mamiya 645afd 43mm manual lens, ilford fp4 exp 2003. Overlay & 1/3 crop. Testing this lens & find it a bit soft, I also put it through CS5. I think the focus is on the wall rather than the face. It was done using the self timer and pre focus on the chair back (when empty)
How dated is the film? I suppose this is one of the bw rolls. What aperture? Focus seems servicably on subject. All in all has an appealingly natural and instrospectively moody quality.
I like it. The shot has a lot of soul (don't know how to explain otherwise). I don't think portraits really need to be all that sharp, but agree, it probably shouldn't be focused on the back wall. I've never had much success taking self portraits with film. It always takes me too many shots to get everything set correctly.
I really like this portrait. I love the way the natural light from the window falls on the subject. It lights up the leg just enough to lead my eyes to his.
Thanks for the feedback and comments, they are appreciated.
@ bsluijk I have 38 rolls of b&w and colour film from 2003 that came with an ebay bargain purchase, so far 4 rolls show signs of degeneration, so the negatives are quite 'feral' so to speak. This is from the 4800dpi scan, 9968x7088, 134 meg tiff file (epson v600) reduced to 800x569 Using photoshop, overlays and reducing the size has closed down the zones dramatically.
@ ursula there was definition in that dark area, the processing and small size eliminated it, but I left it there because the crop sits better for the mood, like a 1950's shot in a hunting cabin on an overcast but bright day.
Self portrait, then. I like it overall, it gives a fair impression of the person in the photo. I find the large dark area at right competes a bit much for attention. I like how the window light outlines the body.
Love the natural light creating the high contrast. It is tough to self portrait with a MF lens but I think you did a great job. Maybe you see softness in a larger version of this, but at 800px it seems fine to me. Subtle posture, but effective.
Like it, the expression and apprehension of the model (you, I presume), the lighting. The negative probably captures more contrast than the full spectrum that my (laptop) monitor can show, where highlights look blown out and blacks are closed. How does the negative compare to the scan and JPG you posted here?
I love a photo that tells a good story and you really succeeded with this one. As others have commented on, the light is wonderful - you can't beat natural lighting to create mood.
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