Here are pictures of some local people where I am staying in Northern India. They were taken with a Schneider Super Cinelux 80/2 and a Sony A7ii. The first is a mountain lady. I really like her dignified expression, and the colors of the image generally. The second is a mountain girl with an endearing smile. The lighting was really good for this one. Finally, the last pic features some girls I met on the road. My opportunities are now severely limited due to Covid. These shots were taken about a month ago. I can't really do people photography anymore until this crisis significantly abets.
Great images and thanks for the introduction of the people! I found the mountain people/tribes of SE Asia extremely friendly and steadfast in their cultures when I served there. I know India is not in SE Asia but the mountain people are great in any country!
India is a great Country and has very colorful people, rituals and ceremonies!
Well done!
Dan
I have seen people images taken by that lens that you posted previously. Without any doubt, the rendition of that lens on people is really pleasant. You did a great job capturing those images. The lighting conditions in the last image started to get low and there is maybe a slight camera movement in that image. Probably the ISO was higher relative to the first two. My pick is the second image; everything ticks there.
Danpbphoto wrote:
Great images and thanks for the introduction of the people! I found the mountain people/tribes of SE Asia extremely friendly and steadfast in their cultures when I served there. I know India is not in SE Asia but the mountain people are great in any country!
India is a great Country and has very colorful people, rituals and ceremonies!
Well done!
Dan
Thanks, Dan. My photography excursions have been limited by the virus, so I basically had to scrounge around for pictures. These were the best of the lot. Hopefully, by the spring I can start actually going into the villages themselves. You are right about them being friendly, but also proud as the first picture showed.
AGeoJO wrote:
I have seen people images taken by that lens that you posted previously. Without any doubt, the rendition of that lens on people is really pleasant. You did a great job capturing those images. The lighting conditions in the last image started to get low and there is maybe a slight camera movement in that image. Probably the ISO was higher relative to the first two. My pick is the second image; everything ticks there.
Joshua
Thanks, Joshua. The three images have different lighting profiles. In the second, the lighting is great and also there is something endearing about the subject, so it is my favorite also. Actually, the third looks more dreamy, but I probably did move slightly, or the manual focus was just a tad off. I sensed their impatience so I was in a hurry. What I don't like is that I cut off the hand on the far left. Next time I shall be more careful.
All three are excellent in their own respective qualities. To improve on the first shot, I think perhaps a black and white conversion might look better given the overall tonal range of the shot, making use of the contrast in the hard light. I'm not certain what your editing workflow consists of, but I imagine that you might also be able to improve this image by reducing the highlights on the face, as they appear blown on my display and while I think sometimes blown highlights can be acceptable, I think they might be detracting from the overall impact of the photo. I can't imagine highlight control being easy on a wide open lens in direct sunlight though.
I also feel as if the color temperature is too cool on the third image, and would recommend matching it with the warmer look of the white balance in the first two photos.
DanielScott wrote:
All three are excellent in their own respective qualities. To improve on the first shot, I think perhaps a black and white conversion might look better given the overall tonal range of the shot, making use of the contrast in the hard light. I'm not certain what your editing workflow consists of, but I imagine that you might also be able to improve this image by reducing the highlights on the face, as they appear blown on my display and while I think sometimes blown highlights can be acceptable, I think they might be detracting from the overall impact of the photo. I can't imagine highlight control being easy on a wide open lens in direct sunlight though.
I also feel as if the color temperature is too cool on the third image, and would recommend matching it with the warmer look of the white balance in the first two photos. ...Show more →
Daniel, these are all excellent suggestions. I will try a B&W version and see whether it works better. The colors of her garb are quite striking but maybe monochrome will give it another dimension. Thank you.
On the third one, do you think it is distracting that the hands are cutoff on the far left of the shot?
charley5 wrote:
Daniel, these are all excellent suggestions. I will try a B&W version and see whether it works better. The colors of her garb are quite striking but maybe monochrome will give it another dimension. Thank you.
On the third one, do you think it is distracting that the hands are cutoff on the far left of the shot?
Charles
No, it doesn't distract me. Perhaps it would be a better photo if the hands weren't cut off, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad photo in my opinion.
DanielScott wrote:
No, it doesn't distract me. Perhaps it would be a better photo if the hands weren't cut off, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad photo in my opinion.
charley5 wrote:
Thanks, Dan. My photography excursions have been limited by the virus, so I basically had to scrounge around for pictures. These were the best of the lot. Hopefully, by the spring I can start actually going into the villages themselves. You are right about them being friendly, but also proud as the first picture showed.
I want to clarify that regardless of any of my criticisms, I also think that all three of these shots are exceptional. You do such great work and I am most definitely a fan.
DanielScott wrote:
I want to clarify that regardless of any of my criticisms, I also think that all three of these shots are exceptional. You do such great work and I am most definitely a fan.
Daniel, I actually really appreciate the critical analysis you provide. In fact, I thank you for it!
