During this month, I am sharing some of my preferred portraits.
Every time you will see a different person, and yet they will have a common feature, their facial expressions sharing many deep emotions. Their expressions told me that they were perhaps remembering, dreaming, forgetting, or simply contemplating life with peace of mind.
I felt privileged to capture a second of their lives. It is up to all of us to imagine each one of their life’s stories.
“Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance.” ― Yoko Ono
I am posting for the Writer’s Quote Wednesday of my friend Colleen Chesebro’s from Silver Threading. And I am also posting for the Photo Rehab. The Photo Rehab is a community to share photos, learn from each other and connect. Want to know more about it and see more photos from talented photobloggers? See below.
In December 2014, after completing the Photo101 course, I opened the Photo Rehab Event in this blog, a ‘healing clinic’, for all of us who love photography (hobbyists, amateurs, pro-shooters and enthusiasts) who missed the course and daily interaction with other photobloggers.
I am always inspired by the photos shared within our community of photobloggers, and for that I want to share my enthusiasm with you.
You can visit all other photos of all patients here: Photo Rehab
MEET THE PATIENTS
Here are all 41 participants since January 2015. Go and check their wonderful blogs as well.
Laura Gabrielle Feasey
Musings from a Frequent Flying Scientist
Snapshots Snippets and Scribbles
HOW TO JOIN THE PHOTO REHAB
Time: The Clinic is open 24 x 7
Camera: You can use any camera, from DSLR, mirrorless, compact, to smartphones.
Theme: Bring your creativity and photograph a theme of your liking in B&W or Color. With or without edition. We like learning techniques as well, if you want to share it with everyone.
Who can join: Anyone can join. All you need is passion. Passion to speak up through images – or words, if you may want to add your thoughts to it as well – showing what you see and how much that is important to you.
You can do a self-examination. If you detect any of the following symptoms, as carefully described by Albert from the blog Trigger Happy, come and join us: “Withdrawal symptoms may include the incessant need to carry your camera everywhere with you, the need to wake up in the wee hours to take photos during the golden hour, and checking up on others you met during the course to see what their newfound knowledge has brought fruit to.”
How does it work:
- Shoot a photo.
- Prepare your post and publish it. Remember to Pingback to this post and to use the tag #PhotoRehab so that we can find your post in the WP reader.
- Add your photo to the link provided below. In this way, you expose your photo to the other participants and the audience of the Photo Rehab.
- Here is the link to add your photos. Knock the wall of the Clinic… and click on the image below:
OMG! I love black and whites, wrinkles and people with character to photograph! This is absolutely a favourite 🙂
Being on vacations and scheduling posts has a good and a bad side. The good one is to be offline without blogging. The bad one is to find more comments than you had anticipated and are able to reply timely.
But is equally bad to miss to read such great comments like yours. Thank you so much! And sorry for the late reply.
🙂
Reblogged this on HarsH ReaLiTy and commented:
I also like the black and white of the photo. Gives a raw nature to it! -OM
Note: Comments disabled here, please visit their blog.
Hello Jason, I am very sorry for getting back to you after such a long time. Apologies for that. Thanks for the reblog. It was very much appreciated.
Great to hear from you again. You had vanished from the reader and I concluded you had left WP because of all the problems you had. If you hadn’t taken this action I wouldn’t have found out that you are still a WP blogger and that you were unfollowed automatically from my blog. This happens very often, as you may know.
The most important is to have you back and to apologize to you. I was on vacations and scheduled posts. It took me more time than I had anticipated to reply to all earlier comments. Hopefully I managed to find time to do this today.
Hope you are well!
All the best and thanks again.
Cheers,
Lucile
LOL absolutely agree with gunroswell. You’ve caught a moment of pure emotion there. Supreme x.
And I missed this great comment from gunroswell! And yours too! Thank you.
Lucile, this is the most fantastic photo portrait! It really captures the feeling.
Angeline, sorry for such a late reply to a most considerate comment. Thank you.
I am still replying to earlier comments made during my vacations.
Beautiful!
Than you for dropping by and commenting. And apologies for such a late reply. I was on vacations.
Hope your vacation was everything you expected it to be! Blessings, Emma
It was uneventful and restful. Thank you, Emma.
I just stopped and stared at his portrait. His focus, his attention to his fingers… what is he thinking? It makes me want to know more. I think that is a sign of an intriguing portrait. Well-done!
