In the church

[Antonio Correia]

Recovering some photos from January 2020
What do you think ?

[langier]

Very nice and very close!

I may have taken this shot with a little less floor and with a little more at the tops so that the slightly decapitated statue isn't beyond the edge. Maybe take a little off the left though that electronic box-looking object does helps to date the image which is perfectly fine, perhaps a little more on the right... But this is just me Monday Morning Quarterbacking.

Sometimes backing off a little, a little less cropping at the start, gives you options later in the process. After having my head hammered for years with "fill the frame" it's difficult to back off and be a little less strict with my framing!

What really makes it, though, is having a "verb." In this case, that's the young man by the candles that sets this image into both a human context and scale making this more than just another architectural recording or a photo of things; objects.

In a series of workshop years ago where I was co-instructor with my mentor, our first California "Mission Portfolio Workshop" was at a minor California Mission. The parish was more of a museum and most there wanted to photograph "things." It was totally fine but had little of vivaciousness. The two workshops to follow, both were at active Mission parishes. Most were not happy to have people "in the way" and just wanted the solitude of shooting "things" and objects. However, I was thrilled as were a few others.

It was an opportunity to place these historic places into the human element showing how they were still venerated and used so many years after their founding. It placed them pretty much into a context of timeless yet modern. That gave these places life, rather than relic status in my mind.

And you managed to elevate this photo beyond just another "museum" shot. Well done Antonio!

[Antonio Correia]

Langier, thank you so much for commenting at that extent ! Fine. Thanks.

Even being careful before posting, it happens that the final "product" doesn't please me.
I do have seen that there is a decapitated figure on top. But it is also obvious that my grand son is too stretched.
I couldn't be higher or further away as I was already stepping up the pulpit and trying to hide from the lady who was watching people...

So, I reformulated the work. How ?
I went to LR and reset the crop. In fact I rarely use the 3/4 format in landscape. Instead, I use the 3/5 on landscape and 3/4 on portrait. Well, that is something else we can talk about later on.
I then exported the file to CC where I tricked the perspective, something I should have done before.
Now the result is far more appealing and that head is perfectly in.

Thank you again ! I am sure you will like this one far, far better !
Cheers !

[langier]

Yes! I like this version better! It feels more "complete."

I'd burn the corners down and along the top edge so that the darker tones keep the eye within the frame and call it good.

Though I try to keep things within a standard crop (makes things easier when it comes to matting and framing later) and keeps my work of a uniform shape/size, sometimes one must step outside the constraints for the sake of the image.

For me, I once did everything 2:3 for 35mm and 1:1 for my 6x6cm. Today, I've "broadened" my frames to include 4:3 and 16:9 and if I need something special, simply hand-cut an occasional mat board or print it on canvas and tweak the image to the nearest inch.

Case in point is when I printed my colleague's 25 year retrospect show a dozen years ago. I suggested that he keep the images cropped the same to make it quick, easy, inexpensive to mat and frame. Well, at least the frames were all the same but his assistant had to hand-cut 30-35 custom mats since each image was anywhere from 1/8th inch to 1/2 inch different.

Printing to a uniform size would have made little difference to the image but had made things faster to finish since he waited until the last few days to do most of the work and the frames had to be shipped over-night, though the show had been planned for months... His assistant was quite worn-out and frazzled after the hand cutting to say the least...

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Thank you Antonio for the fine photo (both versions) and Larry for the deep and thorough commentaries. Together these make a fine mini-course in meaningful photography.

Bravo!

[sf]

It's a fine shot, I think, and the new crop is certainly preferable. Could you desaturate the blue in the new area on the left and to the left of the boy, behind him? I realist it comes from artificial light but it looks peculiar.

S

[Antonio Correia]

@ Larry, thank you for your extensive comment.
I make my own prints and use A formats for papers. It means that I print in A5, A4, A3 and A3+ but mostly in the smaller size.What do I print for ? For pleasure, just that.
A couple of years ago inspired by what I saw and learned in LensWork - which I subscribe for perhaps 5 or 6 years - I made some Folios. Folios are collections of 5 images inside an exquisite envelope.

All shots are printed in Fine Art paper Ilford in the instance.As I am somehow limited to these formats I adapted the crop of the images to the papers. How confusing ! Let me try to give you a better explanation.

I crop the shots so they fit in the paper I print on.
For landscape I use the 3/5 but for portraits I use the 3/4. I also make 1/1

Please, look at the example below and you will understand what I mean. Printing this way allows to enjoy the images holding them without touching the print area. I rarely step outside the constraints for the sake of the image and try as much as possible to "to keep things within a standard crop (makes things easier when it comes to matting and framing later) and keep my work of a uniform shape/size" as you mentioned.
Cheers !

@ EricThank you for your comment Eric !
Cheers !

@ S
Indeed S, the blue looks strange mainly on the wall on the right but do remember that the azulejos are blue...
As you suggested I have desaturated the blue in certains areas

Cheers ! .
-
As the background here in this forum, is light gray I made a black canvas so you can better understand what I mean

Final version ! Now S, what do you think ?

[francois]

I must say that I like the last version very much… I wouldn't change anything.

[Antonio Correia]

I must say that I like the last version very much… I wouldn't change anything.

And I will not !
Thank you François !
Cheers !

[sf]

@ S
Indeed S, the blue looks strange mainly on the wall on the right but do remember that the azulejos are blue...
As you suggested I have desaturated the blue in certains areas

Yes!

S

[langier]

I think you've nailed it, Antonio! Just took a little tweaking of a pretty close image and then, near perfection!

Now go out and do it again and again!

[Antonio Correia]

Now, I have something else

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

The portrait of the boy is lovely, Antonio.

[langier]

+1!

[Antonio Correia]

Thank you Eric and Langier !
In this one I spent quite some time as I had to remove some objects.
Cheers !

[francois]

The portrait of the boy is lovely, Antonio.

Yes… I especially love how the kid's face is illuminated by the candles!

[Dale Villeponteaux]

Photographic chiaroscuro! I would be tempted
to darken the background to further highlight
this effect.

This image is a jewel.

Regards,
Dale

[Antonio Correia]

Photographic chiaroscuro! I would be tempted to darken the background to further highlight this effect.
This image is a jewel. Regards,
Dale

Thank you Dale for your comment !
Much appreciated.
I think that a deep darkening of the background  even enhancing the young man, would be too much fro the overall perception of the image.
But perhaps you are right...
Cheers !

[reggisnienaber]

I agree that it was worth taking a little higher in the frame, so there was less floor. In general, I like the atmosphere of photography. There is something peaceful and respectful about it. And by the way, you found a great church for the picture. I wanted to take a series of photos with churches in my area during the pandemic, but I failed due to some circumstances. Besides, I have 't seen such traditional churches for a long time. Where was this photo taken?