When I was growing up (in the late 60s and early 70s) smoking was still an accepted part of everyday life: people smoked in films and on TV, they smoked in restaurants and on planes, and there was none of the social and medical stigma attached to the habit that there is today. As such I can look at this photograph without really thinking about the cigarette and still think that this guy looks pretty cool. That said though, I wonder how many of you noticed the cigarette first, then the guy, and made a different judgement?
captured camera lens focal length aperture shutter speed shooting mode exposure bias metering mode ISO flash image quality RAW converter cropped?
2.15pm on 17/5/08
Canon 1Ds Mark II EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
200mm
f/3.5
1/250
aperture priority
+0.0
evaluative
100
580EX II (-2/3 FEC)
RAW
C1 Pro
1x1
comment byt i n o at 09:02 PM (GMT) on 28 May, 2008
I guess you know the Lucky Luke story then... Luke had the habit to roll a cigarette every tenth picture or so and on the covers there was always his face with a cigarette in his mouth. Somewhen in late Seventies I guess (or maybe later) Morris changed it to a straw.
But I'm surprised about the dozens of smoking people I see in new movies. I have the feeling that every second main character in a movie made after 2005 smokes often... Maybe everyone in Hollywood is feeling like "we have crowded smoking out to be a good example, let's get back to reality" or somewhat. No idea. But it's interesting :)
comment bythukai at 09:41 PM (GMT) on 28 May, 2008
Very nice, portrait. Would he look as cool had it not been for the cigarette?
BTW... There are to many mm in the EXIF :)
comment by dfp at 09:59 PM (GMT) on 28 May, 2008
A fantastic candid portrait. Also love the crop and pp, but one thing that bugs me about the image is his nose being out of focus due to the shallow dof, i noticed it immediately and maybe it shouldn't matter but it bugs me! Still, a really good capture! :)
The cigarette is a big part of the portrait in this one, as with the glasses and the stubble. For me imagining the cigarette being absent takes a lot of the coolness away.
comment by Mark at 03:18 AM (GMT) on 29 May, 2008
My first thought when I saw this was "Marlboro man', so yes the first thing I saw was the fag. Have a browse through the portraits on Flickr, and those with the most style will often involve a cigarette; it breaks up the symmetry of the face, makes a great prop and photographers are drawn to them to give an image something 'extra', so much as some might hate the idea, the 'cool' image will stick for some time to come.
That said, I'm also very fond of conference speakers who use their spectacles as an aid to making a point by waving them or sucking on the arm while taking questions - less harmful than fags but still make for a great long lens shot.
Interesting the comments of him looking cool. My immediate reaction was f'n scary!! Looking back again, nope, nothing has changed from my first reaction.
comment by jkm at 04:31 AM (GMT) on 29 May, 2008
Cigarette first, then expression, stuble, glasses and then the nose. It's a 'what u lookin at' expression and I am with Rob. Find it more threatening than cool.
As a smoker no problem with seeing a cigarette. As a smoker who tries to quit smoking... that s another story. As a photographer: I wish I could read somewhere the technical story of this image (for free), how you did it. :)
comment bybirgit at 09:16 AM (GMT) on 29 May, 2008
you really want to know ?
okay, I thought the guy looks pretty cool, but I felt sorry for him to have that habbit of smoking. A kiss from such great lips would just taste awfull I think...
comment byGraeme at 01:23 PM (GMT) on 29 May, 2008
Funny, I hate smoking but although I noticed the cigarette my first thought was "geez is this the new Dr House?" , then I had Reservoir Dogs in my mind. Guess I am old enough to accept the cigarette but still immensly dislike the habit....
I find a great/strong photograph. The sunglasses and fag (cigarette for us Americans) hanging from his mouth, add in the post processing, B&W photo, the skin and beard are extremely sharp making it a masculine photograph. If they ever publish a magazine with the name, Kick Your Butt, this photo should be the cover. :)
Also I learned today that sometime going over the top with shaping is a good thing.
Strong nice pic. The cigarette didnt catch my attention but the horrible sunglasses and not knowing if the guy have hair on the top of his head...oh yes, it caught my attention :)
comment byDedicatedRR at 09:46 PM (GMT) on 30 May, 2008
Everyone's been talking about the cigarette, but like the last few commenters the first thing I noticed was the glasses. I think the photo would still be great with the just the glasses or just the cigarette, but if it was mssing both it definitely wouldn't have been as interesting. :P
It just reminded me of a cool film still. His ciagarette made it all the better looking. My parents smoke. I militantly hate it. That said, some people seem to really pull it off. Like this guy. The designer stubble does it for me most.
comment byLeicca at 10:10 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2008
Great shot!
I´ve been on holidays for a week. I´m glad I can see more portraits here.
