Old Chinese Man C&C

[echoyjeff222]

Showing the opposites in Chinese culture -- as opposed to the young, hardworking Chinese worker, we now have a typical retired Chinese man. I'm serious, retired people in China have it GOOD! I see them exercising, reading, lounging about in the parks.

Hilarious little side story .. I asked to take this guy's picture, and he said yes but IMMEDIATELY went and put on his sunglasses and held up the paper in front of his face. I wonder what that body language meant ...........

Was looking for some feedback on this one. I tried to show his isolation with the composition, inferring that his wife may have passed ... I'm wondering about how the background may be a little bit busy ...


Old Chinese Man by echoyjeff222, on Flickr

 

[SCraig]

Again, I feel that you went too far with the processing. To me the harsh contrast and graininess add tension to the scene and not tranquility. He does look isolated, but not as if he were grieving, more as if his isolation were by choice. He looks a peace with his world to me which is why I feel the tension appears to be out of place to me. Just my personal opinion though.

The areas of blown-out highlights and the halos around the trees in the back aren't opinion though, they are factual

 

[echoyjeff222]

Okay, I sort of expected that. Re-edit coming up I like your point about the feeling of acceptance rather than tension.

 

[echoyjeff222]

I still feel some of the highlights are blown out, but is it better?


Oldmanfinal2 by echoyjeff222, on Flickr

 

[rokvi]

If your going for photojournalism, this looks a little too posed. maybe another angle might have worked. The processing I feel, takes away from this photograph.
Conveying emotion in photographs is better done with a tighter crop on the face. Getting us as the viewer, closer to the subjects personal space allowing us to see clearly every little detail. Helping us to feel what the subject is portraying.

As a picture of a random on a bench however, this is fine.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[SCraig]

I still feel some of the highlights are blown out, but is it better?
Oldmanfinal2 by echoyjeff222, on Flickr

Perhaps slightly but it is much better. Originally there was a lot of haloing in the trees, usually a consequence of heavy processing, as well as a lot of areas of grass in the background that were blown out. Those are all gone now so it is certainly a lot better.