially in her face and eyes areas.

[Jørgen Ramskov]

Agree with the others, color version for me as well.

[JJChan]

Tom
I like the B+W. Although the skin is dark, the light reflections (glow) on her chest skin and textures are beautiful.

I'm envious of your B+W technique. Your pictures of the ? 2 sisters in the marketplace and the men in the street with the Heliar are really good. I strive for that texturing when I do B+W but never get it 

JJ

[tommiejeep]

Many thanks all 
Mike, I agree on the colours of India and usually post images in colour but most often try some B&W versions at the same time 

Alex, yup good idea.  I did lighten the eyes a bit but probably more would be better.

Armando, I need to go through some more tutorials on Layers.  I was getting reasonably comfortable with CNX2 for B&W but alas, D750 not supported and PS is still a work in progress  ,  I always enjoy your images of women    Armando it occurs to me that this lady is probably no more than twenty years older than you models .  The hard life can age them pretty fast and working the fields plays havoc with their skin  .

Jorgen, many thanks and I have to work on my computer to get the keyboard set up to get the letters I need .  Really a must on this site!

JJ, many thanks, I'm not sure what happened to the two images from the voigt 75 2.5 but I am happy you enjoyed them.  I am now trying to decide on a Leica 90 f2/f2.5, f2.8.... wow, I am confused with all of the different ones available  ,  .  I also have my eye on a  voigt 90 APO Lanthar 3.5 as an option.   The little 75 f2.5 Color-Heliar is a very small, light lens and lots of fun.  At this moment I am not interested in more Sony lenses.  Well, the 35 f2.8 but price is too high.   Hoping the Commlite AF adapter works well.  The price is a shock compared to all of their other adapters    I am finally getting better at using the sliders in NIK but need much more work.
Cheers,
Tom
 

[Mongo]

Tom, Mongo can see why you picked her as a subject. She has a lot of character in her face , skin and lines. These tend to be more emphasised in the B/W version with great effect.

CC-

the colour version has the benefit of the lively colours that are a feature of the dress in her part of the world and perhaps tell us a little more through that feature. The background is excellent and complementary to the overall portrait. Mongo suspects that her placement in the frame was a compromise for some reason and placed in as good a place as could be achieved. The main reason for thinking this is the severance of limbs in places that are less than ideal. It does have a few high lit areas (shoulders and top of head) that might benefit from a touch less exposure to perhaps a touch less exposure overall which would help further detail and colour saturation. Overall, it is a good image , engaging, detailed and holds our attention to study it further.

the B/w version is a much “grittier” and a more solidly confronting image. The subject’s features appear more pronounced and seemingly more detailed. It is a “harder” and less feminine portrayal (but that may have been your intention). The subject is even more separated from the background giving her an almost 3D presence which is a very desirable achievement. The framing and cropping of the body is noticeably better in this version. The processing does however, lack a little contrast/dynamic range. A quick auto curves or auto contrast in photoshop appears to bear this out. However, it is easy to see why you may have reduced these aspects as they produce a few blown out areas on her shoulders and nose. Shooting this image in what appears to be strong open sun is always a very difficult exercise and you did particularly well to have been able to produce this image from those circumstances.

overall, Mongo would choose the B/W version over the colour and attempt to give it just a little more range if possible being careful not to overdo the whites and bring up the darks a little too. Mongo had a quick play with this very intriguing image and made some edits if you wish to see them.

[Jacques Pochoy]

I prefer the B&W one... :-) But agree with Mongo that the whites could be whiter as it's a bit "charcoaled". But conveys more of the lady's mood... -)

[tommiejeep]

Mongo, thank you for the comments and please, post you mods  .  I am always very interested in how people treat my images .
Jacques, many thanks and my thoughts are always with you and Paris.   

There are just too many thoughts in my brain about this entire situation but I wish you all the best in your beautiful city.  Sounds as if Istanbul is in for some more tough times coming 
Tom

[Mongo]

Tom,

this is a reasonably quick edit to try and achieve some of the elements Mongo mentioned . He hopes you are not unhappy with it

regards

Mongo