Converted from RAW. Not a great deal of editing, apart from on the subject's face which was irritatingly out of focus - a lot of USM. Curves and a smidgeon of dodge and burn.
The man in the photo is my dad who, I should point out, is a very happy and positive person! However I thought a mournful expression would suit the lighting in the room and I think I caught something quite sad and vulnerable in his face. Not a nice photo for me to look at but a piece I'm very proud of all the same.
yes it's an outstanding photograph ..
he looks so sad .. as if he's contemplating suicide or something ..
the lighting, the room, how he's holding his hands .. such an ordinary room and yet not ordinary at all ..
the telephone there beside the bed .. a lifeline .. will he use it or not .. an unfinished story ..
how amazing is that .. a happy positive person, just sitting on a bed, photographed by his son .. made into something entirely different ..
BRILLIANT .. thanks for the ride .. :)
Initial thoughts An emotional hitter of a situational portrait that kicks off a lot of thoughts.
Composition/ Content Content-wise, the image isn’t about aesthetics so much as a comment on life. For that reason, the contents of the bedroom, that one might normally want to exclude from a portrait, are essential to the image itself.
The image feels balanced in terms of layout with the man positioned on/close to a vertical third. I like the way that the light from the window falls on the man and therefore focuses attention on him and his expression.
The muted colours of the bedding, walls and furniture contribute to the feeling of boredom/ loneliness that eminate from the man.
Any negatives? Whilst I appreciate the reason for the vignette-style edges I find them a little too strongly applied for my tastes. That said, I do like the way the floor and further reaches of the room are in shadow.
My Opinion On The Photo This image makes me feel sad for the man; this is, I’m sure, the intention. It also makes me wonder where he is and whether he is ill, lonely, bored or all three. On a wider level it makes me think about what I want and don’t want for my own life (and the lives of my loved ones). As such, I find the image emotionally striking and thought-provoking.
I think it's interesting how his expression is really pretty neutral, yet there's something in his face and the room's lighting that says worry, lack of confidence, etc. as opposed to just contemplating what's coming up that day. It could also be someone who's thinking of a lost spouse. Well done!
I'm sure there are many who can say "I recognize this man, the room, his story".
It's early afternoon or late afternoon and it's late, it is late now.
And it is time which is in his eye, the instant the shutter snaps and the sound
As empty as an hourglass.
And we have clocks and telephones, and the bed is made.
We have walls and a window and shoes for the feet to fall into.
II
Someone you know when someone you know
Turns out to be someone else you do not know at all.
And if you know him and you do not, then someone should
Try to give him a call. Do you not, do you not think so.
When someone has been and has seen
What he has, what it is he has acted upon
Where would we be, where would we be now.
If no one would be, who would be there to remind us.
Is it not, is it not that we know what we know because we have been us.
We are who we are because someone has seen us.
We are what we are because someone has bothered to look.
If no one had been, if no one had bothered to look,
Who could see in light of such darkness.
If no one was there, who would care,
What would be and what would become
Of so much and how much should be
Counted and spent and dead to the world.
Would one be needed, when so many go by.
Would the wind, would the wind
Tell us why.
And who would tell us , o tell, our tale.
And who would hold us, o tell, when we fall.
Who has brought us something to eat.
Who has shown us something we haven’t seen.
We were hungry and cold and hard-headed.
Where we have been, who would go.
this photo makes me want to cry :( he looks like he has just lost his wife, immediate tears in my eyes. This is fantastic, straight to faves.
Edited to say- it looks like he is thinking now what?? complete devestation. I am so proud of you.
PS also glad to hear he was acting :)
A very powerful photo indeed. It embodies what I think many older people feel - a uselessness, purposelessness that overcomes them given the time gone by and the lack of time to come. I'm glad to hear that your dad is actually a happy person. Marvelous shot.
I like the lighting, how it seems to al becoming out of the man. It draws my attention to him nicely. As well, the expresion in this photo speaks volumes making me wonder what he is thinking.
The second I saw this picture I thought to myself, "Damn that's a really clean crisp image" It has great shadows and Highlights in the image at the same time and kind of looks like HDR. Then I saw that it was a RAW image and then thought you edited the vignette in your RAW editor. Any who I like the clarity of the image. Looks very good and I really like it.
This is one of those images that really intrigues, appeals and draws me in. It's not just the blank face but his body language, the slump to his shoulders, his hands.
you make me suspicious with that "dodge and burn" comment. I wonder if you've over-spotlighted (i.e., vignetted) the subject. Other than that, I am also intrigued by this photo and "love" the blank expression.
My immediate reaction to this is that I like it. I'm not sure that's a great compliment - I just like it, rather than loving it - but it is some kind of compliment: there are many images here that actively dislike.
There's a blankness to his presence that intrigues: it asks questions - about his provenance, mood, situation. That suggests stories - who left him here? Does he need help? Is he thinking, or is he mourning? Is this his room, or is this someone else's room? That, in the end, is what brings us back to images again and again ... those hidden, hinted-at stories, and a search for a resolution to them.
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