A classical type of portrait.

[leuallen]

I photograph many of the bands that come to our small local venue. This night a new band. I walk in and am confronted with horror lighting from blue LEDs on the floor, a mix of tungsten an fluorescent lights, and very high contrast. Worse than usual. Low light levels - 6400 Iso at 1.8. Following my motto: "Carry on" I set out to do the best I could. That is the backstory.

So I start processing the results and I come on this image. A really lot of major slider moves and I got this. I was blown away. I had a hard time photographing this gentleman, wandering eyes, weird expressions, did not think I got a good one of him. And it turned out he was one of the best.

An important take away for me is that you have to have good composition to start with. Most else can be fixed in post but not the composition.

I love challenges like this: take a bad situation and turn it into something good.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

It works!
Well done.

[Ivo_B]

Yes, nice portrait. Good shot.

I guess this is an example where B&W could work better. Do you have it in B&W?

[Arlen]

Very well done, I like it a lot, and would have been excited to find it among the images from a shoot. My only suggestion would be to try to tone down the blue in the fingers, which seems to draw attention away from the face, and see how that works.

[RSL]

Very well done, I like it a lot, and would have been excited to find it among the images from a shoot. My only suggestion would be to try to tone down the blue in the fingers, which seems to draw attention away from the face, and see how that works.

A fine shot. I agree with Arlen, though I'd consider simply reducing the brightness of the fingers.

[leuallen]

Good suggestion - B/W. The blue from the LED's was overpowering. I have already tried to reduce it on the hand but nothing looks good. I have burned in the hand some already. B/W would take care of it.

[leuallen]

B/W? But I love the color pallet!

[RSL]

The color palette is important in this shot, Leuallen. It's not one of those pictures where the graphics are everything. I tried a version in B&W. It's okay, but it doesn't have the force of the color version. Here's a slight reduction of the brightness on the fingers. Brings them down to about the same level as the shirt.

[Rob C]

Why be worried about blue?

The venue is doing its best to be exciting - why dumb them down to fit some preconceived, imaginary photographic norm?

Be grateful digtal lets you get the shot; keep the mind free of such pointless restrictions to catching some excitement in this dull world.

Your shot is a good one - who cares about the ones that didn't cut it? You have every right to feel pleased with what you got.

Rob