Steven Jungerwirth
July 2025 - concentration
About the Image(s)
I had an opportunity to photograph glass blowing at a studio in Chicago. The artists created beautiful pieces; they were mentally and physically exhausted. The oven in the background is 2000 degrees F and is used to reheat glass. The artist is using wet newspapers to shape a ball of molten glass, before blowing a vase.
Hand held Canon r5 24-105 f4 @ 37mm, f4.0, 1/30 sec, ISO 800.
Crop in LR. Denoise/sharpen with Photo AI.
7 comments posted
You did a great job in capturing the man's concentration. You can imagine seeing the beads of sweat. I watched glass blowing once and just being in the studio was almost too hot to stand. Posted: 07/01/2025 18:49:25
It is a great image with a great capturing moment. But I think it may be better to present the focus point to crop the photo. Posted: 07/01/2025 23:18:26
I see your point - that there is a lot of space in the image that really doesn't add much. My thinking was to include the person and also the furnace in the background. How would you crop it? Posted: 07/02/2025 13:08:44
I am really taken by this image. It seems to be not a portrait, but an environmental image. You have shown us the subject in his environment. I like the placement of the man and the glass he is working. I feel the total image would be weaker if cropped closer. Perhaps a little more light could be added to the man's face. Posted: 07/05/2025 17:31:41
I think this is an intriguing image. You definitely captured the concentration and I had the impression of beads of sweat on the man's face. I thought the chalkboard sketch showed the planning that goes into glass blowing, and I really liked the furnace and the way the red glow reflected off the man's face. This is a wonderful study of glass blowing. Posted: 07/05/2025 20:08:53
Great image! I like the concentration of the man's face as it shows that he is really focused on his work. In my opinion, the inclusion of the furnace along with the beads of sweat on his face really completes the story line of this image. The furnace also adds a little rim lighting to the man's face which is very nice. As Jennifer noted, the inclusion of the chalkboard also adds to the story. Well done, thanks for sharing this! Posted: 07/06/2025 14:57:29
Agree, it's and excellent environmental portrait as is, don't change a thing. I would add that in this situation it can be hard to catch a good exposure that is not either too dark or blowing out the highlights of the molten glass, you did well. Posted: 07/08/2025 16:39:54