Kerry Abshire
July 2026 - A Cigarette & A Poem
About the Image(s)
70-200mm at 200mm. f/2.8, ISO 800, 1/1000 Shutter
Adjustments to lighting, sharpening in Camera Raw and Photoshop
The materials the poet used seemed a bit worn, so I tried to create an image with a vintage feel by using the sepia tone. He creates poems on the spot for passers by. He smoked a lot while I watched him, which caught my attention. I waited for the right hand placement holding the cigarette to be where I wanted. I intentionally cropped the image removing his face to put the focus on his thinking process while staring at his battered type-writer waiting for inspiration to hit him and then hit the paper within his typewriter.
4 comments posted
Kerry, this image in sepia, and the crop that you selected has a very intense mystery feeling and the blurred background with the silhoutted person adds more to it. The fact that the poet is holding a cigarette on his hand and looking down into the typewriter adds to the story. Image is sharp. I like it very much. Posted: 07/02/2026 15:20:14
Dr Vaisman, thank you so much. I truly appreciate the compliment and the critique. You have made my day. Posted: 07/02/2026 23:21:24
Kerry,
I join Isaac in congratulating you on this image. I agree that cropping the poet's face adds interest. I am not usually a big fan of the square format, but in this case it works very well.
I think your decision to wait for the right moment to click the shutter was well rewarded. The cigarette and the man's arm lead the eye downward through the image, while the hand, with its acute angle, guides it upward toward the typewriter. The out-of-focus background is excellent and isolates the subject very effectively.
Best wishes,
Michele Posted: 07/04/2026 06:45:15
I join Isaac in congratulating you on this image. I agree that cropping the poet's face adds interest. I am not usually a big fan of the square format, but in this case it works very well.
I think your decision to wait for the right moment to click the shutter was well rewarded. The cigarette and the man's arm lead the eye downward through the image, while the hand, with its acute angle, guides it upward toward the typewriter. The out-of-focus background is excellent and isolates the subject very effectively.
Best wishes,
Michele Posted: 07/04/2026 06:45:15
Michele,
Thank you so very much for the kind words. I really appreciate the critique and different things you noticed. I enjoy reading what others see that I see or even may have missed. Thank you again. Posted: 07/04/2026 20:05:45
Thank you so very much for the kind words. I really appreciate the critique and different things you noticed. I enjoy reading what others see that I see or even may have missed. Thank you again. Posted: 07/04/2026 20:05:45