November 3, 2012. 5 days after Sandy. Ocean Grove, New Jersey. One of the first fishermen to return. By Paul Goldfinger. Click for full view. See the comments for some photographic notes.
SOUNDTRACK: CAROL KING
May 31, 2025 by Blogfinger
November 3, 2012. 5 days after Sandy. Ocean Grove, New Jersey. One of the first fishermen to return. By Paul Goldfinger. Click for full view. See the comments for some photographic notes.
SOUNDTRACK: CAROL KING
Reblogged this on and commented:
The comment is helpful to a motivated photographer.
Photographic note: I am generally skeptical that portraits can reveal much about a person other than their appearance, but there are many exceptions, and portrait photographers often are commended for what they (seemingly) have revealed about a subject.
But I think that more often than not, what might be revealed is more a function of the person who is being photographed, sometimes affirming who they are through their body language, their eyes, and their facial expressions. Those revelations have nothing to do with what the photographer has done.
Sometimes the caption or their story colors what viewers “see” in their image.
This “Resolute Fisherman” is such an example. He exuded confidence, resolve, honesty, character, strength and fortitude. I liked him immediately when we spoke, and all those qualities are revealed in his manner of “posing” for this portrait.
I get a little credit for dealing with a difficult lighting situation which involved being sure that the exposure did not bury his face in shadows. By the same token, it was mildly underexposed to saturate his colors and to set him off from the brightness of the sky, the beach and the water.
It’s always a good idea to bracket your exposures (ie use manual controls to darken and lighten the image a bit in both directions.) You can also try a variety of compositions as well, but if you change the composition, be aware that the exposure might also change.
Some of these variations can be accomplished with your photo software, but it’s best to try and nail the exposure and composition in camera, and bracketing allows for that. The softwear should be used only for minor adjustments such as contrast, minimal cropping, and color.
If you are interested in photography, consider taking a course. Point and shoot smart phones can produce fine images, but typically, they don’t. However, phone cameras are just a tool, and if you intend to make that your camera, then there are books offering great tips using smart phone photography and be sure to buy a phone that offers a superior camera.
I always use high-end Leica digital cameras. This image is with a Leica digital M-9 camera and a Leica Summilux 35 mm 1.4. aspheric lens which is over 50 years old and which has been refurbished recently by Leica USA. Many photographers prefer vintage lenses such as this one.
These days all my black and white photos are obtained with a Leica monochrome M camera. Edited comment May, 2025.