Stuart Ord
February 2025 - Old Grumpy
About the Image(s)
This photo was taken last summer at the Black Country Living Museum, the same day as my picture for January. This guy, sitting in a miner’s cottage, had a mug that said “Old Grumpy”, but he was a jovial fellow like all the other actors.OM Systems OM-1, Olympus 14-150mm lens at 14mm, 1/45 sec, f8, ISO 800, edited in Affinity 2.
7 comments posted
Stuart,
I like "Old Grumpy" as he has a great facial expression and looks like he is right at home. Posted: 02/09/2025 18:39:56
I like "Old Grumpy" as he has a great facial expression and looks like he is right at home. Posted: 02/09/2025 18:39:56
Thanks, Don. He was anything but grumpy, actually, he loved his role. The words are from his mug, which was probably a leg-pull from someone. Posted: 02/09/2025 19:51:04
Patrick O’Brien
Very good natural light portrait. Good use of RoT (Rule of Thirds). No suggestions necessary. Posted: 02/10/2025 01:47:34
Thanks, Patrick.
RoT is always a good yardstick, and essential if there are no other guides to composition. I could have cropped off a bit from the top to make his face closer to the 1/3 way from the top, but that would have cut off some of the shelf unit on the wall, which I think would have been a mistake. Posted: 02/12/2025 22:24:16
RoT is always a good yardstick, and essential if there are no other guides to composition. I could have cropped off a bit from the top to make his face closer to the 1/3 way from the top, but that would have cut off some of the shelf unit on the wall, which I think would have been a mistake. Posted: 02/12/2025 22:24:16
I like 'Grumpy' and the way you have portrayed him so at ease with you as the photographer. I do agree totally not to crop out any of the shelf as the surroundings in the image add to the environmental portrait. The lighting and/or processing brings out nice texture in the bricks and also in the creases in the clothing and provides strong modelling on the face. Also I like that you have toned down the shelf and items in the corner so that 'Grumpy' takes centre stage. Posted: 02/17/2025 00:27:34
Very nice portrait of the reenactor with a relaxed friendly expression in his surroundings. The overall tone could be brightened, especially the subject's face. Posted: 02/18/2025 01:13:03
Thanks, Jerry, and I think you're right. Whilst my original showed him much as I saw him, there were no lights to manipulate, and a little brightening of this face and upper body gives more punch. Posted: 02/18/2025 07:29:37