<< Previous Next >>

Pipe Smoker


Pipe Smoker
Photo Information
Copyright: Robert Harrison (seneca77) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 298 W: 89 N: 369] (2097)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-07-23
Categories: Daily Life, Decisive Moment, Friends/Family
Camera: Canon EOS 300D, Canon EF 55-200mm 4.5-5.6 II USM
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2005-07-24 11:53
Viewed: 1228
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Every Saturday afternoon I hang out at a local cigar & tobacco shop. There's a group of regulars that come every week to smoke cigars and pipes, and solve the world's problems. My wife actually encourages me to go, so she can have the house to herself for a few hours and do "girly" stuff, as she puts it. One of the guys is considering buying a DSLR camera so I brought my Digital Rebel in to show him. Playing around with it, I snapped a few photos of Tom, pictured here, who enjoys his Meerschaum pipes. I took the shot just as he exhaled slightly, capturing a small puff of smoke rising from the bowl of the pipe.

I liked Tom's almost fierce expression with the pipe clenched in his mouth, his eyes locked on something outside the store.

There was a fair amount of post-processing done, primarily to further blur the background. In the original, the depth of field was pretty large, so in Photoshop I ran the background through the Lens Blur filter. Selecting the smoke and not blurring it was a little tricky though, but I think it came out okay. Levels adjusted and sharpened.
drymd29, vsinopoulos, kbeall has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekLens members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekLens members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To vsinopoulos: Thank youseneca77 1 09-17 00:13
To clix_stuff: Nice job!seneca77 1 07-24 23:35
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Pops off the screen beautifully.

You really captured the puff of smoke pretty well and I think it must have been pretty tough in terms of trying not to blur it. I just did a workshop ...not as an improvement but just to highlight the puff and see how it looked that way. I hope you do not mind.

  • Great 
  • kateb Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 514 W: 153 N: 338] (2991)
  • [2005-07-24 13:29]

You've caught his expression very nicely. I have one suggestion with regard to the background - perhaps you could try selecting the white t-shirt in the background and changing it to a darker colour to help fading the background? Nice photo.

Very good portrait, I like the expression of that man and that little smoke from his pipe, as well as the sharpness of the photo. Well done - tfs

Guntram

I like this picture; I can imagine his joy to pipesmoking; I did the same until the 5yth of may this year.
Nice sharp picture; the man has a stubborn expression with that pipe.

Huub

Hi Robert.. A very sharp and a rare subject... :) I love the DOF. And the capture of the smoke is amazing ... A very detailed click. U could have cropped it closer though :) Thanks for sharing this one in a million tone... :)

Take care...
- Hima.

Good PP work here - the subject and POV is also very good :)

Love this shot, the intensity in his expression and the rolling of the smoke as it exits his pipe would make for a fabulous painting.... Great photo
Warm regards,
Cindy Lee Jones

Excellent portrait, very sharp, great DOF and great colors. Lovely pipe he is smoking!
Well done!
Vassilis

  • Great 
  • kbeall Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 532 W: 109 N: 902] (3580)
  • [2006-11-14 21:32]

Hi Robert,
A perfect capture of your friend, whose fierce expression looks like it is burning a hole in something, and there's the smoke to prove it.
During my recent visit to New Orleans, I was drawn to a cigar shop and wanted to snap some shots of the men rolling the cigars. The first time I just walked by, the second time I walked in, but couldn't get my husband to pretend like he was shopping, and I'm sad to say, I didn't go back for the kill, conceding to the discomfort of knowing that I was intruding on masculine territory, and not entirely welcome.
Take care,
Karen

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF