all kinds of editing, to whole image.
[ran it thru draganizer, i'm not very good at it, mostly click to next.
dodge & burn. if the pic is too dark to start i lighten with levels.]
draganizer action
I will also add that I felt this was best in challenge. WOW.
The fact that she sells peanuts for a living really hits home with me. I spoke with a vendor in TaiZhong last weekend who is a single mother of two high-school aged boys.
She was very strong, and you could see that she worked very hard. My friend talked to her for a little while and it was touching how she expressed her fears when she said that if she got sick and could not work, she would sit at home and cry all day. (there is no real social assistance in Taiwan and their education system is fiercely competitive and hierarchical)
This mother you have portrayed in Durban speaks a similar tale, yet hinging as it does on the sale of peanuts has a sharp potency to be something immensely powerful and touching.
Congratulations! Excellent portrait as usual. Was going to leave it at that except ... there's something abt her eyes (can't explain it)... I keep getting drawn back to them. Almost wish you had zoomed in. Mesmerizing!
Congratulations, Les! Following up on my earlier comment, I see it was draganized. I wonder if about half that much dragan might be more optimal? Wonderful shot regardless, of course.
Lesley, as soon as I saw this, I thought it might be yours. It looks like your wonderful style that I love so much!! I'm so glad it won a ribbon. I just love it! Someday, I want to take picture like this (when I grow up :)
Just cannot stop looking at this one. It is so well done. The great character of the face, the wisdom and history that is so evident and the absolute joy that emminents in the sparkle of the eyes. Superb.
What a beautiful capture. Just a bit of a smile and a twinkle in her eye.
Mom has probably seen a lot of hardships but she can still stop and offer love and warmth. Exceelent job !!
I'm torn on this one - a very powerful photograph and message, but the obvious sharpening makes it seem unnatural. However, sharpening of this sort is accepted well at DPC, so I wouldnt be surprised if this ribbons.
I was looking for one dead on portrait when I came to this challenge and this would have to be one of the few. I had a preconceived notion of what a portrait of a mother would look like. This will score strong from me.
Remarkable portrait ... she looks like a fine bronze sculpture! This is a particularly interesting image in challenge terms. On the face of it (pardon the pun), there's nothing about it to explicitly say "mother". And yet, when you look at that face, those beautiful eyes, and the air of quiet, unflappable dignity, she really can be nothing else BUT a mother. The kind of mother with the strength and patience to be a breadwinner for a family of five children. It was a bold decision to show us a mother who is not doing any overt, unequivocal "mothering" in the picture - I suppose some voters may be unable to cope with that level of subtlety. But even so, the outstanding quality of the photograph should still see you on the front page of the results. 9.
In many ways this is my favorite in the challenge, but it feels a little too harsh and edgy, possibly oversharpening but more likely a combination of other effects. It gets a high score from me, but it's IMO not quite what it could be.
I think I get what you were going for here. I like the idea of grundge, but I think for a mother shot it may not be the best thing. I think of mothers as soft but strong and she has such wonderfully wisdom filled wrinkles that I think either leaving it the original color or making it b/w or even sepia without the grundge might have worked better here.
WOW!!! Absolutely stunning shot. The personality and character of the model really reach out of the frame to the viewer. Outstanding capture and perfect processing. Congratulations. I'm sure I'll be seeing this on the front page... 10
Great real-life portrait. Weatherworn people always make interesting portraits, and this lady is no exception. I'd have to see the original, but I wonder about cropping a little less tight so we see a tiny bit of her left shoulder. It looks slightly odd this way. 7
Age has no boundries, and the love in this image is so strong. Her eyes sparkle , each and every wrinkle is etched with love, a very moving and powerful image here, and another one that so deserves a ribbon...... So, so good.
Forgive me for modifying your beautiful image, but I had to make one little suggestion. See image below. Otherwise, I think it's a lovely photograph that is just perfect.
Is this Joey Lawrence? If not...it reminds me of him. It's a stunning capture, and a beautiful take on motherhood- something beyond the romanticism usually associated with them.
If this is not a Goodman ya sure have grasped her style!
Lovely portrait, shows so much about the strength of this woman
I will definetly be looking up at this shot on the leader board
great portrait, doesn't convey the "motherly" feelilng... just a portrait (wonderfuly executed) but not exactly a "mother" shot. I think you should have saved this one for best of 2005 challenge
RIGHT ON!!! This is absolutely fabulous. If this doesn't win the blue, then I'm going to really be mad. Just lovely. The DOF and the warm brown tones. Great clarity - her eyes! The entire image is beautiful. Needs to be on the cover of National Geographic. BRAVO (clap clap clap) 10 10 10 10
Breadwinner, mother of five
Add photograph to your favorites
Add photographer to your favorites
Photographer found comment helpful.
Les.
