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Archive 2013 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

Charlie Shugart
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

The City Plaza in Meridá.
The man kindly let me take his photograph. He was of Mayan descent.
I took one shot with Kodachrome.


	Charlie Shugart 2013

Mayan Man in Meridá

Dec 02, 2013 at 11:43 PM

cadman342001
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

Another great candid/portrait shot Charlie. I'd be interested to see a BW of it ?

Andy

Dec 04, 2013 at 08:07 AM

Charlie Shugart
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

cadman342001 wrote:
Another great candid/portrait shot Charlie. I'd be interested to see a BW of it ?

Andy

Thanks, Andy.
I suspected there were a few others who like candid portraits of people in foreign places

.
Please note that the Mexicans with Mayan blood in them are often VERY dark-brown skinned.
It's almost a luxuriant color for skin.
Here's a conversion:
Charlie


	Charlie Shugart 2013

Mayan Man in Meridá

Dec 04, 2013 at 04:55 PM

cadman342001
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

I'm sure there are lots of people who like this kind of candid, just not perhaps the sort that are likely to comment or maybe they don't know what to comment ?

As people who are keen to travel when retired and who know people who frequently take 6mths off to travel to far flung places we appreciate this kind of portrait. I think it's the people as much as the scenery that makes these places special.

Andy

PS - I think you were right - the colour is better ! at least for this, being kodachrome which I'm assuming is film. I was expecting a more tonal BW, not sure if you can do that with the scan ? Less blown if you like in the shirt region.

Dec 05, 2013 at 07:44 AM

deinfaces
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

For a quick encounter, you have captured his pride and dignity.

Dec 05, 2013 at 08:32 AM

Charlie Shugart
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

Thanks Andy and Bob.
Andy- Oh, I understand the reasons some of us get few if any replies.
And I respect that people have the right to do whatever they want that's legal

.
Two days after posting this image- you were the first to reply. I just wanted to thank you for that

.
About the B&W conversion: I have limited processing skills- and try to stay within my abilities. This conversion was a quickie in response to your request.
But it's probably as good as if I spent a lot more time on it

.

Bob- You shoot a lot of street portraits, and understand the problems of getting anything useful in brief encounters with strangers. As you know, most of my encounters are in foreign countries, so I am loath to take much of their time. Sometimes it works out well- and sometimes not so well

.

Charlie

Dec 05, 2013 at 08:56 PM

sibirdie
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

This one certainly worked out well for you Charlie. The color version is dare I say; head and shoulders (even hat) better than the B&W.

Dec 07, 2013 at 09:27 AM

Charlie Shugart
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

sibirdie wrote:
This one certainly worked out well for you Charlie. The color version is dare I say; head and shoulders (even hat) better than the B&W.

Muchas gracias

.
(I also know how to order beer and ask where the toilet is.)

To each his or her own on color vs B&W.
To me it's simple: (in the digital age) shoot in color and if you want to convert- learn how to do it well.
My attitude is that if I want reality, it must be in color. And if color is an important element, then the shot should probably be in color.
But if shape and texture are of primary interest, then B&W might work better.
For this man, the color of his skin was of importance to me.
Charlie

Dec 07, 2013 at 04:47 PM

morris
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

Hi Charlie,

The lighting on the first has my both applauding and screaming fix it. I'm of to minds with this one.

morris

Dec 07, 2013 at 08:04 PM

Charlie Shugart
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

morris wrote:
Hi Charlie,

The lighting on the first has my both applauding and screaming fix it. I'm of to minds with this one.

morris

I can't reshoot this, Morris,
so I'm unsure what you'd like fixed.
The man was wearing a white hat and shirt- the chairs behind him were white,
and yet his skin was dark brown.
Also the sun was high and bright and his face was in the shadow of his hat (that's why he wears a hat

).
Charlie

Dec 07, 2013 at 08:20 PM

morris
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

Charlie Shugart wrote:
I can't reshoot this, Morris,
so I'm unsure what you'd like fixed.
The man was wearing a white hat and shirt- the chairs behind him were white,
and yet his skin was dark brown.
Also the sun was high and bright and his face was in the shadow of his hat (that's why he wears a hat

).
Charlie

Just a tiny touch of fill flash would have done the trick or even a reflector. As that's not possible, some fill light in ACR, a bit of shadow/highlight in Photoshop or a move of a slider in one of those touch this spot programs like lightroom could lighten the face a touch, it's the near black sides of the face that bothers me yet I love the way the face jumps out because of this.

Morris

Dec 07, 2013 at 08:37 PM

Charlie Shugart
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Mexico----A Gentleman in the Yucatan

Gotcha, Morris.
I never even carried flash because my whole approach was to have as little impact as possible on the people I photographed- and flash is terribly intrusive.
Since this was Kodachrome slide film, contrast is inherent, and I came to like the general effects. Dark negative space seldom bothers me.
I actually lightened this from the original scan, but maybe not enough.
Charlie

Dec 07, 2013 at 11:29 PM


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