Let the Hands Speak Photo

Photographer’s Note

A black and white conversion from a scan of an old print - something I posted in colour in my early days here - just coming across it reminded me of Kaj's excellent work from Gujarat over the last six/seven months. So I dedicate it to her and the people she came to know.

I'd also just done a couple of workshops on this image just now so I guess that influenced my post

This lady and her family welcomed us very generously to their homes in a very poor village near Bhavnagar. I was travelling with Frances my wife and three year old and seven year old sons and we'd just encountered a cobra on the path.......I held my kids back and one of the village guys grabbed the hand of one of his and a big stick and went after it.

When we left their house they insisted on us taking all sorts of gifts but the Patels in the upper village who we visited next took them all off us and gave us new ones. There was a real politic going on in this village and our Bhavnagar hosts were really concerned about us getting involved and seemed somehow concerned for our safety ......but we experienced nothing but generosity and kindness ......and i can make up my own mind about politics.

avene, luiscar, bantonbuju, Angelillo, scobert, MiguelP, klauner has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

avene (10920) 2007-07-07 6:07

amazing portrait, very expressive gesture, somehow it conveys both strenght and fragility at the same time. it's a pity we cannot see her eyes though, but then again - the glasses have their own story. great shot.
best,
Kristine

stiginthedump (1823) 2007-07-07 6:08

Nice tiht portrait this. Reminds me of a mix of that skull/android of Megadeth and Ozzy Ozbourne.

Anyways, i find this image to be a little soft for my liking. I think it's a striking image but needs some sharpening (if possible) to give back it up.

Thanks

luiscar (3282) 2007-07-07 6:48

Hello kev, a big portrait, with an expressiveness impactante, it seems that he is applauding.
I like the scale gray obtained and such a peculiar woman.
big work
a greeting
regards

Ulishna (2246) 2007-07-07 6:55

Good portrait, Kev!
Very good old style for this shot, good idea.
Impressive...
Julia

wolf38 (12565) 2007-07-07 8:13

Hello Kev. The photo consists only of this very impressive FACE with very old-fashionable eyeglasses and these so strangely folded hands. A really very impressive photo. Best regards, Wolfgang.

jasmis (49922) 2007-07-07 11:44

Superb face, spledid pose. Excellent composition and note.
Regards.

Angelillo (9065) 2007-07-07 13:29

Hi Kev,

The face usually keep our history and it's witness of our life! This portrait is amazing, strongly expressif, touching... Thanks!

Best wishes,
Angel.

scobert (5333) 2007-07-07 14:04

Hello Kev,
Your experience with the Fine-Art world has served you well with your unusual photographs! A truly amazing portrait and I love the beautiful B&W film rendition, which I don't believe can be replicated as well when converting color digital images to B&W in PS. Well done!
Stan

bantonbuju (48412) 2007-07-07 23:29

exceptional face, exceptional story you tell in the note...so it means that people of good heart are everywhere and the words like generosity, kindness, hospitality are prevailing are not reserved for podlasie :-)))
-----------
i can't help the feeling that i have seen this face before...

bw, j.

MiguelP (14298) 2007-07-08 7:22

I saw this photo when you uploaded it, but I have not time to watch it properly. As I´ve just seen in a photo of George "Polonaise" this one has the quatily to let us figure out the colors of India throught a b&W work, a remarkable achievement.
But beside this, there is a woman with lot of traces of time in her body... Can you imagine? Colonialism, Independence, wars with Pakistan and China, Indira Gandhi, Nerhu, Rajiv, Gandhi himself, great names and decisive moments, but I also could imagine about her little world, which somehow could it be even more interesting. I share with her the treasure of living, therefore let´s live.
Miguel

klauner (1020) 2007-07-08 13:27

Hi Kev,

Very good shot. Perhaps a nice lady but I wonder if she would like to have her picture. Nevermind the post is great indeed !

Françoise

Furachan (0) 2007-07-08 21:19

Overall a fine contribution t TE, Kev but if you don't mind I'm going to be awkward again...;o)
Id your premise is that her hands do the talking and are all important, why attribute the same level of sharpness and focus to the face??? Surely you needed to g for some differentiated focus here to precisely isolate the hands with he face a litle (I say a LITTLE) softer behind.
Or am I completely off hee? You tell me...
Cheers,
Francis

ps I amended the "Green" situation in the light of arguments made...

coco (27658) 2007-07-11 22:38

Hi Kev.

Maybe the quality of the scanning is poor, but if we don't mind, we have a very good portrait where the face of this woman is hidden hundreds of stories and life.

Thanks for sharing.

(of course, black and white was the best choice)