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banmorn


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Your Occupation III (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG for Nikon
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: Aug 10, 2008
Aperture: f/ 11
ISO: 125
Shutter: 1/40 sec.
Galleries: Black and White, Self Portrait
Date Uploaded: Aug 10, 2008

 Been out of work since 11/30/2007. I don't do much of anything. I do get out of the house at least once a day. But then I mainly just walk around the corner to the food store and come home. I rarely take my camera on these excursions. Just not motivated. Bev and I go to dinner about once a week and usually go to church on Sundays. Choir will start again soon so thaere will be that. I have been to a GTG or two. May go to some more. But I mainly don't do anything. I was more productive when I worked. Go figure. And now that I have the time, I shoot a lot less.

I told jutilda at the DC National Zoo GTG that I was a hermit. I practically am. Yesterday jmlelii , scooter97 and I went to the Eastern State Penitentiary to shoot. I told them that anymore, your job defines you as a person and without one you're next to nothing...not talking about retirees, that's diferrent, at least to me. I should be working. I don't know what to do and I am sick of the prospect of starting over again. Gotta get it together soon but I'm all right for now.

I lit this with two clamp lamps below my head on either side of me and back. I pointed them out a bit as the shooting progressed. Used my SP600 Nikon Speedlight pointed backwards to a piece of white paper that I taped to the base of the flash. Camera on tripod with cable remote. I was trying this while I smoked, but the smoked was not lit properly. I wore a black hooded sweatshirt for all the shots. I liked the last one with my eyes slightly lowered without the smoke the best so here it is.

Post: Camera Raw adjustments in PSElements 6.0. Masked my face and the right side of the image and did a levels adjustment. Spot Healed some spots on the hood at right. Used the spot heal brush to take away the glare on the tip of my nose which glowed a bit too bright. Made new layer and spot healed some glare above and below my cheeked and merged with a 66% opacity. Used a layer of Hue/Saturaion to convert to Black and White and then a layer of levels and Contrast/Brightness. It was a bit dark and gray so I did a Curves adjustment to lighten a bit and give more contrast. USM. Smart Sharpen. Resize. Smart Sharpen.

Statistics
Place: 39 out of 98
Avg (all users): 6.0273
Avg (commenters): 7.0000
Avg (participants): 6.0638
Avg (non-participants): 6.0147
Views since voting: 928
Views during voting: 363
Votes: 183
Comments: 21
Favorites: 1 (view)

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AuthorThread
 08/20/2008 02:01:17 PM
Who you are and what you are is not defined by what you do.
Doing is not Being and Being is not Doing. While they are related, they are not the same. It is the great American fallacy. It is also what is an integral part of what is the collective neurosis that has led to and created the Crisis that we are in -- and in denial about.

When we bring Doing to Being and our Being into Doing then we have integrity and cogency in both. Otherwise we create conflict and dissonance in our selves, our lives and our relationships.

In our obsessive-compulsive, work addicted world and lives, we have sacrificed our selves and our souls to an end we can never reach by the very approach we are taking. You, sir, have been given the time and opportunity to re-think, re-orient and re-create your self and your life. Hopefully, you'll utilize this time in that manner.

“When you learn to do nothing and to be nobody you will then become useful to the universe.”

In Spirit.
A fellow hermit.

Message edited by author 2008-08-20 16:20:00.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/17/2008 05:31:49 PM
awesome - back for a bump - love the light the verticle lines created by the face - really good stuff
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/16/2008 07:11:58 PM
Wonderful composition and lighting on this shot, great textures on the face too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/14/2008 07:18:50 PM
Great concept and the negative space works well for this shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/13/2008 02:57:03 PM
Don't think that's a profession, but the shot is wonderful... 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/13/2008 02:35:56 PM
cool concept!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/13/2008 06:51:24 AM
For such a small image showing, this has alot of depth and works well to convey a real sense of isolation and solitude.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/13/2008 01:07:32 AM
I like the choice of the profile and how the falling strands of hair match the downward gaze. Perhaps the black hood could have been a different color from the background because it appears the head is squished between two walls or floating in space. The faint threading isn't enough to identify it as clothing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/12/2008 07:32:55 PM
love the sense of isolation here, very effective. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/12/2008 01:43:34 PM
Different and interesting. Is that the warm glow of a monitor displaying DPC that is providing the light?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/12/2008 09:47:12 AM
nicely done 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/12/2008 09:31:24 AM
Hmmm, does it pay well? Interesting work. The catchlight in the eye is nice. Good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/12/2008 12:12:34 AM
I think I know who this is :) Very nice lighting
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/11/2008 11:24:55 PM
Dramatic. Nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/11/2008 07:39:44 PM
Do you get paid well... cause Id be really great at being a reculse... Nice shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/11/2008 10:52:14 AM
this is hardly your ocupacion... lol
 08/11/2008 07:58:50 AM
Rob!! That is really good. Nicely done, my friend.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/11/2008 05:17:02 AM
Very strange portrait, with a lot of black areas. But the (lack of) color matches with the theme.. intense photo! (8)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/11/2008 04:53:00 AM
Beautiful lighting and tones
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/11/2008 02:35:04 AM
brilliant... 9! Good luck
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/11/2008 02:19:52 AM
Strong portrait here....... 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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