• Cohiba •, a photo from La Habana, West

Photographer's Note

This man really is an attraction in Havana, he's part of the scenery. If you ever get around cathedrale square, find him. He's there smoking a cigar and earning money just by letting people take a picture of him. He's smoking a Cohiba, the best habanos according to him. You can as well sit there with him and have a little chat, but it is a couple more pesos!
I like the blue of the door and the porch used by him sitting there everyday.
Cheers
Marc

stardam88, startacked, veronika, iGirl, marjan, gsimon, gabrielpat, Betty, Lynette, napdsp, BLO has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

PixelTerror (0) 2006-05-18 5:15

Bonjour Marc, et bienvenu sur TE,
Le sujet est interessant et le personnage est bien positionne dans le cadre mais l'ambiance generale reste tout de meme plutot sombre, ce qui est amplifie par sa couleur de peau et ses vetements. Je pense que le WS de Yan va dans la bonne direction. Pour reagir sur ton intro ce n'est pas tant le materiel qui influe, bien sur il vaut mieux avoir un D70 qu'une petite camera chinoise, mais j'ai vu des gens faire de superbes photos avec un petit coolpix aussi, l'important c'est d'eduquer l'oeil et participer a un site comme TE ou on decouvre la vision de centaines de photographes ca aide !
Bonne continuation,
Jean-Yves

[2] +

yanseiler (20) 2006-05-18 10:55

Hi Marc, nice picture, however I think that there is too much space on the left and at the bottom, and the picture is a bit too dark, see my workshop in order to check what I mean.
Kindly
Yan

[2] +

stardam88 (73) 2006-05-18 12:35

Hi Marc,
very nice pic and amazing colors! What an attraction! Well done.
TFS, Damien

tifah (836) 2006-06-02 5:46

Hi Marc, I agree with you about the colour of the blue door and the porch. The colour compositon is really super, especially as the man wears very dark tones of green/brown, the background becomes even more luminous and vibrant. The peeling paint and textered wall is almost like a parody for the man, as he too is no longer young and new. He has seen the same things as the bulidings have experienced, and looks thoughtfully towards the past and future. thanks for sharing

steeve (1497) 2006-06-14 18:23

La composition est intйressante et je ne reviendra pas sur ton choix. Le travail de Yan va dans une bonne direction mais les modifications ont йtй appliquйes а l'ensemble de l'image. IMO ii aurait dы selectionner le sujet et travailler les niveaux afin de faire apparaоtre certains dйtails supplйmentaires sans modifier son environnement. Face а un sujet noir sous un chapeau, tu aurais intйrкt а ouvrir d'un cran ou deux. Well done

manatee (4668) 2006-06-19 20:15

Hi Mark i like your pciture is so nice and I like the constrast between the color of this guy and the door. Exelent

I'm a PhD student too in Neuroscience, plus I'm work with neurodevelopmental tratment, could you tell me more about your phd?

Bye

veronika (6058) 2006-06-20 5:34

Hi Marc, this one is perfect!
I like his portrait, he looks so relaxes and the blue door behind makes good contrast.
Very nice picture (i would add a white frame, but thatґs me, you know:))
Have a nice day!
Vero

iGirl (1223) 2006-06-21 7:48

Hi Marc, I really like the color of the door, and it is just interesting to read your note about what this guy does all day. I can't imagine just sitting around all day and getting paid to have my picture taken! But I've seen it a lot in big cities, so I guess it works. :)

I would have cropped the photo a little, but not too much on the left.

Thanks for sharing!

Erin

robertosalguero (292) 2006-06-26 0:30

Hello Marc.

Yes the colour of the door is nice however the door by itself is not unique. I guess the entire composition and contrast of colours and objects makes this a nice picture.

Jeronimo (1382) 2006-06-27 1:17

J'aime beaucoup cette composition Marc. Peu кtre un peu parce que je vis actuellement au Mexique. Tu as bien cadrй le sujet et la porte bleu fait bien ressortir le personage. Cela dit la photo est un peu sombre mais on ne fait pas toujours comme on veut. Peut кtre qu'un petit coup de flash?

sebinho342 (19329) 2006-06-27 10:23

Salut Marc, je dйcouvre ta gallerie et je dois reconnaitre qu'elle est plutot bien commencйe, meme trиs bien !
Je m'arrete sur celle la, de cuba, car c'est un pays qui me fascine mais ou paradoxalement il n'y a pas tant que зa de clichйs sur TE hors du commun (a part ceux de cuba-junky). C'est donc trиs rйussi, cadrage simple et composition minimaliste, c'est pas tout а fait un portrait mais зa s'en rapproche, en tout cas je sens d'ici les volutes de cohiba :)
Bravo :)

RGatward (20108) 2006-06-27 16:27

Late welcome to TE Marc, nicely presented shot of this guy. It's so like one of my early shots from Cuba, it could almost be teh same door, perhaps it is.

