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Photographer’s Note

The story:

In my two-week stay in the Philippines, I went out to take picture one day. What used to be the Calle Real of Iloilo City, my home city, has turned into a "reality" street. The center of the city moved somewhere and what are left in the once trendy place are a lot of "real" scenes with pulsating life. I roamed around and met a lot of children. They loved to have their pictures taken. Before long, I had around 50 kids trailing me. I had fun with them. My pictures were not as good as I wanted them to be BUT I like them all because the memories behind each shot. This is my favorite...

This boy was my most photographed. He loved to pose. Here, he clung to a wooden post away from other children. After a few minutes, he was somewhere else in a different mood, different pose. Nobody was coaching him. He was doing it to attract me and my camera. He succeeded.

Technicals:

A lot will probably criticize my tight cropping. I have a lot of shots of him i n this pose in different angle. I prefer this tight cropping because I like the many angles that frame the shot. In the picture that I have the whole hands and post visible, I find it too predicatble...conventional. Just a matter of personal taste.

avis2avis, cgrindahl, tuffellow, RGatward, Rinie_Hoff, carper, elroyie, pridel, summer89, papagolf21, ChrisJ, cmartos, jhm, Eagle78, elihesamian, nwoehnl, kikvel, Michael_Gan, avigur_11, masterrye, Jeppe, jhonny_blue, rabani, jiekuan, skeelerik, Mansi has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

avis2avis (4236) 2004-07-26 2:05

I like the lost expression of the kid's face and I can't believe that he was posing to attract the camera. The tight cropping is working I would say.

cgrindahl (6109) 2004-07-26 2:14

Beautiful composition Manny, including the tight crop. My only wish would have been that the depth of field had been a bit wider to include the wooden post and the boy's fingers. I'm honestly not certain that I would prefer that outcome, but I'd be curious to see how it would look. I marvel at your skill in both capturing these wonderful images and your talent for taking what is essential in the image and giving us these really fine compositions. Great work and really nice to have an image from you every day, once again. Thanks Manny.

tuffellow (533) 2004-07-26 2:27

Very well seen, Manny. I really like the cropping of the arms in this. I think that it may have been a little better if the top of his hair was in the photo though. Also, I'm not sure what it is but there is a distracting vertical line in the blurry background on the left that doesn't seem to be very natural. Other than that this is an absolutely beautiful shot. Nicely done!
Mike

RGatward (19737) 2004-07-26 2:41

How could you think we'd criticize the crop Manny, it's just right, and another touching portrait.

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2004-07-26 2:55

Hi Manny, You're back in Bangkok now again?
This is a lovely capture of this boy, and certainly the title fits the picture well. I love tight crop, butI also agree with Curtis about the shallow DOF.
I think you captured a great expression, and no doubt, following your words, you had a great time.

elroyie (2750) 2004-07-26 2:59

Great catch, splendid expression and very good colours tones, you made great DOF to emphasize the boy's face, well done!

carper (64706) 2004-07-26 3:00

You have an eye for composition Manuel.
Very good shot of this child holding a pale as his own parents. Fantastic composition great colours. This is really great. Manuel my compliments for this masterpiece.

ale (1819) 2004-07-26 3:22

Hi Manuel,
he is a very nice and cute model, you captured a great expression and a very nice pose.Bravo!

pridel (233) 2004-07-26 3:23

très beau ! ce portrait est très fort. j'aime beaucoup comment le garçon se tient au poteau de bois. il ne pose pas uniquement son visage, il met de la pression car sa joue est déformée. très intense. encore réussi, bravo

summer89 (5414) 2004-07-26 3:39

Hi Manuel,

I like this photo, technique it's excelent and the kid expresion, too.

Well done

papagolf21 (56261) 2004-07-26 3:57

Les grandes personnes ne sont que des enfants déguisés !
Les enfants sont plus ou moins à la recherche d'une reconnaissance, votre appareil photo Manny lui a servi d'alibi pour se valoriser ou peut-être se faire reconnaître, ou encore "être aimé".
Très belle photo Manny.

ephemere33 (9729) 2004-07-26 4:00

pauvre petit chou, trop mimi son regard d'enfant perdu s'ccrochant a cette arbre son ami, aurait-il peur de toi Manny ??? rire...superbe travail...merci pour ce partage Manny...amicalement BI

ps: merci pour la note d'explication..

ChrisJ (70153) 2004-07-26 4:13

Wonderful portrait of a poor child who badly needs a new shirt.

cmartos (6086) 2004-07-26 4:19

I fully agree with you Manuel, but I'll never criticize this crop! Excellent tight crop, the picture is full of power in everything: composition, crop, contrast, colours, and obviously full of expression. I also like his attitude and look, well, I like it all here. A very fine catch.

lol (48) 2004-07-26 4:48

Hi Manny, for me the cropping is not a problem... It even gives more importance to the expression of the child. Great colors & DOF.

ma-tibou (4566) 2004-07-26 5:54

Salut Manuel, Encore une jolie frimousse, les enfants sont plein de spontanéité Ils ne posent pas vraiment, on sent que tout est naturel.Bravo.

Darren (6817) 2004-07-26 5:57

Hi Manny. This one is very good. I really like your tight cropping, it works so well here. I don't think you needed all the hands in the shot. Had you cut off the fingers, so they were out of a photo, that si a different story. Good expression on the boy, very nice colors and good shallow DOF. Only thing, and I am guessing it is just a matter of taste, but I think Luko's sharpening method has been too liberally applied here. Again, I would personally using your final layer (what we see here) as a layer over the same thing before the sharpening, but the opacity dropped to about 80%. Good shot shot Manny, hope you had a good trip home.

jhm (82341) 2004-07-26 6:18

A great portrait again Manny, excellent composition, the expression of this child is splendid, you makes very great lovely photographs. Thanks for did!

Eagle78 (1925) 2004-07-26 10:51

LOVE it Manuel :) the crop, the DOF, the colors...everything great here! but what truly calls my atention is his expression..so..wonderful! Great work!

elihesamian (26091) 2004-07-26 12:16

Manuel!
Let me that don't say about techniques & light & compo &...
Just I see & silence,...
Thanks,Dear Manuel!

eleparc (24059) 2004-07-26 12:37

i like this frame manny..and it is good to be assertive especially if you have good reasons to believe this is your best option;-)i like the good focus on his face and the blur on his hair... did you post process it?

nwoehnl (120) 2004-07-26 13:17

The tight cropping is wonderful, Manny - nothing appears to be "missing" and it makes for a really good presentation. Plus it allows to focus even more on the boy's unique facial expression and the way he is clinging onto the pillar. Good handling of light and fine DOF, too.

kikvel (4772) 2004-07-26 13:20

Manuel:

I like the cropping you chose, the light is perfect. He is a cute and handsome little person.

Well done;

Kikvel

Michael_Gan (2772) 2004-07-26 13:31

This kid really seems to hold the post as if his life depends on it! His torn shirt is a very nice detail and I'm really suprised about the strong expression on his face. Especially because you write that he was doing different poses and expressions all the time. He surely must be a future moviestar. I like your composition. His arms continuing outside of the frame give us something to guess, but at the same time it is very clear how they are positioned.

avigur_11 (21273) 2004-07-26 17:16

After I read the other comments. I have almost nothing to add, but I can tell you - your'e the best one in this field, MAnuel. Amazing composition and capture, great shot.

zto (292) 2004-07-27 5:38

It is just amazing, how some children in that age love to pose for the camera. I wonder if it has something to do with developing a self confidence and self ensurance...This boy for sure knows how to pose to make intresting pictures Manny. And you know how to capture the moment.

harold (2271) 2004-07-27 8:58

Adorable ,espiégle petit bonhomme, beau portrait. Bravo Manuel.

piozac (2058) 2004-07-28 18:04

If even there are any words that could critique that kind of image I cannot find'em...

It's one of my favourites favourite :)))

All the best Manny!

Jeppe (18623) 2004-07-30 1:42

Too bad Manuel I missed this and properly more :-(

Great to see some photo from your hometown - You did a fine job here Manuel - the tight cropping works excellent and the DOF what makes this portrait special. I like it very much :-)

Yes I know the feeling by taking a lot of photos - and then dislike them all - but sometimes are we perhaps to critical against our self ;-)

jhonny_blue (4938) 2004-08-10 4:58

Fantastic shot Manny ! The colours, expression, the place, all is perfect !
Very well done !

rabani (9421) 2004-09-02 21:42

Thanks Manny for coming over. Still learning from you about potrait photography.What I learnt so far is your ability to capture the expression and detail of the facial, as well as the conducive ambience lighting like you have with this child.

CoolDan (2490) 2004-09-05 21:31

Quel intensité dans le regard de l'enfant. C'est un très beau portrait Manuel, très touchant.

Pts tomorrow.

RandomCameraGuy (3063) 2004-09-06 15:30

This one is just amazing. The tight crop works very well here. The title perfectly states the emotion of the pic. Very, very good.

scalerman (25731) 2004-09-23 19:39

Manny, how are you? how is life teaching in the Land of Smiles? I hope you are well. I'm back in the states. Wonderful shot here.

jiekuan (330) 2005-01-04 5:04

Very nice DOF. nice capture on kid's face expression. The tight cropping make reader focus more on his expression!

faubry (32281) 2005-02-04 20:26

superb expression, the kind' face is very expressiv, you have a very great talent artist! the colors are very warm, i like all your shots like pictures! i am going to Manille and i take children shots, i was with "virlanie"
thanks for your partage
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