Morning Chai, Morning Shave, a photo from Uttar Pradesh, North

Photographer's Note

We visited about 12 different cities in our India trip, and without a doubt Varanasi would be in the top two or three.

The city is extremely busy and crowded. But once you get off the streets and find your way to the famous Ghats with the Ganges River, all the people and activity, it's a place you don't want to leave.

Here again I pulled out my tele lens, which I something I don't do very often. I'm so glad I had it with me during the trip.

Knowing there would be SO many people photos here, I wanted to capture people from far away, that way it would reduce the risk of making people angry. It worked out quite well.

Here is an activity you see quite often, men getting a shave out in the open. As for the composition, I deliberately wanted to have the arms coming into the scene, I think its more dramatic that way and more interesting.

Hope you like it

Graal, snunney, holmertz, worldcitizen, tatadalou, jjcordier, jhm, adores, delpeoples, ourania, Didi has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Silvio1953 (223141) 2015-03-30 6:13

Ciao Craig, my today neighbour, nice daily life scene, fine details and excellent clarity, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

Sergiom (117241) 2015-03-30 6:22

Bonjour Craig,

Tu as saisi un tr鑚 beau moment sur le vif.Le point de vue est parfait et nous montre bien le bonheur ressenti par l'homme pendant qu'il se fait raser. L'arri鑽e plan rouge offre un beau contraste.

Amicalement

Serge

Graal (103040) 2015-03-30 6:27

Hello Craig,
fine scene, good shot and portrait. Good caught moment. Well photo-work. I like it.
Have a nice evening.
Aleksander

snunney (130967) 2015-03-30 6:47

Hello Craig,
Perfect crop for this excellent street capture accentuating the dynamism of the scene. Good colours and sharpness.

holmertz (103762) 2015-03-30 7:13

Hello Craig,
I like that you got so close so that we can really see the man's face, and the barber is reduced to two forearms. The red background is also very good. This is a kind of scene that is so very common all over India, and many other countries, but for some reason I always found it difficult to get good pictures of situations like this. Somehow I myself and the people involved seem to regard this as a too private moment. I've always felt unwelcome when I've got too close to outdoor barbershops. Maybe I should have carried a 250 mm lens.
Besty wishes,
Gert

janjan1897 (2301) 2015-03-30 8:45

Hello Craig,
Interesting daily life shot. You have captured well the relaxed trusting expression of the man having a shave, he looks as if he was sleeping ! The use of your tele lens has done a remarkable job in your hands. I like the tight cropping and framing, and the out of focus background that makes the subject stand out well. Nice work.
Best regards,
Jean

janneman (4037) 2015-03-30 10:31

This is a very strong image with the hands coming in from the right and the relaxed man with his closed eys looking facing to the right.
The beautiful background is a nice contrast to the clothes and the shavingfoam.

Regards, Jan

No_One (4) 2015-03-30 11:05

Hi Craig,
I like the idea of the arms reaching into the shot, like some strange being performing an ancient ritual. The mans expression is very interesting too, he seems so absorbed by the moment. I guess this is one of the key benefits of that lens, you can capture true moments without any knowing, and therefore without fakery in the persons expression. Great idea, hope you have more people shots to share.
Cheers
Noel

rbassin (27472) 2015-03-30 13:16

hello Craig
une superbe portrait, un gros plan mettant en 騅idence les gestes et la mimique du client.
C'est bien vu
Roland

worldcitizen (16236) 2015-03-30 14:00

Hello Craig,
I've seen photos like this from India before, but I like that yours is more close-up and tightly framed than others. The color of the background is also very nice. This man seems very relaxed. Maybe it's because he's only having the shaving cream applied here, and the razor blade is not next to his skin yet. LOL! I like seeing those arms partially in the frame, too.

tatadalou (7459) 2015-03-30 14:18

Hello Craig,
Nice daily life shot. Thanks to the tele lens, you could obtain a natural expression. Excellent light management and focus.
Regards,
Delphine

mesutilgim (0) 2015-03-30 14:18

Hello dear Craig,
Just wonderfull ! A nice capture taken with very good pov.
Interesting notes makes your entry a perfect TE job.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

carlo62 (81265) 2015-03-30 14:40

Ciao Craig
magnifico ritratto, di eccellente qualit� e con un bellissimo sfondo.
Gli occhi chiusi indicano concentrazione, mentre le mani del barbiere sono decise e sicure.
Saluti
Carlo

Gerrit (62042) 2015-03-30 15:45

Hello Craig,
Fantastic capture of this priceless face and the quality is also perfect.
The light on his shirt and the texture of it are fantastic.
Thanks and regards,
Gerrit

Praetzer (209) 2015-03-31 2:17

Excellent background with the right DOF.
Very pleasing POV.
Like it.
Alfred

claudeD (47754) 2015-03-31 4:07

Hello Craig,

wonderful portrait picture showing this man have a shave outside. Perfect sharpness and clarity for this excellent contribution to TE.Very well done.TFS.

