Thanks, Chuck, for your very extensive and thoughtful comments. I am so glad you like these.
I always try good suggestions out when people make them. In this case (maybe I didn't do it properly enough) blurring it slightly around her face just didn't look right to me. I forget what F Stop I used but it is still a fairly shallow DOF. It just struck me as odd to see areas that should be on the same plane as her eyes (and therefore in sharp focus) looking slightly soft. I appreciate the suggestion, though.
All best wishes,
Endre
nolaguy wrote:
Endre,
She is exquisite and the portrait - simply so well done.
For what it's worth, I discovered this via the thumbnail images at the top of the page, not by perusing the People board and my "expectation" based on the thumbnail was that the general periphery would have the soft blur her hair presents on the viewer's right.
Perhaps my thinking is heavily skewed by that initial guess at what I was clicking on so take this with a grain of salt, but the overall feel of the image and her gaze is so dreamlike I'd be tempted to soften her hair, viewer-left, similar to what we see at right.
I bounce back and forth on that sort of processing but for me there's a craving to see her face cradled in an ever so slight blur and softness.
Regardless, a very special portrait of a lovely girl.
I'm not sure how to respond to this, but it does seem to require some sort of response.
I have zero doubt, Herb, that your question about my girls was anything other than a simple question of curiosity. I believe I answered it as such. Indeed, I am blessed to have three wonderful daughters who are both beautiful and very willing to model for me whenever I feel like doing something. Our precious son, Antal, also was a frequent model for my photos until his sudden accidental passing almost 8 years ago. He would be 19 now. I would give anything to be able to take his photo again.
I'm also sure Chuck had only good intentions in his comment to you. Sadly, in these days of instantaneous communication, the perils of the internet are both known and overblown. In this case, the invidious effects of political correctness (imposed upon all of us by the totalitarian Left) seems to have poisoned even something so seemingly innocuous as one largely anonymous father asking another for the ages of his kids. Basic human interaction suffers greatly when we are all forced to feel like we have to walk on eggs over even the most trivial things.
So, while in retrospect, Chuck, I can see where your well-meaning comment emanates from, I can honestly say that such thoughts would never have occurred to me. I tend to presuppose (unless objectively proven otherwise) that the people who frequent FM are nice people with no nefarious agenda.
I hope all will remain well on both sides.
All best wishes,
Endre
Herb wrote:
First, she doesn't look as old as she is. I was guessing 17-18. She could model. Her hair is lovely. She looks younger but presents herself as having modeled a long time.
Second, the OP mentioned she was the oldest. That implies more than one. He has a built in supply of subjects to shoot. Not all are willing to have their photo taken time and again. But having multiples gives a good selection to convince to sit and be photographed.
I am not sure where your questions were going.
The OP is lucky to still have his children around. My daughter lives 400 miles away and my son lives 1800 miles away. They are both professional engineers and married.
I wish I had digital cameras when they were home. I would have a lot more photos of them. As it is my ex-wife has all the photos and negatives from when they were younger and at home.
Along with the Program Notes for a Debussy concert you could add this excellent portrait to embellish it
Nice, classic composition, lighting and prop technique.
P.S. you should update your Profile to reflect the newer Canon 5D III, but if its the older 5D you used, more power to you.
Thanks so much! I'm glad you like these photos. Good idea about using this photo for a Debussy concert.
Thanks, too, for the reminder about updating my equipment. I fixed it there. This was shot with my Mk III and and the 85 mm prime lens.
All the best,
Endre
dalite wrote:
Along with the Program Notes for a Debussy concert you could add this excellent portrait to embellish it
Nice, classic composition, lighting and prop technique.
P.S. you should update your Profile to reflect the newer Canon 5D III, but if its the older 5D you used, more power to you.
Herb wrote:
As it is my ex-wife has all the photos and negatives from when they were younger and at home.
I hear you, Herb. When I separated and divorced, somehow I wound up with the box of family photos and kept it for probably ten years until my ex-wife pleaded with me to let her see it all. We have a pretty amazing relationship but when I finally brought the box to her, my eyes welled with tears, pretty certain I'd never see it all intact again.
Superb portrait - a woman with character. The photos have a unique sense of timelessness ... Debussy truly fits her ... they do not seem old nor new. Very fine magical capture of light.
I appreciate the sentiment, Chuck. As is said, "It takes one to know one". I just wanted to make sure that everyone was ok since I value the community of friendship that exists here on FM.
Best wishes,
Endre
nolaguy wrote:
Endre, you're a gentleman and I apologize for the fact that based on my post, you felt the need to tend to the matter.
Thank you very much for your kind words about this photo, Tony! I'm delighted that you like it so much!
All best wishes,
Endre
tonyfield wrote:
Superb portrait - a woman with character. The photos have a unique sense of timelessness ... Debussy truly fits her ... they do not seem old nor new. Very fine magical capture of light.
She studied a little piano and violin but doesn't play any longer. But she is tremendously talented as a singer, but she hates to perform in public, which is a shame. At one point she was coerced into singing a few pop songs in a little show and she has a voice that is virtually indistinguishable from Joni Mitchell's. But she can also sing opera, which she loves listening to and she took a few months of operatic training. Her teacher (one of the best singing teachers here in Los Angeles) thought she should go into opera but that, too, requires singing in public, so it was a non-starter. Too bad. She'll make a great nurse, though, since her Mom is an ER doc.
All the best,
Endre
fdevyatkin wrote:
Lovely image Endre!
Is she a musician too?
Fred
The title, The Girl With the Flaxen Hair, caught my eye. I love this piece, and have the good fortune of hearing it often in my own living room. The title drew me to the portrait, which while excellent, also has a very special quality. When coupled to responses I read below it, made me want learn more. The links with your name led me to some stunning photographs. My first impression was you are indeed a true artist. Your photos are beautiful. The Stradivarius images are the best I’ve seen, and I’ll forward the link to them to friends.
My daughter was a frequent subject for me too, but that was well before the arrival of digital cameras. Fortunately she lives near us, but the reluctance, which seems inevitably to arrive with the passage of time, to suffer the detail recorded by today’s cameras and lenses, leaves me only with our dogs as subjects, and since they are in constant motion, photos of their eyes, the window into personalities, are difficult to come by.
Thank you so much, Bill! I really appreciate your very kind reply and I am so glad you not only enjoyed this photo but also took time to look at others of mine. I have relatively few photos that are linked from FM so if you want to see a more comprehensive selection of my work, please check out my photo website - www.endresart.com
At this point in time, the podcast is no longer available for download but if you PM me with your e-mail address I will happily send you a Dropbox for you to be able to get it.
All best wishes,
Endre
Bill Hollinger wrote:
Hi Endre,
The title, The Girl With the Flaxen Hair, caught my eye. I love this piece, and have the good fortune of hearing it often in my own living room. The title drew me to the portrait, which while excellent, also has a very special quality. When coupled to responses I read below it, made me want learn more. The links with your name led me to some stunning photographs. My first impression was you are indeed a true artist. Your photos are beautiful. The Stradivarius images are the best I’ve seen, and I’ll forward the link to them to friends.
My daughter was a frequent subject for me too, but that was well before the arrival of digital cameras. Fortunately she lives near us, but the reluctance, which seems inevitably to arrive with the passage of time, to suffer the detail recorded by today’s cameras and lenses, leaves me only with our dogs as subjects, and since they are in constant motion, photos of their eyes, the window into personalities, are difficult to come by.
