[url=https://flic.kr/p/PrSVvA]Dad[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QakmLy]Bounded by a nutshell but still a king of infinite space[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

I don’t suppose many here will like this one but this is quite a deliberate portrait of my parents.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Qv3a39]American Gothic[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

^^ well, I think it’s great.

3 days in Weymouth and Portland. Everything from skies so clear I had to put t-shirts on through to moody fog. Could I take a single shot I liked? Could I bobbins! Grrrr. Nice family shot Greg.

Not the trickiest subject but a finely coloured specimen I think.

The chaffinch is great 🙂

http://www.discoverwildlife.com/blog/7-chaffinch-facts-you-need-know

Greg – on this page you have a number of pictures with fabulous light, but imo (for what very little it’s worth) the light is a bit missing in American Gothic. Maybe it was intentional but the faces seem a bit flat? The pose and expressions are wonderful but I just feel a bit more light would help?

Not a single photo, and definitely not from the past month, but these are all the models I photographed over the year. My first ever year shooting portraiture. You might not like them, but I’m proud of doing something that at the start of the year was completely contrary to my usual style. It’s been an interesting photography year. See you in 2017!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QwGvCz]All of my 2016 models[/url] by Kit Carruthers, on Flickr

Greg – on this page you have a number of pictures with fabulous light, but imo (for what very little it’s worth) the light is a bit missing in American Gothic. Maybe it was intentional but the faces seem a bit flat? The pose and expressions are wonderful but I just feel a bit more light would help?

I think you’re absolutely right. The lighting did not work out at all as I was aiming for. The room is incredibly small – it’s actually a converted garage, turned into a tiny bedroom and shower and toilet (actually made so that when my dad get’s to the point he can no longer get up the stairs they have somewhere to sleep and wash).

The window faces south east so the ilght comes in from the left of the image as you look at it. the blind acts as a fabulous diffuser but what I really wanted was a back lit portrait with light from a reflector bouncing from the back of the room onto my parents. The problem is that where I really needed to put the reflector was right where the right hand wall is and it would have obstructed my parents. The alternative was to wait until the sun had moved to be directly behind them but I didn’t have the time so I went for two out of three – composition & expression at the expense of lighting.

I’m proud of doing something that at the start of the year was completely contrary to my usual style.

I think it’s been a fabulous project and I’ve really enjoyed seeing the results over time on Flickr.

As always some extraordinary photos here, I couldn’t hope to match the quality, but I’m perfectly happy with most of the pics I take, I really don’t have too much time to spend on post-processing, so I do the best I can with what I’ve got with me, usually my phone or my little Lumix.
This is about the best of twenty or so I took yesterday of a lucky opportunity with rising mist and the sun suddenly breaking through some low cloud to create some nice crepuscular rays through the trees behind the clapper bridge.

This one was taken about two hours later, on my way back to my car, crossing the Manor House golf course at Castle Combe. Amazed I got anything at all considering how little light there was!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Q8FUzW]P1010844[/url] by Johnclimber, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QwpAPv]29 12 Another place, Another Santa[/url] by Johnclimber, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QwpB9D]DSC07820[/url] by Johnclimber, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QDrHpJ]P1010878a[/url] by Johnclimber, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Py9DPM]DSC02484.jpg[/url] by Ewan, on Flickr

Just walking off the Bernia Ridge in Alicante on Boxing day – epic day topped off by me proposing on the summit and Alice saying yes 🙂

Early morning SUPSurf, as I went out I saw this lone Crow looking out to sea, that’s exactly how I felt.

Happy New Year folks.

Kit – brilliant collection. Looking forward to 2017!!

New Year’s Day wander…. Was watching a seal watching me but unfortunately didn’t have a zoom lens with to capture him.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QBBkgx]P1020759[/url] by Zach, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QyQEM9]P1020756[/url] by Zach, on Flickr

Whoops – double post.

