I was walking downtown in our Market Square with some friends when I spotted her. Of course immediately the camera went up and I tried to get some candids of her, but she looked so incredibly sad in the pictures. . .no. . .on 2nd thought, she looked more mad than sad. So finally, I got my courage up and just asked her if I could take her picture. She lit up: "Suuuuuuuuuuure." She said. And she started hamming it up, telling us how she used to model in Chicago, and about her glamorous past. I showed her the photos in my camera afterwards, and she said she liked them alot.
Her name is Lisa, and she had such an impact on me, I think I will remember her for a very long time!
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Woo Hooo. A ribbon. I'm so happy.
I'm glad I really like this photo, because I think my friend Lisa is going to be staring at me from the highest scoring spot on my profile page, blowing smoke in my face for quite a while now :)
Here's a couple of outtakes. Might be a little more information than you want. . .but here ya go anyway :):
Statistics
Place: 3 out of 452 Avg (all users): 7.4157 Avg (commenters): 8.5926 Avg (participants): 7.2766 Avg (non-participants): 7.5714 Views since voting: 14290 Views during voting: 397 Votes: 178 Comments: 174 Favorites: 89 (view)
Lisa looks like she is one of the actual untouchables. There are few among us that dance over the threats of cancer from smoking, complications of old age, etc... and just turn in to bad ass old folks that live long to tell many tales. I imagine she is blessed with that curse. SHe probably has as many interesting stories as she does wrinkles, and an equal amount of tragedy to bestow on whomever may lend an ear. I could be way off base, but that's what I think when I see this photo, and I think a photo that makes me think that much... is great :) Great work.
This is an excellent character portrait for sure :) I love photographing people much in the way you have done here, and early in my decision to pursue that avenue, I had to deal with the issue of photographer 'fear' of people. It seems to me that most photographers I know are too afraid or shy to speak with a stranger and simply ask them if you may make a few photos. Most seem to want to take that candid stealth route. For the last several years, I have been working on a "1000 Faces" series of photographs. I'm a long way from finishing it, but each person in the series is someone I have interacted with in one way or another. Some are candid and some are impromptu portraits on location. But each of them are of a person who I have had some amount of verbal dialogue with... there are even a few celebrities. It really is amazing how you can briefly get to know someone and maybe even learn something by simply talking to them. I most often find my subject and start a conversation before I ask for the photographs and I'm rarely turned down.
Your Portrait of the Elderly ribbon got me back into your portfolio... and found this outstanding shot. Fabulous composition, expression, smoke, post processing and a great story to go with it. Please... keep these street portraits coming... they're wonderful! You really have a knack for connecting with your subjects!
wow, this shoot took my smooke away...:)
amazing!!!
and in the way she poosed for you!
every picture tells a story, this one does it the best!
you will remember her for shure, i will remember this take.
I saw this lady in San Antonio this past weekend. She is truly a fasinating person. I was so shocked to see her. It was really strange. Anyway, I love this image.
and the story for this picture is this lady is ugly and should've stopped smoking a long ass time a go...... and thats why you should never start smoking...
WOW, this is fantastic! Congratulations on capturing this outstanding portrait. Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words, this is what they were talking about when they coined that phrase. Outstanding work Sandy.
It will take me a zillion and one years to learn how to take this kinda picture and even then who knows. The picture makes us feel her comming out and the smoke as real as it can get.
There are few photographers who are able to elicit such a wonderful reaction from their subjects. I suspect it has something to do with your genuine display of interest and your caring personality. Great job.
Congrats on the Ribbon Sandy! The textures are unbelievably sharp. Prefer this to your outtake, the smoke adds a lot of character to the photo. Congrats again.
Absolutely fabulous, all pictures tell a story but this picture REALLY tells a story!!! I think this one should have taken the first price in the competition. Greatly done in composition and lighting too.
Thanks for including the story behind the photo. It's always better, IMO, to get someone's permission. What a great character and what dignity she possesses.
sandy!!!! OMG! i was so thrilled to see this image on the front page of this challenge! you done good girl... as always. you have such a great eye for subjects- you really bring out the humanity of the individual. congratulations my dear! xoxoxxo.
Huge congrats on your ribbon and PB score, Sandy! This is an amazing photograph in every way! Awesome subject, fabulous expression and capture of smoke, the color is incredible... truly a superb image, going directly into my favs!