Thank you dear. Another considerate and lovely comment from you that was unread. Apologies.
No worries 🙂
Thanks.
Oh this is so evocative!
Thank you dear. And sorry for yet another late reply.
Your monochromatic portrait gives this man’s expression and physical presence even more weight.
I love reading your comments and learning from them. Worth waiting to read this one. Apologies, nevertheless, for the late reply.
Wow, this photo really spoke to me and the emotion it evicts. He is in deep contemplation wringing his hands. Just wonderful and a beautiful shot!
I am overwhelmed with your comment about this photo. It is the greatest reward one can get. Thank you Barbara and sorry once gain for yet another late reply.
Lucile, this is wonderful. I was drawn to his eyes, eyebrows, his frown and then his finger, in all their gnarliness–what a heck of a photograph you have taken!
Thanks! I love this photo too. I had to make some acrobatics to get it done but it was totally drawn to the sadness of this man. I felt like asking if he needed help and still regret not having done so.
I love this picture of this man… So much emotions in it. Stunning!
Sandra, I am deeply sorry for such a late reply. I am still replying to earlier comments made during my vacations.
Thank you for this very considerate comment.
No problem at all. Not keeping time here 😉
Thank you!!
That portrait is awesome!
I think I will give the Photo Rehab a try 🙂
KG,
Thanks for visiting and for commenting.
Apologies for my late reply. I was on vacations and this was a scheduled post. Catching up with earlier comments proved to be a challenge.
I hope my absence of reply has not discouraged you to join the Photo Rehab.
Thanks again. Appreciated your comment.
Lucile
Thank you Lucile 🙂 Hope you had a good vacation. I will definitely join them from time to time.
Thank you!
I had a wonderful family time, thanks.
Thanks for supporting the Photo Rehab.
The way you are able to capture these people’s emotions…how do you do it? You seem to find them at their most vulnerable moments. Simply stunning, Lucile.
Let me already start apologizing for my late reply.
Thanks, Britta. I don’t do anything special. I like observing people and I prefer making photos of elderly people rather than young ones. I think it just speaks more to me.
People who are alone in the streets or parks, old or young, tend to take a contemplative attitude to their surroundings and that is what I pay attention to.
All the portraits I made while visiting Porto in Portugal. You see many elderly people in the streets there. They dress very formally too. The ladies are elegant and the man wear suits. It feels like being back in another century.
I saw many of them alone. I just could make all these photos undisturbed.
Some others I made during a river cruise in the Vale do Douro, a one day trip from Porto. Again, there were mostly elderly in this cruise. I stayed most of the times watching the ones who preferred to enjoy the valley and river sights, alone in the deck.
I wasn’t always making photos. Just like them I was drawn to the views and spent time out there with my husband, simply in silence. Anyone could have made our photos too. Maybe my portrait is on another blog now. 😉
That’s true, anyone could be making our portraits. I guess I’ve never really thought about it.
That said, I think you are being far too humble. It takes a certain attention to detail (in your case, a particular attention to people) to catch moments like this. As you said, you like observing people–and not everyone is that observant. Personally, I’d be too self-conscious that the person would notice me taking photos of them and get weirded out.
Your photos are beautiful and they speak to the particular capacity in which you view the world. Not everyone is a photographer and not everyone could capture a moment like this. It’s really quite poignant; contrary to what you might think, you ARE doing something special.
Britta, this is so beautiful and overwhelming. Thank you.
I really didn’t think I was doing something special, not even out of modesty, but just because I’m still learning to photograph with more technique. You’re right though that it’s something else that’s influencing my choices in photography, and that is being naturally observant to people.
I didn’t learn this and it has more to do with who I am.
Heartfelt thanks for the insightful and kind comment.
As always, you’re most welcome. Keep doing what you’re doing, Lucile. You do it so well! (also, you printed my words out and have them on your desk…like, that’s the biggest compliment I’ve ever gotten as a writer. Basically, we’re just really good at encouraging each other, and that’s awesome 🙂 )
Yes, deal! Let’s keep the mutual encouragement and also criticize each other if we need to learn something.
Your words are currently the most precious item of my desk!
😀
Deal! (also, it still kind of boggles my mind that my words are sitting on your desk on a different continent inspiring you every day. Like, wow!)
