minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Rolling Fork, MS -After the chuckburger eating contest, Yazoo Gold took the stage, and there are always folk in Rolling Fork who must dance to the music. I see this gentleman every year, always either dancing alone or in Row 1 for a brief rest. You've already seen Teddy Roosevelt and my friend Henry from the GDBA in the portrait thread, but there's some more I wanted to see what you think of. Suggestions, feedback and edits are welcome.

Note: The Bear Affair has an interesting approach to photography: there are signs at the admission tables welcoming everyone, listing the events, advising all participants that photography is encouraged, and that if they object to being photographed or having their photograph published, there is still time to find another place to spend the day.

(Download)

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

I'm wondering why so much grain minniev.......your choice? Certainly looks as if you caught him off guard.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

Caught his moment, fantastic story, who would have thought that such a photo friendly events still take place.

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Min if you wanted a nice picture you have one. Its almost an illustration. For a fota there may just be too much quite severe PP at work here. Its looking like a donolea composite with ol' fancy feet added to a shot of the band with the lighting not quite right to convince.
I love pictures so for me its a hit in that respect. I love the tough guy tats and the bottle bottom specs in the thick plastic frames. He is a gem for sure. I bet he is vertically challenged? Actually poor little guy looks like he is used to dancing alone. As a Brit we always love a guy who wears a Stetson, like no one told em cowboys are no more and the injins all live on reservations? If however I had to judge it as a fota then it has problems.
Sounds like my sorta place by the way. My rules and if you do not like em get lost! Perfectly disrespectful lol.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Oh, he knew i was photographing him. He enjoys being photographed and it can get difficult to take a picture without him in it. The grain is of course the result of a problem - noise from raising the shadows on the band created by the shade of the stage roof. I ended up applying grain with NIK Analog Efex, which simulates specific film grain as one part of mitigating that.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thanks Piet, glad you enjoyed. The Bear festival is pretty interesting, it's a great place for people aspiring to shoot street photos but fearful of repercussions.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thank you Billy. I don't really distinguish between photos and pictures so I'll just say if you think it's nice, I'm good. I can assure you he was really there, not just in this photo but in dozens of others including those where I was trying NOT to photograph him. Not much PP work here, just raised the shadows and lowered the highlights in ACR like usual, added some clarity, fixed a hot spot on those glasses, took a pass through Analog Efex to add some film-type grain, and fixed a reflective hot spot on those glasses, which feature the bottle bottom lenses you noted, but are also remarkable for having those lenses installed with scotch tape. It is entirely possible,however,that many scenes shot at the Bear Festival might be thought composites. The South can be surreal, which is maybe why we have produced so many interesting novelists and musicians. We are cautious who to label as challenged, here, as the lines are quite blurred.

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

I gathered from the image that in some quarters he may be considered a sandwich short of a picnic but from previous conversations with you gleaned that kissin' cousins is quite normal and the problems that causes are not viewed as problems at all.

ediesaul

[quote=minniev]Rolling Fork, MS -After the chuckburger eating contest, Yazoo Gold took the stage, and there are always folk in Rolling Fork who must dance to the music. I see this gentleman every year, always either dancing alone or in Row 1 for a brief rest. You've already seen Teddy Roosevelt and my friend Henry from the GDBA in the portrait thread, but there's some more I wanted to see what you think of. Suggestions, feedback and edits are welcome.

I especially like the lighting in this photo. It helps the eye zoom in on the main character, and then the viewer may stroll through other very interesting details.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

[quote=ediesaul]

Thank you Edie. I took a bunch of shots earlier in the day but these, right around sunset, were more pleasing, when the roof over the stage blocked some of the harsh sun for a while.