A friendly smile and a stiff upper lip, a photo from Kars, East Anatolia

Photographer's Note

At least for the time being I have wrapped up my recent journey to the southern Caucasus. It's time to step back in time again, to 1974. I actually remain in the same area as during my latest journey, since this photo is from the town of Kars, near the border with today's Armenia.

As usual I don't remember taking this particular photo. Since Turks are generally very friendly people I guess these men had exchanged greetings with me for no other reason than to be kind. One of them looks genuinely pleased to have his photo taken whereas his friend seems more anxious to keep his dignity in front of the camera.

I scanned this from a Kodachrome slide.

macjake, cebe, tyro, kato, bayno, bukitgolfb301, ourania, marabu61, gildasjan, Suppiluliuma, mirosu, adores, Kielia, maloutim, Vasa has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Royaldevon (17811) 2012-09-09 2:28

Hello Gert,

We often look for contrasts in photographs and this one more than satisfies, but in a more unusual way! There is a very distinct contrast in the expressions of these two gents.
This ia a most attractive capture, using the narrow dof well. The two fill the screen with their portraits and personalities and allow us to scrutinise them closely, without offence.

Have a lovely Sunday,
Bev :-)

daddo (18517) 2012-09-09 2:55

Hi Gert. What strikes me at once is the absence of the ubiquitous baseball cap that has taken the world by storm and has turned middle aged into walking advertisements. I hate the trend with a passion- just another form of cultural annihilation. This is a great double portrait in the Anatolian light (which by the way makes one side of their face look less shaven than the other. Best wishes. Klaudio.

siamesa (27449) 2012-09-09 4:01

Bom dia Gert

Two different expressions and two perfect captures .
Excellent portraits. Congratulations.
Abraços
maria

macjake (39235) 2012-09-09 4:47

Hi Gert
this is awesome!!
I truly thought the man on the right was a WAX figure!
I sware! :)
he looks like one doesn't he!
these two men couldnt be any more different, yet they look similar.
funny and interesting at the same time
love it
cheers
craig

uddedge (109) 2012-09-09 5:03

Hello Gert
The contrasting facial expressions of your subjects is very appealing. Your choice of dof makes the photo pop out at the viewer.
I can't help but smile everytime I look at these two polar opposite faces.
TFS

abmdsudi (26311) 2012-09-09 5:13

Hi Gert
Wonderful stark contrast and this splits into two parts; Old and not so old, warm and cool, stiff serious and relaxed jovial. An image positively brimming with opposites! You have cought two interesting characterful studies and I know which I prefer but photographically they work rather well together in one image. Nice light and the delicate details with good tpouch of local flavour in general and your point of focus is splendid. I am sure you are very pleased with this as much as I do, interesting and very entertaining shot as well. Congrat, TFS
Wrm regards

cebe (1139) 2012-09-09 10:01

Hi Gert,

Great double portrait for sure. Before looking at the date it was taken and reading your note, I thought ok this is an old photo. I always thought how amazing it is that one can approximately date a photo from our vague and diverse baggage of acquired knowledge. I mean, even if you take two men looking more or less the same, dress them the same way, place them in front of a similar background, and use equivalent equipment and film, there's a big chance that an hardly identifiable detail would say no, this seems like a fake. That's the sort of reflection I had when looking at your photo.

Best regards,
Claude

TopGeo (37994) 2012-09-09 10:05

Hello Gert! An amazing two portraits and informations you have caught a very spontaneous and fresh scene, in a very special atmosphere. A good quality of image, a great sharpness a very interesting composition.
Nice work. Perfect theme about the daily life
Have a nice day. Best regards,
Georgios

mesutilgim (68036) 2012-09-09 10:12

Hello dear Gert (my almost neighbour today) !
Wonderfull this "oldie" from Kars. I remember that there was also a very popular gesture when two men where posing for a camera; holding each others hand crisscrossed !
The shirt of the man at left was most probably a dress of his wife or mother once upın a time !
Good TE work.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

tyro (13149) 2012-09-09 10:56

Hello Gert,

An interesting note and an even more interesting picture! The contrast between these two men's faces is quite remarkable - one a genuinely happy and smiling face and the other a very formal and almost defiant grimace - what we might call a "dour" facial expression in Scotland.

But it's a wonderfully captured photograph, the two men well portrayed against a nicely out of focus background and with excellent details and sharpness. The colours, again, are excellent and a testament to the wonderful and longlasting qualities of good old faithful Kodachrome as well as your skills in slide-copying and subsequent editing.

Excellent!

Kind Regards,

John..

notrap (4692) 2012-09-09 13:46

Hallo Gert,
schönes Doppelportrait, interessant finde ich auch die Kommentare von Klaudio und Mesut über die Kleidung und den Bart. Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, daß die ungleichen Bärte ein Resultat des Scans sind, aber die starken Schatten reichen auch nicht als Erklärung aus. Vielleicht sind die beiden beim Rasieren gestört worden, z.B. von einem neugierigen Reisenden mit Kamera?
Vor Aufregung haben sie sich nicht zu Ende rasiert.

agjika (4015) 2012-09-09 13:51

Hi Gert,
The old camera has produced some very interesting effects. It also interesting how people from the same culture react so differently to the same thing. Whilst having a happy and an "unhappy" man on the same photo is amusing I think that a portrait of the smily man could also a be a charming photo.

