My First-Ever Portrait

My First-Ever Portrait · Posted by Mike Cash, 11-24-2008, 12:30 PM

First one since 1983, anyway. One of the gentlemen of my photo club cooperated with me while we were killing time at the photo club's annual exhibit. The set-up was bare-bones simple. An AF280T fired through a white umbrella high and to camera left, angled down. An AF200T on 1/4 power propped on a tabletop to camera right acted as fill. Background was just the wall, several meters behind him.

This is one kewl old-school dude. He's a local architect of some prominence, having designed a large number of our public schools and other facilities. Refuses to own a computer, was dragged kicking and screaming into cell phone hell, and has yet to enter the world of digital photography. He's strictly a film man, and much of that medium format with the Pentax 67II. He is also a hardcore landscape photographer who thinks nothing of packing the 67II and a ton of associated gear to some remote mountaintop in the Japan Alps in the dead of winter to get a picture.

We discussed the performance of digital cameras in very cold environments, one of the reasons he has resisted digital so far, and I amused him when I told him that any temperature my battery can't hack, I can't hack either so it is a non-issue for me.

Pentax K20D
SMC Takumar 55/1.8

jshurak · 11-24-2008, 02:13 PM

This is really well done. It exudes a form of elegance that would seem appropriate for a man of his stature.

*Jonson PL* · 11-24-2008, 02:32 PM

A very fine portrait.

baltochef920 · 11-24-2008, 03:12 PM

That is one killer portrait!!!

Very well done!!..

Bruce

JMR · 11-24-2008, 04:33 PM

I like this. sort of semiformal, but exudes character. Nice work.

JMR

metroeloise · 11-24-2008, 04:47 PM

Semi formal with character. Feel dynamic, welling.

*Syb* · 11-24-2008, 04:50 PM

That is just a wonderful portrait. He is patient with you, looking in a sympathatic way. He seems very much at ease and at the same time a little bit amused about something. What intrigues me in this pic is that question: What is he thinking about?

Thanks a lot for sharing!

Mike Cash · 11-25-2008, 04:52 AM

He saw the shot in the LCD review and was pleased with it. Said he wants it for his funeral picture. (It is common practice in Japanese funerals to feature a head-n-shoulders shot of the deceased). I doubt if he was serious, but who knows?

**roentarre** · 11-25-2008, 05:27 AM

Very well done. Skin details are well preserved.

Mike Cash · 11-25-2008, 05:43 AM

Originally Posted by roentarre

Very well done. Skin details are well preserved.

Thanks. That observation inspired me to check it out on a 100% crop.

Is it any wonder those of us who have the Takumar 55/1.8 love them?

*daacon* · 11-25-2008, 06:00 AM

Very well done Mike - always enjoy your shots as well as the story behind them. Great comeback on the cold weather ! Unfortunatley for me if that were the case I would be house bound several months of the year

mithrandir · 11-25-2008, 06:51 AM

Mike,
You got the lighting just right. Great portrait.

cupic · 11-26-2008, 04:00 AM

HIs faces has a 1000 stories just waiting to be shared

cheers

devisor · 11-26-2008, 05:08 AM

Originally Posted by cupic

HIs faces has a 1000 stories just waiting to be shared

cheers

I agree, the light forms his face werry well. Really good work.

vievetrick · 11-26-2008, 06:13 AM

can't wait to see this on the monitor at home. Nice work and as always I enjoy the backstory.