Cool.

Haha, who was it who left a comment on Johns version saying it was "in your face", they should see this. Nice shot, bad teeth :-)

Yeah, this is definatly the woman I rember Dave. She was a star, I have some other nice ones but they will come out on a rainy day.

I'm actually really enjoying the portraits lately. Don't abandon them!

i love it!

Oh God. and she did say cheese. LOL

Please continue displayiing portraits for as long as you like. I think they are among the best reasons for using a camera.

I've been following your site ever since finding it through Nogger's Midnight Madness blog. And, of course, you've led me to John's photos.

It's particularly enlightening to have your technical data and your own subjective personal thoughts along with the photos. No wonder you've got one of the most popular photo blogs in the world.

As in any art form, I love some of your work, and don't fully enjoy others. Seems to me that's the way it should be. Keep it up.

Wow...a great portrait...a great subject...just great...well all but the choppers.

I'm a big fan of your pictures, but I must admit I feel that there is still a lot of work to do on your portraits...

Why shooting that close ?
Why forcing them smiling, posing like tourist in front of sight-seeing ? She looks like an brain-damaged person...

I think that portrait is about at least showing the ugly in a beautiful way, what did your friend. he added mystery, light work, and the eyes of this woman are very expressive on that picture... I cannot say the same of yours :-(.

I now feel that I have been a bit aggressive on my post... But continue your portraits if you want : it won't stop me coming to see your work, and enjoying your improvements on that particular kind.

Keep the portraits coming.

She reminds me of a small child smiling "too far" when trying to get the camera man's attention. ;)

Shocker! Think this one actually startled me.

(referring to the closeness of the subject not the photograph itself)

I haven’t picked up my camera all week, mostly because I’ve been busy with other things, but also because the weather’s been dreadful.

Oh how I know what you mean Dave :) Plus i've injured my arm at the moment which doesn't make picking up a 20D with a 100mm Macro lens on it all to easy hehe.

Moving on to the image, I think it's a very powerful image yet again. I'd be curious to see it in black and white also :)

Dave,
Challenging (to the viewer) photograph! Well done. I like the close crop (sorry François).
I do have to say though (purely personal this) I prefer your landsacpe and cityscape photos. I think they are more technically challenging (if needing less "bottle").
Cheers!
Oooh I used the word "challenging" twice. tsk tsk. hey ho.

I hate to make this my first comment, but since you did ask, I'm kind of bored with the portraits.

It's your site, and by all means post whatever you're into. Me, personally, I like the landscapes and the pictures of your kids. And it's not your photography -- I don't think the photographer has yet been born that can make me particularly interested in portraits.

David, I'm a big fan of portraits (you have many great ones) but it does bring up something that has been on my mind. Lately I've been seeing A LOT of this type of "in your face" tightly cropped portraits, and some of them are beginning to seem a bit invasive, almost grotesque. If you compare this shot with your friend John's, I have to say I am more attracted to his composition, because it involves more action, gives me more space to explore and feel comfortable in (not that feeling comfortable is always required), and is just more stimulating. In comparison, your photo seems to be controlling me, sucking me in...I sort of want to look away.
Do you understand what I'm getting at?
Sorry, don't mean to single your photo out, it's certainly not just your photo that raises this issue for me, just wondered if you had some thoughts on the subject.

i love the portraits, they're very inpspiring. you've really been bringing some very shocking poweruful images lately. drastically different from your previous portrait work the ones of your family and such. and i am enjoying the contrasting view that you and john have going on. this is a very striking image. i have an emotional response to it but i can't explain, she makes me uncomfortable for some reason yet i can't stop looking at her. great work, keep it up.

I can stand some portraits for a bit more but I do prefer the changing variety you generally produce. (I also prefer the weather to change regularly too so it is obviously a personal bias.)

Tight portraits are a lot more emotional, as evidenced by some of the comments. When you can see the pores of their skin, I think most people react to the shot as they would to being that close in person. I wonder if those that are uncomfortable being so close are also reluctant to invade a person's space in their daily lives? Of course, no matter your emotional response, you can't be guilty if you're only looking at a photograph.

Personally, I'm squeamish around "active" nudes (on the other side of the porn-line). Drop me into a salt mine on a miner's holiday where no one could observe me with any technology and I'd still be squeamish. But I can handle tight portraits. It's like being invited into the family, warts and all are exposed. I think such shots generally have a better feeling of honesty, past the invisible body shield we wear, fueled by deodorant soap and breathe mints.

Now about those chompers .... I think the lady is getting a bit of a bum rap. Her teeth aren't much worse than most people's and she has a shining accent of dental care. It's the stains that seem so noticeable and John's shot completely explains their source. I am a bit intrigued by the comments posted that might be read by the subjects in the shots and if any consideration is given as to how such opinions are expressed.

up close and personal?