With regards from Luxembourg

JC

jhm (211738) 2015-03-31 4:14

Hello Craig,

Daily life pictures are always pleasant to look at, this give a view on the country.
Nice composition, excellent colours and presentation
Very well done, TFS

Best regards,
John

eldancer1 (36343) 2015-03-31 7:37

Great documentation of the daily life of a street barber providing the basic needs. I like the tight cropping and good composition. I also like the color of the background. Very well done, tfs.

rychem (72187) 2015-03-31 8:45

Interesting to see how this man is shaved with a shaving razor, not with an electric shaver, very well observed and captured,
regards Ryszard

adores (46979) 2015-03-31 17:36

Hi Craig!
I like it, the focus, the red background and the composition. You framed it really well and the man's expression is fabulous. I've been there three times, but never to Varanasi, but I want to return anyway:)!

npecanhuk (79329) 2015-04-01 7:10

Hi Craig!
Superb daily life picture!
We all thank you took off your tele lens and used it!
Exposure, colors, sharpness and compositiona are great!
Cheers,
Neyvan

Nicou (193814) 2015-04-03 3:49

Hlelo

Merveilleuse sc鈩e et vue de cet homme en train de se faire raser quelle compo et image quelle sc鈩e et captage superbe.
Bravo et amiti�
Nicou

emka (158988) 2015-04-03 23:51

Hi Craig, You are lazy with showing the photos from India. I am sure you have plenty of them. In India you shouldn;'t be afraid of making people photos They like it and are happy to pose. I wonder what cities you visited. And also for me , Varanasi was most impressive. It is not the place for everyone, though. Some my friends told me that if they knew how it would be, they wouldn't go to India. But I would love to go once more. Nice scene. Post more photos!!
Happy Easter to you both, hugs MAlgo

Fis2 (172115) 2015-04-04 13:08

Witaj Craig!
Interesting scene,
good reportage shot.
I like framing and colours.
In Poland, the scene of the past.
Have a nice afternoon
Krzysztof

delpeoples (60342) 2015-04-14 5:18

Ciao caro Craig

hehehe this makes me laugh. What an unusual scene, yet something over there which is no doubt every day. Can you imagine sitting in the middle of a busy street in a hugs city getting a shave? Wow. Your long lens did its job without offending anybody, which is very good considering the barber no doubt had a sharp razor in his hand. Beautiful strong colours, so typical of India and a wonderful atmosphere created. Are you back from Norway yet?

Thanks for sharing, have a great day/night/whatever it is there in Canuckland/

Lisa

ourania (51103) 2015-04-17 11:15

Hello Craig,
I don't know if you watched the whole of the procedure through your tele lens but the scene you've captured in this photo is really superb. It gives us information on daily life there but it's also an original portrait and describes the relationship of the two subjects. The client looks trusting and relaxed, amazing how his attitude makes him so interesting. The backdrop and the colour palette enhance the feeling of intimacy. The hands look fascinating in this tight composition. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a lovely weekend,
Ourania

Didi (61591) 2015-04-19 11:19

Hi Craig
Very good description of the action in this nice local scene
Good frame quality
Well done
Best regards

batalay (41261) 2015-04-21 5:28

Hello Craig,

Absolutely fabulous portrait of the fellow getting a shave, and as useful a personal note as ever. I've visited a few sites in India � Mumbai (Bombay), Agra, New Delhi and Chandigarh � all serving as an appetizer, while the endless ocean of surprises in this country beckons...

Warm regards,

Bulent

InasiaJones (31566) 2015-04-30 17:03

Oh my God... You've been in India Craig, so by now, you must be hooked, as there is no destination as exotic and exciting as India, to truly loose all your references.

Colors, smells, nice people, striking discoveries, awesome food, delhi belly, everything is there to create the most memorable moments..

Barbers represent a nice theme that I enjoy myself in various situations, and this one is interesting for the expression of the client and the arms of the barber that suggests command and control, while remaining anonymous.

But Craig, this scene is begging for more light, as you haven't post-processed it in order to bring attention on the face, or at least to illuminate it. The most important part of that frame is actually in the dark, while the shirt is grabbing all the attention!??

Because the expression is intriguing and defines the emotional link with the subject- a sense of abandon, I would have been instinctively guided to get a closer capture, so the face and the arms would have become the ultimate elements of the image.

When you think about it, being shaved by another person, surrendering your face to someone else is quite an act of intimacy, so by framing the scene tighter, you would have emphasized this moment, you would have highlighted the scene in an extraordinary way.

Making photography is to know what is essential to keep in the frame, and ignoring what is not necessary. In this case, the magic, the centre of interest is all between these two hands and the face; the shirt, as well as the garbage in the background are far from being desirable in this frame and they completely distract from what this photo is all about.

You would have focused on the upper half of this photo, framed horizontally, and you were having a stunning shot in your hand, as I really don't see what the lower half can possibly bring to the image, what kind of contribution it makes.

The moment was perfect, the face framed by the hand was exceptional, the expression is delightful (almost like a ritualistic moment), but by including this shirt that overtakes the rest of the scene, the focal point is diffused and lost through unnecessary details.

But I salute your guts and initiative to try other subjects than buildings; and you are right, India is a great place to shoot people, as they are as interesting as they are interested. I will keep following your Indian trip through your photo, as I am both jealous of you, but also happy that you have discovered this fabulous country.

Cheers!

Andr�

CLODO (45118) 2015-05-01 0:19

Hi Craig

good to go far away from your comfort zone (buildings) and try something more difficult.
I like the way you've taken this picture at the peak moment, the customer is really relaxed (look at his hands) and is appreciating wide eyes closed the movement of the razor on his face.
I fully agree with Andr� comments, so I propose you a WS with the tricks which answer his will.
Have a great 1er May rest
CLODO

[workshop] [compare]