Native American "Old Warrior"
Jan 1, 2012 16:47:31 #
We attend many Pow-wows..a gathering of Native American people where customarily dance competitions take place in colorful regalia. With a tip of the hat to Philo's picture's emulating Edward Curtis's style..I've taken one of our images and using postwork came up with a new version.
The gentleman in this photo is over eighty years old. Not only is he a warrior in his native culture but he is also a veteran of World War II. His regalia is among the most beautiful I've seen..a bright turquoise hand beaded deerskin. He's been in attendance, dancing the Senior Men's Traditional Dance, at every local gathering I've attended for the last five years and hopefully will be out again next Spring.
The gentleman in this photo is over eighty years old. Not only is he a warrior in his native culture but he is also a veteran of World War II. His regalia is among the most beautiful I've seen..a bright turquoise hand beaded deerskin. He's been in attendance, dancing the Senior Men's Traditional Dance, at every local gathering I've attended for the last five years and hopefully will be out again next Spring.
Old Warrior
Jan 2, 2012 06:46:14 #
I would love to see the colors you mentioned. Great B & W, excellent capture.
Jan 2, 2012 09:17:04 #
Jan 2, 2012 09:24:10 #
donrent
Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl
Why fis sumtin that ain't boken ???? In sepia it loses EVERYTHING......
Jan 2, 2012 09:57:29 #
donrent wrote:
Why fis sumtin that ain't boken ???? In sepia it loses EVERYTHING......
The original is nothing special and just one used because it had a decent profile to try this on....nothing modern to distract from the "old" look. Why would I want to fix something that "ain't broke"? :D Because I can! It's interesting to see what something would look like another way and depending upon how it will be used, sometimes a revised one will work better.
Here is a copy of the original....
Jan 2, 2012 10:13:19 #
donrent
Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl
"sometimes a revised one will work better. "
And then again, it usually dosen't !
The orginal is by far the best....
And then again, it usually dosen't !
The orginal is by far the best....
Jan 2, 2012 12:17:20 #
Yes...the color is definitely nice...straight from the camera..and can be improved by some cropping, lighting of his face etc. but it also looks very good as a faux painting, oil or watercolor, woodblock or silhouette. Each has its place depending on what is required. My forte is postwork rather than perfecting the camera work. Not that I don't want the sharpest, best shot I can get to begin with. I'm just learning how to use a Nikon D90 rather than the Canon point and shoot that accompanies me everywhere.
Jan 2, 2012 12:42:58 #
I really like the processing on the shot. But the only nit I have is that the crop cut the top of the feather off.
Jan 2, 2012 12:48:57 #
Love both versions of the photo. I especially like how you cropped the Sepia version. And I agree with you; it's fun to try different looks - that's why some of my favorite photos were converted to B&W!
Jan 2, 2012 15:40:38 #
Jan 2, 2012 15:54:58 #
the sepia gives the shot an oldfashioned nostalgic look, and makes it feel historic.However the color does show off his regalia much better. How about trying the photo using selective color? convert to black and white (not sepia) but leave his vest in color.
Jan 2, 2012 16:35:22 #
littlebiddle wrote:
I really like the processing on the shot. But the only nit I have is that the crop cut the top of the feather off.
Actually there is no cut-off of the feather in the crop although it appears so here. The space is minimal for sure but the crop was intended to place interest in his face which was more important for me to bring out in this project. The problem with Indian regalia images is that the feathers often dwarf the face or get cut off inadvertently since the camera is not a full frame..the subjects are moving so it can be difficult to allow for the space needed when focusing.
Jan 2, 2012 16:51:12 #
sinatraman wrote:
the sepia gives the shot an oldfashioned nostalgic look, and makes it feel historic.However the color does show off his regalia much better. How about trying the photo using selective color? convert to black and white (not sepia) but leave his vest in color.
Using selective color in an image like the Old Warriorwould be meaningless unless the shot was intended to illustrate the regalia. If it were one of his bustle, not seen here, maybe. His bustle is a glorious one of eagle's feathers. I might try it if I find the right shot. When I use the selective color technique, it's usually for something like this...
Jan 2, 2012 16:59:21 #
I love to see shots like these .... Well done ... don't care how you process them they are great.
Jan 2, 2012 17:02:40 #
photosbywick wrote:
looks like i'm going to some pow-wows
We've found them an enjoyable way to spend the day..with many opportunities for colorful, interesting photos. Here in the East, we've found representatives of tribes from across the nation...while you might run into people you recognize like the Old Warrior..there are usually surprises. At this point, I can usually recognize the rank or the type of dance that the individual specializes in from the regalia. Most of it is handwork.
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