Thanks for sharing

Aleks

CanmoreKevin (2111) 2012-09-09 14:21

Gert,
Love the contrasting expressions. Nice bit of clothing details.
Kevin

Budapestman (82620) 2012-09-09 15:32

Hi Gert,
a very lovely double portrait with superb timing, I like the contrast between the two faces, the composition is superb, great lights and details,
Tfs! Have a nice week! Kellemes hetet kívánok!
György

emka (58224) 2012-09-09 23:13

Hi Gert,
Difficult to believe that the photo was made more than thirty years ago. You were (and you are) very good photographer. And also fantastic scanning job. Superb doble portrait. I like the smiling man. The other one is very serious. I think that in india when the man saw camera, they like to be photographed but at once had a solemn look.
So you go to Turkey once again. Will you meet Mesut?
Rgds Malgo

kato (6801) 2012-09-09 23:30

Hello Gert,

You're capturing well this portrait by a good composition and excellent tone/clarity, so it's interesting and impressive to see the both of a man with smile and ones with dignity as you note. It's impressive in their beard, traditional hat, too.
Have a nice week.

Kind regards,
mikio

Graal (88982) 2012-09-10 0:08

Hi Gert,
amazing portraits of two different men. One smile and one face very serious pose to photography. Surely they did not suppose, that after 38 years will look at their world. Good scan. Fine photo from Your archive. Photo I like.
Have a nice week.
Aleksander

mohammad_H (6600) 2012-09-10 0:21

Hello dear friend
Portrait of very cute and lovely
One very happy, and the stern
Good resolution
Have a nice day

dkmurphys (36857) 2012-09-10 1:02

Hi Gert,
Lovely double portrait. I love this work, genuine capture.
Enjoy a fine week.

Daniel

bayno (16241) 2012-09-10 1:36

Ciao Gert,
although the image is obtained from a scanning the quality is great, very nice light and colors, two completely different expression but equally funny...super nice...
regards,
Valter

bukitgolfb301 (30111) 2012-09-10 4:16

Hi dear Gert

Ya another great shot indeed! So interesting and also funny for this two gentlemen and this comparison. I cannot stop laughing. You have a great humor sense, gert! Thanks for your shring with great posting and have a good day!

Takero from Tokyo

ourania (12469) 2012-09-10 6:17

Hello Gert,
a wonderful double portrait of two very different characters. They are standing so closely side by side as if supporting each other for this special moment. His smile so wide and heart warming, the man on the left is instantly likeable. The other one is introvert and too serious but eager to pose. It's very interesting that we can't have a glimpse of his eyes and he will remain forever mysterious. I love the strong light and the bold colours, the blurry backdrop and the well defined shadows that struggle against the luminosity and give a 3D effect. The harmony of the colours and the sharpness are marvellous. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great week,
Ourania

Tigerlily (2343) 2012-09-10 6:43

Hi Gert,
It's a great photo. It made me laugh. I thought that how you did that...The expressions of them are very interesting, as you've explained it all.. You captured the very moment brillantly. The colour is a lot richer than the digital one. Excellent work!

saxo042 (31802) 2012-09-10 7:23

Hej Gert,
En ganska rolig bild bild med dessa två olika ansiktsuttryck. En otroligt bra skärpa i den här gamla bilden.
Hälsningar
Gunnar

chrisvek (5515) 2012-09-10 9:04

Hello dear Gert

That's a very good portrait of these two interesting men.Great colors,lightning and atmosphere.Awesome and so right POV.Well done!

Have a nice week
Chris

Nicou (97811) 2012-09-10 9:18

Hello

sueprbe compo e tiamge fantastique cpatage et image quelle belles casquettes ces deux hommes sueprbe iamge et ocmpo de très belles couleurs sueprbe iamge.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

mjdundee (4657) 2012-09-10 9:53

Hej Gert,
the man on the right didn't see a camera in his life before - at least in 1974!
This might be the explanation for his critical look.
Nice contrasty and sharp picture. I wonder how these characters will look like today. Would be interessting to compare I presume.
Greetings from the south of Germany,
Thomas

ciakgiak (30331) 2012-09-10 11:09

Hello Gert,
What a magnificent double portrait, the two subjects are really interesting and you captured them in a lovely expression and with a good quality despite it's an old scan!
Well done dear friend
Best regards
Giorgio

fabbs99 (5533) 2012-09-10 12:14

Hi Gert

They say old is gold ..this picture shows how new it is even after three decades.Full face smile as well as full face grin .. What a partrait.Great tone of kodacolor.Perfect photograph.TFS.

