Michele Borgarelli, BPSA
August 2026 - Summer
About the Image(s)
Description: during a walk along the seafront at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, this scene stopped me. A solitary figure sits quietly on a bench, sandals set aside, looking toward a beach alive with activity. Having just returned from the shore, preparing to join the crowd, or simply content to watch from afar, the figure leaves the narrative unfinished and open to the viewer's imagination.
Fujifilm GFX 100S ii, with Fujinon GF 50 f/3.5. f/13, 1/320 sec, ISO 125
7 comments posted
To me it tells a story. He is alone. Pensive? Sad? Content? Waiting? The singularity is reinforced by the plain singular lamp post. Just one! Posted: 08/07/2026 21:07:34
Keith, thank you for taking the time and look at my image. I much appreciated it.
Best wishes
Michele Posted: 08/21/2026 15:57:07
Best wishes
Michele Posted: 08/21/2026 15:57:07
Michele, your image is really strong. I love the simplicity of the single subject and the single lamp - it creates a quiet narrative of a man pausing to enjoy the beach and the good weather. It's a calm, reflective moment, and your composition supports that beautifully.
You've got excellent range in the histogram, and the tonal control is solid. The only thing that catches my eye is that the image feels a bit flat overall. It might be the abundance of gray midtones against that one black lamp - something in the balance keeps the scene from having the depth it could for me.
Have you experimented with nudging the contrast or adjusting the levels just a bit? Even a subtle bump could give the image more dimensionality and help the subject stand out more within the frame. Lovely image....I truly enjoy your work and vision. Posted: 08/21/2026 00:16:17
You've got excellent range in the histogram, and the tonal control is solid. The only thing that catches my eye is that the image feels a bit flat overall. It might be the abundance of gray midtones against that one black lamp - something in the balance keeps the scene from having the depth it could for me.
Have you experimented with nudging the contrast or adjusting the levels just a bit? Even a subtle bump could give the image more dimensionality and help the subject stand out more within the frame. Lovely image....I truly enjoy your work and vision. Posted: 08/21/2026 00:16:17
Kerry,
Thank you for taking the time to look at my image and provide such a detailed comment. First, I am happy that you like the image.
Regarding your observation that the image appears somewhat flat, I may agree with you. However, it was taken in the middle of the day, and my intention was to reproduce the atmosphere of a hot, sunny day when the light is often quite flat. I did try increasing the contrast, but in doing so, the image lost some of the quality and mood that I find appealing.
Best wishes,
Michele
Michele Posted: 08/21/2026 16:00:07
Thank you for taking the time to look at my image and provide such a detailed comment. First, I am happy that you like the image.
Regarding your observation that the image appears somewhat flat, I may agree with you. However, it was taken in the middle of the day, and my intention was to reproduce the atmosphere of a hot, sunny day when the light is often quite flat. I did try increasing the contrast, but in doing so, the image lost some of the quality and mood that I find appealing.
Best wishes,
Michele
Michele Posted: 08/21/2026 16:00:07
Michele, the ma is really relaxing and taking a break given by having his shoes off and placed on the side of the bench perhaps being in no rush to continue. A blue sky renders a grey sky in B&W. Not a single cloud. Interesting marina vieww. Posted: 08/23/2026 00:16:39
Our group comments feel spot-on. The tones, the story-left-unfinished quality, the spaciousness- all gather up into a captivating image.
I'll add this: The shadowing is in of itself an image. So, there's the shadow of the bench and the two towels, and that of the lamppost. They are the only indicators of where the sunlight is coming from and their direction is going off to the right somewhere, contracting where your subject's gaze is pointing. I like this kind of cross-composition. Thanks! Posted: 08/23/2026 23:31:56
I'll add this: The shadowing is in of itself an image. So, there's the shadow of the bench and the two towels, and that of the lamppost. They are the only indicators of where the sunlight is coming from and their direction is going off to the right somewhere, contracting where your subject's gaze is pointing. I like this kind of cross-composition. Thanks! Posted: 08/23/2026 23:31:56
Michele - You are so on target with your questions about the man. As I looked at the photo I decided that the man was lamenting lost youth - he would rather be on the beach but maybe no longer can manage it? You created depth to your image with the diagonal…. I focused my attention first on the man and then was easily able to move through the image finding the light pole as an anchor. B Posted: 08/24/2026 00:07:27