Belgrave Baheno: ..and the youngster...

Critiques [Translate]

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• battousai (780)
• [2006-08-17 9:43]
• [+]

Great photo Kajal! I think the background could be a little bit more sharper, but this way it looks great as well. It's good you've used B&W here. This little lad doesn't look like he's enjoying their card session though :)

Best regards

Pawel

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• s10001in (1454)
• [2006-08-17 10:26]
• [+]

Kaj,
Hey..You are awasome..
I comments you in the moring & you come with another best.
I Just can say WOW to this.
Amazing use of Bokeh.
I was thing Francis as Bokeh master but you know bokeh as good as him.
Nice work.
Sort of warm feeling in this shot.
But your "current" Belgrave Baheno all the time on table playing cards or some game.
Please give them some other job. Else great work get neglected due to routine. ( All TE members are Human & how tasty it can be but one cannot eat Indian curry everyday)
Just friendly advice.
keep it up dear.
-Shailendra

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• prantik (1124)
• [2006-08-17 11:20]
• [+]

Nice composition Kajal. The lady on the left looks much younger than the others. She is probably one of their daughter-in-laws (recent addition to the community through marriage)? I can't imagine one of their own daughetrs (brought up in England) would be playing cards on a Wednesday wearing Saree. But I could be wrong.

I would have liked to see more details in the back as well. I agree with you on this "bokeh" business. Random use of them without any rhyme or reason is meaningless and I am glad that your did not do it intentionally as there is no obvious reason, at least IMHO, why the boy has to be in sharp focus and the women in the back not. I appreciate the fact that you try to match your narrative style with the content of your pictures.

I am a walking bokeh myself, so I like to see some focus atleast in my pictures :)

Cheers

Prantik

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• francbois (480)
• [2006-08-17 13:01]

Hi Kaj,
R U still cross with the rainbow? :) If you assure me that no color was harmed by this b&w treatment, I would say it's no ill-treatment at all... since the result leaves no room to picky remarks (I'm sure you can be pricky with picky remarks!) but knowing your experiment fever, I have doubts.
But the original, the color thing put aside, is so great a depiction that I can but admire (regret the color? No??) This I say remembering the smooth dyeing of your prayer room picture... this one looks the same cosy, closely knitting atmosphere in which the boy whispers so distinctly to our deaf gaze...
Want my bottle-green, your mahogany stuffed armchairs, whatever, to achieve this other lifesized pic of yours!
But what can I do in front of life's size, cringe away...
Regards, F'
The re

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• roamermark (1575)
• [2006-08-17 20:30]

Kaj,
The colour is leaving I see. Actually, the monochrome works really well here. Great work composing this one having the boy loom so large in the frame. It is a very cinematic shot..almost like a the beginnings of a crane shot.
Cheers
Mark

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• ktanska (12393)
• [2006-08-18 2:55]

Hi Kajal,
Interesting photo and interesting discussion. I like the blur of the background. Maybe because we have already seen the players and are free to focus elsewhere. (Your work just can't be thought as single frames but related to all previous ones.)
I think the boy covers slightly too large area of the frame, feels a bit intrusive to me.
Kari

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• christina (2040)
• [2006-08-19 22:21]

This composition I prefer because the boy creates almost a window to peak through. Very lovely.

Christina

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• Polonaise (16710)
• [2006-08-20 7:22]

If you remember Kaj, my elaborate about portrait.
That's what it is. A 100% portrait. With the strong, meaningful surroundings. Beautifully composed. With no loose pixel in the entire construction of it. Not very dramatic but oh, so relaxing and unpretentious. What a joy for the eyes.
Great work. My respect.
g.

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• peter1892 (3191)
• [2006-08-20 7:29]
• [+]

Good composition, focus & DOF. I like the mix of culutures, in your note you mention how the boy educates you about the Indian flag, but he's still caught up in World Cup fever & wearing the '3 Lions'. It's a nice image :)

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• RandomCameraGuy (3046)
• [2006-08-23 14:14]

very nice Kajal. nice juxtaposition bw young and old. the foreground and background is interesting. strong photo!