Regds and best wishes
Farhat

ayferaldanmaz (952) 2012-09-11 7:21

hi gert,
a unique photography! great portraits and wonderful capture of this different expressions of two. excellent use of the light to create a stunning outcome, the colours are so vivid and many details have great sharpness. thanks for this warm capture from my country, my compliments!
warm regards, have a lovely week,
ayfer

wolf38 (28226) 2012-09-11 9:29

Hello Gert. Country and its people. My compliments to this strong double portrait. Each of the two faces has its own expression. Both men seem to be very self-conscious. Well done. Rgds wolfgang.

eldancer1 (17106) 2012-09-11 10:47

I think the other guy is a British! Awesome portrait of those two gentlemen. Good lighting and dof with sharp details. Wonderful colors. Well done, tfs.

leo61 (0) 2012-09-11 10:58

HI Gert!
A great double portrait from your endless archive,how many filmrolls did you shoot ,exposed and printed?????
Would love to know what they think with their totally different facial expressions.
A shot ,worth for the family of men exhibition by Edward Steichen in Clervaux/Luxembourg,worth a visit!!!!
Regards,Leo

Gerrit (43743) 2012-09-11 13:35

Hi Gert,
fantastic duo. Marvelous characteristic heads.
Excellent portrait.
regards, Gerrit

marcan44 (6223) 2012-09-12 0:52

Ciao Gert,
un ottimo ritratto che ha la sua forza anche nel contrasto tra il sorriso cordiale dell'uomo a sinistra e l'atteggiamento burbero e severo di quello a destra.
Qualità dell'immagine eccellente.
T F S !
Have a nice day
Mario

Nard (6913) 2012-09-12 2:18

Hi Gert
Amazing composition, funny contrast between smile and serious. The scan is very good, nice colors and I like the light, specially on their faces.
regards
Bernard

gildasjan (38232) 2012-09-13 1:03

Bonjour Gert
Très bon cadrage pour le portrait de ces deux hommes.Des textures très bien rendues.
Bonne journée
Amicalement
gildas

Suppiluliuma (3843) 2012-09-13 6:49

Again a superb image, a documentary with taste and humor.

Apart from harsh light which may be due to the scanning, nothing to criticize.

TFS Dear Gert.

With friendship,

Erdem

Waylim (22357) 2012-09-13 10:47

Hi Gert,

I love it, this photo makes me smile, so comical the two of them together, like dynamic duo. I could hardly tell if this is a scan image, teh qauality is really good. Just fantastic image of yester year.

My admiration.

Way

pajaran (36282) 2012-09-14 13:56

Dobro vece.
Interesantni ljudi i garderoba.
Dobra ostrina i kontrast, lepe boje.
Dobra tekst, i rad skeniranjem, lepa fotografija.
Lepo secanje.
Prijatno vece i mirna noc, sve najbolje za vikend.
Srecno.
Paja.

Good evening.
Interesting people and cloakroom.
Good sharpness and contrast, beautiful color.
Good article, and scanning work, beautiful images.
Nice memories.
Pleasant evening and a quiet night, all the best for the weekend.
Good luck.
Paja.

mirosu (5533) 2012-09-15 0:05

Hello Gert,
Excellent "dual" portrait. I like the way you managed to obtain that different expression (smiling & serious) from these two men. A great use of light and colors. The shallow depth of field also separates the faces from the background. A well presented crop allows eyes to remain fixed on both men. This is a really excellent photo, and is a good example of portrait mode. Very well done.

Glint (5575) 2012-09-15 17:52

Hello Gert,
a powerful double portrait.Excellent dof and the smiling man is very engaging. The other man, the one who wanted to keep his dignity, well to me he seems like a waxwork dummy. Perhaps it is his stiffness and also that his skin seems waxily shiny.
Bev

adores (28248) 2012-09-21 14:02

Hi Gert!
Your archives are so precious:)! Another pearl here! A wonderful portrait - I just love the big contrast between their expressions. Good quality and a good work with the scanner!

Kielia (20477) 2012-09-27 9:29

Dear Gert,
you are presenting a very nice double portrait of two different characters. The quality of the scan is excellent! By the way: concerning the caps I agree to Klaudio.
Thanks for sharing!
Warm regards
Harriet

yquem46 (32323) 2012-09-27 9:35

Hi Gert
hard to be away from TE for almost 2 months and try to catch up with good ones !
Excellent quality here, given the date, of this double portrait shot
Quite in agreement with my memories of Anatolia at these old ages and I'm not sure that it has changed that much in this remote part of Turkey
Have a nice day, best regards
Patrick

Fis2 (73146) 2012-10-15 9:11

Witaj Gert!
Curious faces.
Good frame and superb colors.
I like depth.
Excellent "duo" portrait.
Have a nice evening
Krzysztof

maloutim (8626) 2012-10-28 12:07

Hi Gert,
I love the title that goes so well with the picture ! What a good portrait of these two local men in their traditional clothes ! Great features and expressions on their faces !
Very good sharpness against the blurred background.
Thanks for sharing.
Marie-Louise.

adidas5nb (1149) 2013-04-09 21:12

haha...thats a somewhat funny picture.i like how the dof is.great contrast between the expression and attitude of the 2 men in this double portrait,giving an insight into their personalities.again a great picture of a time when world was not global.
regards
dwaipayan

Vasa (15990) 2013-04-15 17:54

That lovely meeting will have 100 smiles soon. Are they existing 40 years later...

Bravo Gert!!!

Branko