But is it art? This is a shot which I took late at night at the end of an island party (so a small sherry had been taken I confess). I just used what dim light there was to see how it...

simonbowen Loc: hampton court uk

This is a shot which I took late at night at the end of an island party (so a small sherry had been taken I confess).
I just used what dim light there was to see how it might turn out.
I have done nothing by way of pp except to slightly crop it.
I have kept the image simply because of the Caravaggio type light which came as a surprise.
Would you have kept it?

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Nightski

I definitely would have kept it. I like it very much. I would crop it just left of the brass thingy. One candle and then the total darkness to the right is all I need to see. The thingy and the second candle ruin the feeling of solitude for me.

simonbowen Loc: hampton court uk

Nightski wrote:

I definitely would have kept it. I like it very much. I would crop it just left of the brass thingy. One candle and then the total darkness to the righ is all I need to see. The thingy and the second candle ruin the feeling of solitude for me.

You're probably right. I've added the cropped version as you suggested.

mr. u. n. owen

Someone leaving ? Someone will return ? End of a great night?Many stories told here . I love it. Dont do more in photoshop than you can do in a wet darkroom. After all its in the camera , right?

simonbowen Loc: hampton court uk

mr. u. n. owen wrote:

Someone leaving ? Someone will return ? End of a great night?Many stories told here . I love it. Dont do more in photoshop than you can do in a wet darkroom. After all its in the camera , right?

It's all in the camera - as it should be! Thanks.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

simonbowen wrote:

This is a shot which I took late at night at the end of an island party (so a small sherry had been taken I confess).
I just used what dim light there was to see how it might turn out.
I have done nothing by way of pp except to slightly crop it.
I have kept the image simply because of the Caravaggio type light which came as a surprise.
Would you have kept it?

Yes, it is art, and you are right to connect it to the Caravaggio lighting effect. The severe contrasts in lighting bright to dark are familiar to me in landscape and nothing will make me run off the road faster than that chiaroscuro look you get on a bright day with big puffy clouds moving those shadows around a nice landscape. I'm headed to the mountains in a couple of days and hope to find some of that! I'm not as accustomed to thinking about it with photos of people but the concept is the same I think.

I agree with Sandra on that crop, just to the left of the silver pointy thing, allowing the candle and the human to fall along traditional compositional lines. I'd clone out the red light and those other small light distractions between the candle and the forearm. Then you have a mysterious pensive portrait that really calls attention to itself and makes the viewer try to assign meaning. It is a bit dark on my monitor, but we know that UHH plays tricks with light, so that may not be the case on your end.

Thanks for coming to call, Simon, and please share more of your art!

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

simonbowen wrote:

This is a shot which I took late at night at the end of an island party (so a small sherry had been taken I confess).
...

I see the touch of the Masters in your work. Welcome and thank you for sharing! S-

NJFrank Loc: New Jersey

The second one is a keeper for sure. I get the sense the individual is at peace with himself. Sandra is right about a single light

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Simon, I have to say I prefer the original. I was just admitting in another topic that I tend to include too much information in my compositions, so there you have it :)

My reasons:

1. It seems like #2 is more familiar, been there seen that.

2. The first encourages me to wonder if there is someone at the other end of the table, and all the possible stories that one might attach to that.

3. All the dark space around the man and table sets more mood for me - insignificant, lonely, mysterious.

Either way, the exposure of the image is wonderful and I love it!

Erik_H Loc: Denham Springs, Louisiana

I can't seem to decide which one I like more. I really like the sense of solitude and contentment in the cropped version, but I also get a feeling of patient anticipation in the original. The lighting is a perfect mood setter. I most definitely would keep it (them).

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

simonbowen wrote:

This is a shot which I took late at night at the end of an island party (so a small sherry had been taken I confess).
I just used what dim light there was to see how it might turn out.
I have done nothing by way of pp except to slightly crop it.
I have kept the image simply because of the Caravaggio type light which came as a surprise.
Would you have kept it?

Definitely a keeper.
I know it's what the "camera saw" but we're it my image, I would pp just enough to render what my eyes saw at the moment of exposure, having accommodated to the candle light. Leaving the illumination of the subject at you is level is, I recognize, quite purist, but I know of no image by Caravaggio that rendered a view by candlelight viewed as if one had just walked into the dark room from out-of-doors daylight without a chance for retinal response!

Dave

simonbowen Loc: hampton court uk

minniev wrote:

Yes, it is art, and you are right to connect it to... (show quote)

Thanks for your comments. The image does need some pp as you suggest - but I'm now having 3rd and 4th views about the crop!

simonbowen Loc: hampton court uk

Uuglypher wrote:

Definitely a keeper.
I know it's what the "camera saw" but we're it my image, I would pp just enough to render what my eyes saw at the moment of exposure, having accommodated to the candle light. Leaving the illumination of the subject at you is level is, I recognize, quite purist, but I know of no image by Caravaggio that rendered a view by candlelight viewed as if one had just walked into the dark room from out-of-doors daylight without a chance for retinal response!

Dave

Thanks Dave - sometimes I'm a bit too purist.

simonbowen Loc: hampton court uk

Erik_H wrote:

I can't seem to decide which one I like more. I really like the sense of solitude and contentment in the cropped version, but I also get a feeling of patient anticipation in the original. The lighting is a perfect mood setter. I most definitely would keep it (them).

Thanks for your comments. Still in dithering mode about the crop!

simonbowen Loc: hampton court uk

Linda From Maine wrote:

Simon, I have to say I prefer the original. I was ... (show quote)