San Francisco.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Pw7ExN]L1003987[/url] by Paul Whitehead, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Pw7Ei9]L1003976[/url] by Paul Whitehead, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Pw7DX9]L1003939[/url] by Paul Whitehead, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Qeiv7b]2017 01 01 bike 01 03[/url] by Rob P, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QLEhbD]2016 12 31 bike 78 02[/url] by Rob P, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QLEf6r]2016 12 31 bike 78 03[/url] by Rob P, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Qxucfw]2016 12 30 bike 77 14[/url] by Rob P, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Q7Wmys]2016 12 28 bike 76 02[/url] by Rob P, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PUBrgp]2016 12 09 bike 75 04[/url] by Rob P, on Flickr

Basildon Park

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PB5fD8]Omar – Transitions Volume 2[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

Thanks Greg and DrJ! And congrats to Ewan. Happy New Year!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QgUrqG]Edinburgh Hogmanay Fireworks[/url] by Kit Carruthers, on Flickr

Just trying out this Flickr thingy…
If anyone clicks on the link can they view the photo at different sizes? I’ve been on Photobucket up to now.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QSVuRU]IMG_0213[/url] by John Stanley, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QqBeDf]Jackster – Transitions[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QqBfbh]People of Levenshulme[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QWnaiW]People of Levenshulme[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QqBfrh]People of Levenshulme[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QWnaVN]People of Levenshulme[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

To Greg, Kitt and those who take portraits.

Do you ask strangers that you meet in the street to be your subject?

What do you say to them to get them to stand where you want them to?

Do you pay them anything?

Or are they friends who you ask?

If anyone clicks on the link can they view the photo at different sizes?

Yes, by going to the download button under the image.

JohnClimber, I started by asking a couple of friends if they’d be interested in having their portraits taken. With a couple of sets of images I then enlisted models through a couple of Facebook groups, and eventually PurplePort. Virtually all of my subjects have been professional models, aspiring models or aspiring actors. Generally they’ve needed little direction, but sometimes they do if something doesn’t quite look right. I don’t have a very creative imagination for that kind of thing, I just let them get on with it. I’ve only paid one person and while I don’t regret it, that money could’ve been better spent elsewhere. Flipside is that I’ve never been paid for portrait work.

Do you ask strangers that you meet in the street to be your subject?

I do, not quite exclusively but I’ve not yet photographed a professional model. The ‘Transitions’ portraits are not really of strangers anymore since I know most of the people who are likely to become part of the project (or they know of me) and it’s not really ‘in the moment’, but all the portraits in this section are done of people I meet on the street, in a matter of moments, i.e. there and then.

Street Portraits

I never pay them anything but everyone gets at least a soft copy of the image (for free) and most of the time I print and post a copy also.

What do I say? Well I used to be quite elaborate about what I said; I’d try to explain the important artistic and aesthetic principle. Nowadays I just something along the lines of ‘Hi, I’m just doing a photography project in this area and I wondered if you’d mind being part of it…..’ and then I go from there, wherever I need to in order to persuade the subject. I think about seven in 10 say yes.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QQpFX8]'Kids'[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/R9az7t]The artist and his work[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QyWsmd]I need a pair of those![/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

My mum and her brave battle against a terminal brain tumour…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/R38rSp]DSC02032[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PZ43Cp]DSC02030-Edit[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

The lighting is better in the first but the second one stops you dead with it’s poignancy and emotion.

My own small excursion into “geetee” territory 🙂

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Re2ipn]20170114_TateModern_009[/url] by Jeremy Henderson, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Re2ncH]20170107_20170107_Eduardo_012[/url] by Jeremy Henderson, on Flickr

The lighting is better in the first but the second one stops you dead with it’s poignancy and emotion

Thanks geetee

JohnClimber – Member

To Greg, Kitt and those who take portraits.

Do you ask strangers that you meet in the street to be your subject?

I bumped into a colleague on a recent visit to Shanghai who is a keen photographer. He said that he has photographed everything of interest (he visits a lot) so recently he has started photographing people. He just asks random strangers who look interesting if he can take pics of them. He said about 50% say yes.

Thanks geetee

Gave me a moment for sure.

This chap has been part of my ‘transitions’ project since the start but I’ve never got a portrait of him that I was really happy about. I am happy with this one.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PWEoco]Hamish – Transitions[/url] by Greg Turner, on Flickr

My own small excursion into “geetee” territory

More like Diane Arbus’ territory but I still salute your having taken the step. Scary first time you do it isn’t it! (and the second and the third…..)

Rowsley today, on the way home from my mums

[url=https://flic.kr/p/R12D3q]DSC02049[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

Only a phone picture , but I like it

Somewhere off Guyana

A tree, at the top of the Stang

Looking the other way…

Forest of Dean

[url=https://flic.kr/p/R5CP79]Winter Light[/url] by Greg.May, on Flickr