The last thing I saw was the cigarette and the'judgement did not change when I noticed it. (I´m not sure whether it helps you. :D I must admit I do smoke as well. :( I have to give it up and I´m sure I´ll do it soon. )
comment bydieter dl at 09:42 AM (GMT) on 8 June, 2008
When I was growing up (in the late 60s and early 70s) smoking was still an accepted part of everyday life: people smoked in films and on TV, they smoked in restaurants and on planes, and there was none of the social and medical stigma attached to the habit that there is today. As such I can look at this photograph without really thinking about the cigarette and still think that this guy looks pretty cool. That said though, I wonder how many of you noticed the cigarette first, then the guy, and made a different judgement?
camera
lens
focal length
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
flash
image quality
RAW converter
cropped?
Canon 1Ds Mark II
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
200mm
f/3.5
1/250
aperture priority
+0.0
evaluative
100
580EX II (-2/3 FEC)
RAW
C1 Pro
1x1
I guess you know the Lucky Luke story then... Luke had the habit to roll a cigarette every tenth picture or so and on the covers there was always his face with a cigarette in his mouth. Somewhen in late Seventies I guess (or maybe later) Morris changed it to a straw.
But I'm surprised about the dozens of smoking people I see in new movies. I have the feeling that every second main character in a movie made after 2005 smokes often... Maybe everyone in Hollywood is feeling like "we have crowded smoking out to be a good example, let's get back to reality" or somewhat. No idea. But it's interesting :)
Very nice, portrait. Would he look as cool had it not been for the cigarette?
BTW... There are to many mm in the EXIF :)
A fantastic candid portrait. Also love the crop and pp, but one thing that bugs me about the image is his nose being out of focus due to the shallow dof, i noticed it immediately and maybe it shouldn't matter but it bugs me! Still, a really good capture! :)
The cigarette is a big part of the portrait in this one, as with the glasses and the stubble. For me imagining the cigarette being absent takes a lot of the coolness away.
My first thought when I saw this was "Marlboro man', so yes the first thing I saw was the fag. Have a browse through the portraits on Flickr, and those with the most style will often involve a cigarette; it breaks up the symmetry of the face, makes a great prop and photographers are drawn to them to give an image something 'extra', so much as some might hate the idea, the 'cool' image will stick for some time to come.
That said, I'm also very fond of conference speakers who use their spectacles as an aid to making a point by waving them or sucking on the arm while taking questions - less harmful than fags but still make for a great long lens shot.
Interesting the comments of him looking cool. My immediate reaction was f'n scary!! Looking back again, nope, nothing has changed from my first reaction.
Cigarette first, then expression, stuble, glasses and then the nose. It's a 'what u lookin at' expression and I am with Rob. Find it more threatening than cool.
face expression first (lips), then glasses, cigarrete was something normal in the picture :-)
As a smoker no problem with seeing a cigarette. As a smoker who tries to quit smoking... that s another story. As a photographer: I wish I could read somewhere the technical story of this image (for free), how you did it. :)
you really want to know ?
okay, I thought the guy looks pretty cool, but I felt sorry for him to have that habbit of smoking. A kiss from such great lips would just taste awfull I think...
Funny, I hate smoking but although I noticed the cigarette my first thought was "geez is this the new Dr House?" , then I had Reservoir Dogs in my mind. Guess I am old enough to accept the cigarette but still immensly dislike the habit....
I find a great/strong photograph. The sunglasses and fag (cigarette for us Americans) hanging from his mouth, add in the post processing, B&W photo, the skin and beard are extremely sharp making it a masculine photograph. If they ever publish a magazine with the name, Kick Your Butt, this photo should be the cover. :)
Also I learned today that sometime going over the top with shaping is a good thing.
Sorry. I should have typed "sharpening" instead of "shaping".
Great image, wouldn't have been out of place in the Godfather.
Thanks all.
Cool dude, cool shades!!
very cool - the angle of the cigarette is very nonchalent... great photo
Strong nice pic. The cigarette didnt catch my attention but the horrible sunglasses and not knowing if the guy have hair on the top of his head...oh yes, it caught my attention :)
Everyone's been talking about the cigarette, but like the last few commenters the first thing I noticed was the glasses. I think the photo would still be great with the just the glasses or just the cigarette, but if it was mssing both it definitely wouldn't have been as interesting. :P
It just reminded me of a cool film still. His ciagarette made it all the better looking. My parents smoke. I militantly hate it. That said, some people seem to really pull it off. Like this guy. The designer stubble does it for me most.
Great shot!
I´ve been on holidays for a week. I´m glad I can see more portraits here.
The last thing I saw was the cigarette and the'judgement did not change when I noticed it. (I´m not sure whether it helps you. :D I must admit I do smoke as well. :( I have to give it up and I´m sure I´ll do it soon. )
great portrait!!!