I've known about your site for a while now, but i've only just recently started checking back daily.
I must say, your portraits are fantastic. You have inspired me to go out and take better "people" shots and you've also made me realise that shooting with a flash is a good idea.
I was wondering, do you use a diffuser at all?
And would you care to share your post processing workflow on this particular image, as this and all of your shots have a sort of "realism" which I cannot achieve - perhaps due to my equipment...but then again, a bad workman always blames his tools right?

I don't particularly like the dead centre composition of this one, but the lighting and colours are wonderful.

i dont like the dead center pose either. i also think that this would be an interesting picture without the man in the middle of it. he has a very interesting expression though.

Looks like you scared him to death.

Ah, the beauty of humankind. Jeez. Poor sod.

I don't know ... Dead center pose, average background, redish skin tone (but maybe the guy is this way ...). Not very original. I've seen wayyy better from you.

Fred @ 400iso.com

awesome expression, and a lovely background! looks cool to have colored paper for a b/g!

Sheesh.
Centered subject != automatically bad photo.
And it's a portrait for goodness' sake. Why shouldn't he be centered?

"Original" or not, this guy's expression and outfit and hair and the background make this an extremely interesting shot.

I think the centered thing works good here. The point is that your eyes travel around the photo nicely. For me, his eyes grab me and then you sorta pull back and giggle at his expression and then pull futher back and notice the wonderful background..

Anthony, I wonder how many people will get that (!=) means, "Not equal to" in programming lingo? :)

d, the great thing about your photography is that you're always experimenting and that your experiments are better than most people's best. You seem to approach each day with a hunger for a new photographic experience.

I am so very thankful that you listen to your own inner voice each day and don't try to follow the tide of comments or limit yourself by some arbitrary rules. While rules can be a great aid, it's the exceptions that often stand out.

I don't mean to be adversarial to the remarks of others, but you almost never stick your subject in the middle and when you do, they spring.

"Wayne" has friendly, kind eyes, and just enough zig-zag of his nose and face to make a centered position the most perfect. Sometimes things just need to be balanced. I like it.

I like u'r "children's portraits" better

=)

I think it rocks..! The centered composition and the expression is very fitting... Nice processing too...

I listed you on my website awhile ago and at that point, I did not think that a link back was mandatory. That rule has changed and therefore I have to ask you to link me or I will delete your link. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I realized it was only fair.

"I listed you on my website awhile ago and at that point, I did not think that a link back was mandatory. That rule has changed and therefore I have to ask you to link me or I will delete your link. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I realized it was only fair."

Best comment ever on a photoblog.

Thanks for the laugh Jaime !

Fred @ 400iso.com

its nice.. but its no big deal.. the darken corner (photoshop i presume) is a nice touch but other than that its pretty ordinary..

"I listed you on my website awhile ago and at that point, I did not think that a link back was mandatory. That rule has changed and therefore I have to ask you to link me or I will delete your link. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I realized it was only fair."

Oh my word. So you actually only link people to get a link back on their website? That's sad :/

I do like this photo Dave, not as much as your others i'll admit - there's a certain unease about his expression, but the sharpness and colours and undoubtedly spot on :)

Hi I was told about this blog by a friend (Jem who posted a second ago :P) and have it bookmarked and check it everyday, your work is honestly some of the best I've ever seen and I'd kill for a portfolio like yours ¬_¬
I personally prefer some of your more abstract work but I've failed to spot a photo of yours I dislike, you always seem to be improving even when I think you reach perfection and I hope you get even more success in the future

Oh and Jaime: That has to be one of the stupidest comments I've ever read, you should link to someone else's work because you find it inspirational and want to share it with others, not because you want more hits >_<

Fred, Jem, Keir: You guys should read what Jamie's site is about before attacking like that.

Though I visited it and I think it's a pointless effort creating such site when hundreds, if not thousands of directories already exist in the world.. ;)

As for this photo: He reminds me of the blonde guy, Harry Dunne (played by Jeff Daniels) from the movie Dumb and Dumber .. And i'm not making fun of Wayne. It's just what I thought of when I first saw the photo.

The centering of the photo is not my main concern. It is all the distracting ugliness in the background. Too much shine and glitter. Overall I agree: Average shot, but like we discussed before, you can't make a masterpiece everyday..

Thanks everyone. Oh, and I do like the dead-centre composition ;-)

Adam: yes, I use a stofen diffuser. As for the workflow on this one: Curves, Hue/Saturation, and Selective Color. I guess, in this instance, that I was aiming for a natural(ish) look.

nogger: actually, he asked me to take a couple more shots after this one, so I don't think he was as concerned as he looks.

Sharla: thanks.

Jaime: yep, feel free to delete it.

miklos: the "shine and glitter", for me at least, was one of the main points. Here's a guy, immaculately presented in shirt and bow-tie, selling glittery gift bags. It was the incongruity that appealed to me.

I love the centered comp as well. His eyes are the ringer for this one. And you just can't pass up the expression. I'm just digging the colors and glitter