AgaA (2636) 2006-06-29 0:39

Hi Marc, very good composition and colours of the background.
Great shot!

marjan (7) 2006-06-29 14:53

Hi Marc, this is good shot. So tipical and excelent composition. Good coloures and POV
Marjan

gsimon (387) 2006-07-01 16:04

What great composition. I love the colors as well
He looks like he may have some words of wisdom
Did you choose to sit and talk to him
TFS
Greg

petrec (410) 2006-07-02 11:59

Very nice subject :-) The man has found a good way to win some money and he has a good presence and charism :-)) Claudia

Framboisilla (5277) 2006-07-04 14:02

Bonsoir Marc,

J'aime ces ambiances de rue oщ les gens se posent, ici on retrouve celles de Cuba, les faзades colorйes et cet homme qui regarde le temps passer...

Amicalement,
Stйphanie.

smash2707 (3320) 2006-07-05 10:12

Nice composition and interesting subject. The only complaint I have is that it is too dark, at least the man. It is hard to see the details there. Nevertheless, well donde, Yvonne

tatadalou (7459) 2006-07-08 13:27

Bonjour Marc,
Les couleurs du mur et de la porte s'entendent а mereville et il est vrai que cet homme paraоt sombre а cфtй de cet arriиre-plan si lumineux. Le workshop donnй par Yan va effectivement dans le bon sens. En tout cas, la compo est simple et efficace.
Delphine

gabrielpat (7163) 2006-07-11 17:07

slt marc,
que de commentaires sur cette photo!!elle est chouette;en effet un peu sombre,mais bon pas facile de faire des photos "naturelles" sans que des dйfauts apparaissent.le cadre et les couleurs sont trиs cubaines!le vieux а une bonne tкte avec son "puro" а la bouche.

[workshop] [compare] +

Betty (145) 2006-07-25 20:39

Salut Marc, lisant ton intro je trouve que tu es un peu dure avec toi-mкme, ta gallerie laisse voir un "bon oeil pour les choses", la technique suit toujours. J'aime particuliиrement cette photo par la simplicitй de sa composition et les lignes du mur, de la porte et de la rue en contraste avec les "courbes" de l'homme; bien qu'elle soit un peu sombre (je vois que bcp l'ont dit :) ) bonne continuation! Betty

Jeweller (4) 2006-07-27 9:47

Nice shot but I think it can be improved. I did a quick workshop for you.

[workshop] [compare]

Lynette (1615) 2006-08-02 16:02

Hi Marc, yes this is sometime in my life when I would like to interact with people less fortunate than myself. i love this portrait it reminds me home. nice informative note.
many tks for sharing...
: ) Lynette

fraggance (380) 2006-08-09 5:07

J'adore cette photo!! L'esprit latino plane au dessus de ce fumeur de havane!!!
Fйlicitation pour ce beau clichet!!
Amicalement
Audrey

napdsp (744) 2006-09-01 5:14

Beautiful portrait. His skin is very nicly exposed and the blue door is so vivid and stunning. I love his natural expression also. TFS.

stevenh (87) 2006-09-30 16:15 [Comment]

Show Comment

Luciana (2269) 2007-01-15 22:06

Olб, Marc!
Gostei muito dessa sua imagem!
O azul da porta ficou perfeito. E a expressгo do homem й уtima.

Abraзo do Brasil,
Luciana.

giuseppe24 (251) 2007-04-21 12:18

very interesting image...wonderful eye for the composition. I too love the blue door. I am also a bit intrigued by the culture of Cuba...unfortunately, as an American citizen it is tough to get there. Excellent image and note...this is everything I look for in an interesting photograph. TFS.

Isa-M (4026) 2008-03-13 12:52

BRAVO for POV, Marc :)
Interesting photo and of course great blue colour of door as a background...

Cheers !
IZa

rodgerg (55767) 2008-03-13 12:56

Bonsoir Marc,

En feuilletant TE je tombe sur cette ohoto que tu as postйe il y a dйjа longtemps. Une superbe photo, excellente composition avec cet homme bien situй par rapport а la porte et au mur. Belle saisie de l'expression de son visage. Bravo
Bien а toi,
Roger

AnaFrantz (636) 2008-03-14 10:06

Hi Marc,
Wonderfull portrait of Cuba!! Couldn't be better with him smoking the cigar by a blue door! Viva Cuba!!