Sandy - just absolutely stunning. You tell such amazing stories with your photos. And the fact that you had a conversation with her makes it so much more intriguing. I just look at the lines and details in her face and wonder what she has gone thru in life.
God this shot is amazing. I think we have all seen a lady like this in our travels, and I applaud you on having the guts to go up there and take the shot.
Sandy,
You should pay more attention every time you see a woman smoking a cigarette. These subjects and your camera are an explosive formula for composing a master piece. I still keep visiting this shoot after all this time with the same pleasure as the first time.
Very nice shot. Amazing how the perspective changes when you see her smiling in the other photo. She looks like a model apart from the aged skin. Probably was very nice looking in her day.
This is one of the best portraitures I've seen Sandy, amazing. Such power in this lady, just wonderful. and well done on your ribbon, so much deserved ;-)
This is definitely one of the top story-telling portraits on this site, in fact I can only think of one other even in a league with this one! Congratulations on winning the yellow ribbon!
Hey, aren't you suppose to be at RMNP...and not here ribbon hogging! ;-P
Awesome score sandy! Congrats on the new PB, how could someone give this a 1??( or a 3, or 4...)
I still cant believe you do your street stuff with that big 70-200 though; I could never work up the courage to go wave one of those around in public :-P. Tiny primes all the way for me...
This is an amazing shot and story - i love these type of shots, shots where the photographer does beyond being just a photographer!! Congrats on the ribbon!
Sandy, this is an awesome photo. Congratulations on your ribbon. I like your story too -- the fact that she used to be a model. You can see that she has great bone structure in her face. I am going to send this to my daughter who smokes. A little more fuel for the anti-smoking fire. I have seen other examples of how smoking affects the skin, and this is one of the best.
Woo hoo, Sandy! I didn't get to this while voting, but you would have had one more 10 if I had. What an incredible image! The lines in her face are amazing, as is the smoke and how it frames her face.
What a pleasant surprise to see your shot on the front page this morning. And, what an outstanding shot it is! You take some absolutely amazing "people" shots. Congratulations on a well deserved ribbon Sandy.
Oh Sandy! I was so afraid to comment on this during the challenge. I love it though! I never would've gotten the nerve to ask for her picture. Congrats!!
Sandy! Congrats on a personal best and a ribbon, so very much deserved! The detail in her face is amazing...amazing what nicotine does to ya! Adding to the favourites for the superb editing
I KNEW THIS WOULD RIBBON!!! Congrats Sandy you SOOO deserve this after all your hard efforts. You are an inspiration in the team, we are so proud to have you... ROCK ON!!!!!
Now I have to change those ribbon awards on our teams cards...hahahaha
Im sure this meadiocre comment doesent mean much interamongst all these pictures. I didnt vote on this one,b ecause i saw it and knew it would ribbon anyways. Very great photo. She definatly looks like someone you would hear alot of stories from.
you were right sandy, i didnt guess this as yours, i actually thought this shot by mad_brewer was yours because of the filling of the frame and i thought maybe the title of "lament" was a nod to the recent passing of your father, i was WAY off but i did love this in the voting also, and congrats on another ribbin
congrats on another ribbon Sandy. and this shot diserved it. you are awesome at candids i love them. keep takeing them and posting them i enjoy seeing them
Woo Hoo! Sandy, you have been holding out on us haven't you! This is just awesome. Beauty fades, but character does not. I'm wondering how you managed to get such perfect light for this? Great, and congrats!
Sandy! Congratulations!!! I was completely mesmerized by this photo. It is one of the most powerful portraits I've seen in - well, maybe ever. Thank you for taking it and sharing it with all of us. Just totally outstanding!
Your Best score to date, and a very good score at that. I love this image and the story vbwehind the image is priceless. So pleased this ribboned for you dear friend.
AWESOME!!!!! Fantastic textures, make sure you write down what you did because I want to learn to process like this...or maybe it was the lens? A Marverlous shot
Wow, a shock when you first view!
I think you've captured a '3d' quality with this, that film shots usually have, not digital. So great work with the sharpening.
As for the shot i love it and hate it. Its not a pleasent image with smoking wrinkles but i can't stop looking at it.
8.
I think I have seen shots of this lady before. I would like to see the whole face in focus, specially her eyes, but she makes such as a amazing subject.
WOW! Awesome capture! What an interesting looking woman with all her facial lines and ageing details of her face. Bet I see this at the front of the finish line. Nice job!
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