Tom, this is quite the face. The light is a bit harsh for my taste (hard to control when you're riding a yak across Tibet or wherever this was), but ohmigod what a face...what a life you've caught here. Quite remarkable.

As an aside, this theme (In Your Face) has the tagline "Self Portraits with Edge" which I, too, missed the first time I uploaded a shot. Unless I'm totally missing something, "Tom Carter" ain't the name of the woman in the image ;-)

greath face ! but also for me the sun light is to agressive and the level of the photo is above the eyes, i guess the old lady is not tall.

Thank you all for the comments. I am sorry I didn't know these were self-portraits only; should I remove the image?
About the photo itself, the sunlight in Tibet is a real doozy; it's so harsh that many images come out pure black. Other times they are all washed out like this one; I tried my best.

amazing... just amazing.

Very nice work in a difficult light - you succeed in bringing us an amazing face!

Thanks,
Jon

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Such a classic beauty!

nice!

Hey guys, thanks for all your comments. I knew this image would present a difference in opinions. Although I feel that without the photoshoping it would not give it it's unique personality. With this image I wanted to present something new to the table. A mix between photography and illustration, while staying within the guidelines of the topic which is Blue. I know using Photoshop with photography sometimes presents arguments between if it is still true photography if it is photoshoped. But personally i feel that even if a photo is photoshoped it is still a true photo. I view Photoshop as a tool that helps enhance photography. Before we used the darkroom to give our photos a unique feel or bring something different to the table. Now, I feel Photoshop is our new darkroom for photography. It gives us a chance to bring something new to the table and something unique to our audience. Thanks once again for all your comments. Take Care all.

I love lots of photoshop but i woud like to see the eye more. i can only see half of the blue in it and it looks like a reflection to me. i would like to see the blue in the eye stand out more.

i love close-up shots so would be thrilled to see the original. did you have to crop for this?

I agree that Photoshop is useful and a very appropriate tool for enhancing images. However, the effect in this photo goes a bit too far. I would have liked to see more clarity in the image... but it does have great composition.

There some nice things and some bad things...
Great work on colors and contrasts on the foreground...
But cheap photoshop effect on the background...

This portrait was taken in an extremely dim dwelling, with only a curtained window and a doorway providing indirect light along with a coal and wood-burning stove. It took endless shots and just as many requests for them to be as still as possible (they had an extreme tendency to giggle) before I got this frame.
Feel free to read the whole story: 'Portrait of a Sichuanese-Tibetan Family: The Pilgrims of Langmusi,' at www.cityweekend.com.cn/articles/cw-magazine/travel...

Beautiful!

Superb! Especially with only using available light which I am assuming makes the photo even more perfect. Nice job!

This is a beautiful photo. I really like the tones very much.

Very nice tones.
the expressions on their faces are not that happy but this shot is wonderful after reading about the use of only existing light!

i never know how to get an image like this, the moving subject with a blurred background. i have like one in my entire collection and it was sheerly by accident. please instruct :)

Awesome Photograph! I love it. Love the blurred background. Is this a pan shot? Or Photoshop?

All on camera.
Pan shot.
Light was just perfectly over the guy.
Thanks for the kind comments

Nice pan !
crop could be tighter though
its a bit centered....

Very nice shot.
Looks like it would also fit into a motion project.
Wonderful details on the biker with the awesome blurred background.
Gives the feel of the speed that is required for the big city!

thanks for all the super comments!!!

The framing is really good.. I would have made him put on a white shirt to match the high-key lighting :)

great idea - didn't think about that!

i wonder if you had to ask him to look serious or if it was a natural tendency? i like it. i also like the closeness, did you crop or really get this near?

basically the same - only cropped the picture into more of a wide screen format. I asked Matt to close his eyes and the open them - took the shot about 3secs later so i guess it is natural. Yip i was really close, and somewhere between 18 - 24 mm on the lens.

thanks for your comment, Jason !

Excellent! Unique perspective (How original can I get). I'm in favour of cropping the bottom.

this one is cool.
I think, if the bottom wouldn't be there then the comments would be like " I wish the shadow could be complete" :-))
so as it is wwe know why the shadow is not complete :-)))

cheers
v.t.

I think I understand Vernon's idea and I agree. But the game is to suggest a way to improve the picture... In the end, you do what you want with the suggestions.
:o)

its great. the blurred foreground gives us distance. but its the shadow that really makes this image.

Nice portrait, but it needs some background, or maybe try sepia. I do like the clear focus and seems like the subject does not feel like he is being photographed.

yess where is the background?

Sweet Job! like the DOF.. I kinda like it black for the Background. =)

I like the background as this.

it needs no background, the black is perfect. i prefer most of my closeups with a black background actually, though its hard to get if you arent using a model. nice work.

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If I had to guess, I'd say the guy on the ground was standing there looking at the guys painting over the billboard, or looking at the beautiful woman, and failed to see the see truck backing up. The truck hit the guy, and the person standing over him, is the truck's driver.

But I really had to think about it, and use my very active imagination. I think as far as this topic goes, the image would have been better without the drama at the bottom.

bob, i think we are not talking about the same thing. you have this preconception of the scene being staged while what i wanted to express about uncertainty recommends certainty on this issue for sure, and i failed to provide it. sorry, my mistake. so i confirm now, that the scene was not staged and the two men on the ground is unknown to me. please consider my previous comment in the light of this fact.

of course it is no far to seek that the man fell from the scaffold. but there is something wrong: as you said it's weird that the others are so intent on their work. this observation makes the difference.

my interpretation is that the scene with the scaffold has nothing to do with the scene on the ground. the lying man is strange not only for me, but for the workers as well. the standing man is a guard from the nearby mall who put a folded coat under the other's head who is simply got sick in a split second right there where he lies. you see, there is no real drama at the bottom. is this interpretation true? i think it's not relevant. the interpretation tells more about the interpreter than the interpreted.

brilliant!
i myself assumed it was a staged photo, but i take the photographer's word for it.
i would like to add that if this shot were taken in china, there would be no question to its authenticity; chinese construction workers are a tough-skinned lot, and will take a nap anywhere they can lay down.
we don't usually see white people in this situation, which led to our initial disbelief of the image.
again, compliments to methan!

I still think he had too much to drink. Or, if this were in California or lower Texas, it may be a migrant worker from Mexico who had not enough to eat and passed out from exaustion from having to work so hard. The others are so intent on their jobs, because it's the only thing they can do to pay for their families back home. Or....he had too much to drink.

thanks, tom.
kim, you can take one thing for granted: this is not california or lower texas.

i just wanted to tell, that this image is published in jpg magazin. check page 92: jpgmag.com/issues/9