Wonderful portrait, Lucile! Talk about a history written in every line… I want to sit right down next to him and listen. Was he aware you were taking his photo? Either way, it’s brilliant!
And what a thrill to see my humble peony there amongst your fine array of talent. Thank you so much 🙂
I have just made to the last post with unread comments. So that will be my last apology, at least for this late reply.
Thanks for commenting, and for your ingoing support to my blog and photos experimentation, Jo. It means more to me than you may realize.
This man wasn’t aware of my action. He was so far away that he didn’t even notice that I stopped in for of him, just one meter away and made this picture. It took me a second and I wasn’t even sure if it would be sharp, so fast was my reaction. I was drawn to him.
Thank you!
Works perfectly in monochrome – we see all the emotion, concentrate on the textures of his features:)
Thanks for another insightful comment. I am learning from them.
Thanks!
😀
Beautiful portrait. In fact, beautiful photographs throughout.
Dear Ellen, thank you so much for dropping by and leaving such a considerate comment.
Apologies for the late reply. I have underestimated the time would need to catch with all comments made to my steeled posts during vacations!
All the best to you.
Lucile
Beautifully captured, Lucile. Looking at this man, it’s like I’m looking into his soul.
Hello Chopstix. Apologies for this late reply. Hopefully I am managing to reply to all comments made during my vacations. This is the last post.
Thank you so much for the lovely and considerate comment.
No problem, Lucile! Glad that you enjoyed a lovely vacation, and yes, catching up takes time. Loving your photography! 😀
Thank you so much for understanding! And for the lovely comment!
Intense and beautiful. Love the B/W. It conveys so much emotion. ☺ Van
Thank you so much for dropping by and commenting. I appreciated it very much.
Apologies for the late reply. I am running late with replying to earlier comments made during my vacations.
He looks as if he has worked hard in his life, I hope he has many pleasant days to remember too.
Sorry for this very late reply to your comment. I am still replying to earlier comments made during my vacations.
Thanks for commenting.
Ah, don’t worry, you’re a million times more reliable to answer than I am! The most important is that you enjoyed your vacation (which I hope you did).
Thank you so much! I did have a great time with family.
I like this portrait. Nice B&W.
Thanks Max. It is one of my preferred ones.
The quote really fits the picture. I like the two together. They have a sense of melancholy.
I hope this is the last unread comment I found from you during my vacations.
Thank you so much for commenting and for not being upset for my absence. Apologies.
[…] much of anything for sometime now) so I thought, why not do this as part of my submission to the PhotoRehab participation. So I took the above image, added some tint and focus change using good ol’ […]
I have just taken a walk through your Portrait Series (1-3) and am moved. The depth and clarity are magnificent and the subjects are wonderful. I need to know your secrets!
PS – I can still ‘like’ your images in the reader even if I can’t on your blog……and that makes me happy because I like ‘liking’ you :-). Just can’t help myself.
You are so funny! I know you can still like, and that is why I didn’t mind when people said that don’t have time and wanted at least to leave a token of appreciation on the form of a ‘like’. A Happy Engineer had told me that the like button is always there on the reader. It is removed only when you open the posts. So there wasn’t much of an argument! 😉
And I love that you like ‘liking’ me!
🙂
👍❤️😉
Here I am late again and asking forgiveness for my late reply. Thank you for the ongoing support and encouragement, Lisa. It means a lot.
I wish I had a secret instead of luck to find wonderful people in the streets. I made all these portraits in Porto, Portugal. The secret perhaps is the fact that there are many elderly people alone in the streets. They mostly look so sad or perhaps they are just introspective. They were so focused that none of them notice my actions and I was sometimes one meter away from them.
So very poignant Lucile. They don’t even realize how beautiful they are.
True, Lisa. I bet it’s the opposite.
[…] Lucile De Godoy […]
Hello Lucile. I love the photograph. You did a great job capturing his feelings at the moment. The quote is also very moving. Who knew Yoko Ono was so insightful and poetic? 😉
Thank you for dropping by Vashti. I appreciate your visit and comment.
Apologies for such a late reply. Your comment reach my blog while I was on vacations and had left scheduled posts.
I am happy you liked the photo and the choice of quote.
Cheers!
Excellent – wonderful capture… 🙂
Glad you liked it! Portraits is my passion in photography.