Guy Davies, EPSA
October 2026 - Church Lady, Ieud
About the Image(s)
How I Did It:
This was taken at a wooden church in the town of Ieud (not Leud) in Romania. It is from my archives an was taken on 8th June, 2014. She appeared to be the caretaker of the church and was actually very friendly and happy to let us in and take lots of photos. She did look very formidable but was happy to pose for pictures. Details were Nikon D300 with 18-200 VR zoom at 80 mm. Exposure was 1/50 at f/13 and ISO 400. Processed in Photoshop. Distracting white notice cloned out and local lightening and darkening applied using curves.
9 comments posted
You have a way with portraits. Nicely framed between the boards so nothing sticks out of her head. Nice contrast of dark and light. Her face is sharp and I can perhaps, see a crossed left eye or perhaps a cataract. She looks to me she is trying not to smile so I assume she is a nice person despite her body language. Posted: 10/03/2026 18:52:43
Guy, this lady in spite that she posed for you, it does not look very friendly, and she really is built and ready for anything. It is so nice to be able to meet people from different cultures and see the way they customary dress. My family came originally from Romania and they emigrated to Venezuela right after the war. My maternal grand mother use to wear a scarf on her head as well all the time. Nice portrait. Posted: 10/03/2026 19:28:27
Which part of Romania was that, Isaac? We covered a lot of ground and found all the people very friendly. In one village we were warned not to cross the river because the people on the other side were not friendly. We did and they were very friendly! Posted: 10/07/2026 16:29:31
Guy, they were originally from Hotin, which (now known as Khotyn) is in Ukraine, in Chernivtsi province, near the borders with Romania and Moldova.
The city belonged to Romania between 1918 and 1940, as part of Bessarabia. This is why it appears as a Romanian city in historical documents. It is known for its fortress on the banks of the Dniester River. Posted: 10/08/2026 12:57:17
The city belonged to Romania between 1918 and 1940, as part of Bessarabia. This is why it appears as a Romanian city in historical documents. It is known for its fortress on the banks of the Dniester River. Posted: 10/08/2026 12:57:17
Hi Isaac. We didn't get to that part although I think we were near the Ukraine border at one point. Need to check the archives again. Maybe more from Romania next time. Posted: 10/08/2026 15:43:59
I'll take your word for that she's friendly. On the positive side the lighting is perfect. There are no harsh shadows and wooden background adds an old world feel to this portrait. Posted: 10/05/2026 03:31:11
Hi Guy
What a fabulous portrait the darker background really makes this lady stand out,the small embroidered blue area on the headscarf just adds a touch of colour and so works,hands and arms can be so difficult in portraits but the folded arms really work they give an impression of non shall pass in contrast to her face as Vella said their is a surpressed smile there,it really is a top top portrait get back into the archives I would love to see more like this. Posted: 10/08/2026 11:35:37
What a fabulous portrait the darker background really makes this lady stand out,the small embroidered blue area on the headscarf just adds a touch of colour and so works,hands and arms can be so difficult in portraits but the folded arms really work they give an impression of non shall pass in contrast to her face as Vella said their is a surpressed smile there,it really is a top top portrait get back into the archives I would love to see more like this. Posted: 10/08/2026 11:35:37
Guy, you did a very good job of capturing both the whites and the dark grays without losing any detail. I can also reflect on the comments of seeing how other cultures dress, my Czech great-grandmother always wore such a scarf. If I were a misbehaving child I wouldn't want to be reprimanded by this church lady! Posted: 10/08/2026 12:01:17
She looks a lot more severe than she was but I agree with you! Posted: 10/08/2026 15:40:54