Brilliantly captured - perfect fill-flash, sharp as a tack; I can see the broken blood vessels in her cheeks, her wrinkles, pores etc. etc., (as a portrait photographer, shooting high-school kids, I have to wonder, how many shots did you take to get this one, and how much post-camera work went into this?) But at the same time I can't wait till you get back to posting your 'scapes and stuff. I hate to say this, but (at least on this side of the pond) we are swamped with these "social comment" studies.
Thanks

The eyes do it for me- if you obscure the mouth you can still see the emotion in her face. Im enjoying the portraits too!

http://thefisheseye.blogspot.com

I like a asmiling face. I have watched the potraits you and John have posted on your site lately and I feel that people in John's portraits look more defiant and rebels but in your pictures, they look a lot more comfortable.

Personally, I love your pictures of kids because they look so spontaneous! It's like no one knows what they are doing. You catch all kids' feelings in a magic way, but those portraits doesn't have the same magic. It's obvious they are posing. I believe you should challenge yourself and explore new sort of shots, but don't follow others, use our own personal way for that. Remember that shot of a mother and her kid without her noticing? That's your best portrait so far. Take the risk of being yourself! And keep posting for us :D

David,
What does this portrait actually say?
Gosia

Personally, I feel a little bored with this series. Don't get me wrong, technically, I can't fault them, but having been visiting regularly for quite a while now, I guess I've been spoilt by your wonderful landscapes & family pics. Maybe it's because this is a new area for you & you haven't necessarily formed your own style in it. With the photos of your kids, they really 'feel' like YOUR photos, if they were placed in amongst other people's pics, most viewers of your blog could spot them a amile off, with this last series, there's nothing to set them apart from any other photographer's portraits.

Any way, that's only my opinion!

I'm enjoying the portraits and enjoying particularly seeing how you and your friend photograph the same person differently.

Excellent picture.

I agree with what Neil says. I suppose that means you should keep taking portraits and figure out what your style/vision is in this area. I think one thing that bothers me is the inconsistency that these in your fast images seem to have with your usual images, which strike me as being more at a fanciful distance. But I haven't been coming here long enough or often enough to really say. Any thoughts?

I personally love close-cropped portraits, i mean, they're totally different from shots far away that require composition. But I love the emotions and facial detail you get with these shots, and it is always interesting with strangers; people who look common but are unique, people who have their own stories, people who are not prototypically beautiful but are attractive in their own right. Shots of your family, especially your children are very well-received; they're attractive kids, and you know how to bring that out in them. But its much more difficult to capture the beauty and emotion in people you have never met, people who are not necessarily "model-material" and that's a challenge you're embarking upon nicely.
Anyway, what I'm saying is, continue exploring people-photography, and by doing that, there's no way that you can consistenly excercise your 'chromasia style'. But great photographers are great because they can be versatile with their subject matter and style. You don't have to be limited to what people expect from your photos.

I like the variety in your pictures. Keep the portraits coming, just not all at once... I loe your landscape and kids pictures too and kinda start to miss those :-)

Your portraits are really great, David. Keep them coming. It's neat to see a completely different style for you...

I'm enjoying the portraits, and especially the comparison with John's shots.

Not a fan of this one - there seems to be a disconnect between what you're saying and what she's saying, or at least what she thinks you're saying.

That came out garbled.

There seems to be a large gap between the focus of your picture and what she's thinking.

Ok, that didn't work either. How's this - this picture seems to be a picture of her teeth. I look at it, and I feel like she thinks it's a portrait of her.

Robert

Thanks everyone.

Jem: hope your arm feels better soon.

matt: on the one hand I'm happy to hear you say that the "photo seems to be controlling" you – I'd rather produce shots that had consequences beyond you simply and passively viewing a shot – but I do take your point. The remainder of the portrait shots I have aren't quite like this.

Sharla: yes, you're right, her teeth are stained and she has a crown, but they aren't any worse than a lot of us. Personally I'd much rather see a genuine beaming smile and not so great teeth than perfect teeth and a lukewarm smile. I guess, for me, this shot was about someone having fun and being comfortable with the world.

Fotosia: beyond it being a shot of a person enjoying herself, I'm not sure it says anything much.

Andy: portraiture is something that I've not quite decided on, so for the time being I suspect that there won't be a noticeable style.

Robert: in which case it's probably a picture of your view of her teeth. I know what you mean though, her teeth aren't great, but why does it matter? Personally, my teeth aren't great either, but I don't think we should judge a person on the basis of their dental work.

Great combination of aperture and speed. Outstanding focusing and metering.

It's your site...post what you want. And as you can see, when you bring it up, others will comment on it. I LOVE close crops like this (and have been chastised by my instructor for doing the same), and I love that her smile is NOT perfect, like so many of US. She's a REAL person. You'd see her on the street, at the store, whatever. Yet, she's captured so wonderfully here.

Again, post what you want. Experiment and such. I love it!

It's not very nice from you.. are you usually making fun of anyone like this?????