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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> The Best of CTF Challenges >> Best of 2005 > 4th Place "Street Portrait" by Nico Blue
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11-JUN-2005 Nico blue

4th Place "Street Portrait" by Nico Blue

Believe it or not I havent done a self portrait in ages.

Just got my remote control for the rebel and was walking back from the store, passed this alleyway and noticed the interesting lighting on the wall. I set my camera on a makeshift stand and took a few shots (remote in right hand but not visible). This was my favourite from the bunch.

It is a signature photo for me for two main reasons, first it is self portrait and secondly it is a study of light and shadow.

Canon EOS 350D
1/50s f/8.0 at 30.0mm iso200 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time11-Jun-2005 15:29:23
MakeCanon
ModelCanon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length30 mm
Exposure Time1/50 sec
Aperturef/8
ISO Equivalent200
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance (-1)
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programaperture priority (3)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Guest 24-Sep-2007 01:13
Perfect blown up in the face. Give it sense of light. Suitable protrait.
Regards Sebastian
René Gysi10-Jan-2007 12:01
Superb self portrait with wonderful lighting.
Nugar19-Jun-2005 17:06
Very nice, Nico. I like the effect, it effectively centers the attention on you. Cool
Guest 18-Jun-2005 18:38
busy week, didnt have time to reply earlier... a lot of people have brought up the blur on the wall, I did infact do a masked motion blur on the wall to make me stand out more as the focal point bcos i felt the wall was too much of a distraction being sharp especially at the edges. I thought about cropping but felt the image would lose a lot if i did. If anyone has heard of lens baby (a type of lens for dslr's) it was kinda the type of image i had in mind when i took this.
Rod 16-Jun-2005 00:43
Nico, what did you do to create the blurred effect? I did notice it when I first viewed the shot, but if I like a shot overall I tend to dismiss any perceived minor distractions. Now a few of the others have drawn attention to this I'm focusing more on it... With the strong highlighting on the subject I don't think the wall would be a distraction if it was sharp & the shot may look more natural.
Guest 15-Jun-2005 17:25
A great self portrait with a lot of attitude. Excellent job. Congratulations.
-Jose Pablo.
ctfchallenge15-Jun-2005 04:26
Beautiful light and just the right touch of "tagging" makes this spur of the moment shot even more special and believable. I really like this shot. Yvonne
ctfchallenge14-Jun-2005 22:04
Nice light values, great shot nico! - andrew
janewigginsphotography14-Jun-2005 01:28
I am also awed by your talent and mostly by your courage to stand in an alley and photograph yourself! I'm sure a maniac would show up if it were me (in the time that it would take me to set this up)!! Love your interpretation of yourself at this moment in time. jano
ctfchallenge13-Jun-2005 16:40
i like everything about this shot except the ps effect (motion blur??) you have applied on the sides. awesome shot nonetheless. -Abstract
Guest 13-Jun-2005 03:09
Absolutley stunning shot. I am nauseated by your talent - I'm so jealous!
I must say though that one thing is bugging me - the trasition from sharp to blurred areas is too abupt, causing the transition itself to become a focal point. The body language, the exposure, the processing, are all exquisite. Sigh.... ~ Lonnit
Photogenix13-Jun-2005 02:09
Very artistic. See a glow on the bricks to the right, is it a result of a PS filter?
- RK
ctfchallenge13-Jun-2005 02:03
Nic-Have you cloned this a bit? It looks closer than when I last viewed it (this morning). I like it much better. I'm sure it will place very well. Wonderful job! Shu
ctfchallenge13-Jun-2005 01:49
Great shot and, to think you did this by remote as a self portrait (great!). You have excelled where I have yet to learn, portraiture. I'm still trying to train myself that it is ok to have "blown areas" of a portrait when it adds to the character and feel of the image / scene. Your image is a prime example of showing that harsh light can work to your advantage and help shape the character of the image. Damn I have a lot to learn yet!! Thanks for sharing this. Markjay
Guest 12-Jun-2005 21:14
I like this a lot. I would trim just a litte bit more off the left edge putting you at the third.
Guest 12-Jun-2005 20:56
thanks for the comments guys! The blown out highlights are intentional as I wanted to have dramatic contrasts between the light areas and the shadowed area.

Debbi - this was actually taken with the kit lens (18-55mm), I took a few so i think i got lucky with the sharpness in this one.

theFly - haha, i didnt get a chance to take my clothes off, although i was a semi secluded area i didnt want to risk someone walking by :-)
alexeig12-Jun-2005 17:08
Great posture and light
Jim B (MSP)12-Jun-2005 14:24
Nico, another great shot from you. Highly creative as usual.
Jim
Rod 12-Jun-2005 01:55
Agree with Iso's comments. The shot works really well.
ctfchallenge12-Jun-2005 01:37
Great shot, Nico...looking tough and vulnerable at the same time. Exposure is perfect for the feeling here, blown highlights and all.
--Mary Anne
Guest 12-Jun-2005 01:19
Fantastic shot, and such warm light and color! This could be on the cover of ... something!
Canon DSLR Challenge12-Jun-2005 00:45
You need to correct that. Only self portrait with your clothes on. 8-) Very well done and seen. theFly
Guest 11-Jun-2005 23:37
Just...GREAT! Excellent.
Guest 11-Jun-2005 23:35
I could tell from the thumbnail it was yours'! Excellent! Lighting fantastic! Was this with the 50mm?
Debbi
iso320011-Jun-2005 22:44
Fantastic image. Great framing and colour. Technically your cheek looks a bit hot, but in the overall style and processing of the image it works here. I hope you'll be showing up in the CSLR challenges sometime soon.