The Bearded Kanak, a photo from Honiara, West

Photographer's Note

A member of the Melanesian Kanak Tribe, the man was a bus driver in Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

It's always a difficult decision to offer tips to people you photograph, wondering whether they expect it or whether they will accept it. I found the people in the Solomon Islands never beg! The culture of begging does not exist. He was just happy to see the photo on the screen of my camera.

In shooting his portrait I was interested in capturing "his soul" and he appeared fully compliant. Behind that full beard, he exuded a proud demeanor, and ironically, an impish, enigmatic smile. Both, in composing and in cropping, I am cognizant of the center-line principle, discovered in 1999 by the English-born American psychologist, Dr. Christopher Tyler, that in almost all portraits created by the Great Masters, one eye of the subject will be on the vertical bisector of the frame. Here it is his left eye! Leonardo da Vinci in his three portraits of women — Ginevra de' Benci, Cecilia Gallerani and in the Mona Lisa — placed an eye of his subject on the bisector. So did Rembrandt in all his single-subject portraits, and even Picasso in many of his portraits. Photographers can learn from the great painters!

As I wrote in notes accompanying earlier photos that I submitted of the islanders, the natives of the Pacific Ocean, "Oceania," are divided culturally into three groups: the Melanesian, who migrated to the present-day Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia; the islanders who migrated to the Marshall Islands, Papua — New Guinea and the Mariana Islands to the north of Melanesia are known as the Micronesians. A more expansive area was settled by the Polynesians who migrated to Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia, Tonga, New Zealand... These migrations are thought to have taken place between 3000-1000 BC. In an earlier Workshop, I posted a map showing the three cultural groups. Of course, the Aborigines of Australia date back at least 35,000 years and are known to have come from Africa by way of southern Asia.

Oh yes, one small exercise in photoshop. The man was missing the lower button on his shirt. I copied the button on top and sewed it into the lower button hole.

To my friends at Trekearth, I wish you all a good weekend.

pajaran, papagolf21, premahg, bukitgolfb301, jhm, ikeharel, Graal, mirosu, delpeoples, macjake, lucasgalodoido has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pajaran (117033) 2016-04-29 9:18

Dobar dan.
Lep pogled, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad, lepo pokazano, dobar kontrast i ostrina, lep portret ...
Lepo uhvacen trenuta sa lepim osmehom na licu.
Imajte lep i uspesan dan, sve najbolje.
Paja.

Good day.
Nice view, interesting and good text ...
Good work, nice shown, good contrast and sharpness, beautiful portrait ...
Nicely presently caught with a nice smile on his face.
Have a nice and successful day, all the best.
Paja.

lousat (139982) 2016-04-29 9:29

Hi Bulent,a beautiful portrait of this man,he's a bus drvier as i can read in your note,but seems different with this look and in this scenery...ehehe...perfect quality and very nice face expression,i like it! Have a nice weekend and thanks,Luciano

jean113 (28253) 2016-04-29 13:30

Hello Bulent, a lovely portrait of the smiling bus driver in his checked shirt.
I like the way he is looking straight at you, not shy or nervous of the occasion.
Excellent sharp shot.
Interesting notes.
Thank you, have a good weekend too.
Regards Jean.

papagolf21 (152607) 2016-04-29 14:36

Bonsoir, cher ami Bulent,
Excellent portrait rйalisй. Il semble qu'il y ait communion entre le photographe et l'homme. Le sourire et le regard sont naturels et francs.
Une trиs bonne rйalisation.
Amitiйs.
Philippe

carlo62 (81265) 2016-04-29 16:14

Ciao Bulent
molto bello questo ritratto, c'и una strana espressione nei suoi occhi, sembra che non siano in sintonia con il lieve sorriso.
Saluti
Carlo

bukitgolfb301 (54014) 2016-04-29 23:53

Hi dear Bulent

A stright and direct portrait, so nice to see.
Melanesian's typical characteristics si so well presented. Very sharp and clear focusing makes so clear presentation, we can see a hair one bu one.

All the best and have a good weekend! Takero

jhm (211738) 2016-04-30 0:29

Dear Bulent,

I like it portraits, certainly people with an extraordinarily face, and nice smile.
Cut in future your picture that the one eye in in the middle is of the picture, than is everything professional.
But your work is beautiful.
Composition and presentation are wonderful.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

ikeharel (114569) 2016-04-30 0:53

Beautiful portrait of the smiling man, Bulent.
Distinct photo with excellent details from a close-up.
Well trimmed beard and I like the elegant shirt he was wearing.
Enjoy your weekend,
Ike

No_One (4) 2016-04-30 4:45

Hi Bulent
The man looks happy and proud and from your note, this was an all positive experience. That comes across in the photo. Really delightful photo worth great effect from the sky behind which looks like it's emanating from the man! Thanks for a very interesting note too. I hadn't heard that tip on portrait photography, I must try this in practice.
Best wishes
Noel

Nicou (193814) 2016-04-30 6:43

Hlelo

quelle belle barbe et vue quel compo et visage superbe captage et image quel visage et regard un sourire sueprbe compo et portrait.
Bravo et amitiй
nciou

Graal (103040) 2016-04-30 8:45

Hello Bulent,
very nice portrait and pleasant smile on face of Kanak. Interesting comment in note. Fine version in B&W (WS).
Have a nice WE.
Aleksander

mirosu (16313) 2016-05-01 7:33

Hi Bullent,
Excellent portrait nicely framed in vertical format. I like the smiling face and the nice grey beard. Superb details.
Very well done my friend.
Greetings
Miro

ktanska (45052) 2016-05-05 0:42

Hi Bulent,
A good contrasty portrait from a rarely visited island. Darker clouds make nice background. Excellent note, I have to keep that advice of composition in mind.
Kari

mesutilgim (0) 2016-05-15 11:57

Selam dear Bьlent,
One of the best's portraits I've seen here at TE. A face = thousands of words !
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

Silvio1953 (222889) 2016-06-03 10:10

Ciso Bulant, beautiful Portrait, nice expression, wonderful colors, splendid light, excellent clarity and fine detsils, very well done, my friend, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

delpeoples (60342) 2016-06-04 8:27

Ciao dear Bulent

Just back in Australia after a month in Europe. I had a lovely time, meeting up with Noel in Ireland and John Tyro in Scotland. It's good to be back home though.

To your photo. A beautiful portrait of this lovely looking man. he has a warm shy smile and a kind face. I hope life has been good to him. The light here is excellent and the sharpness, contrast and skin tones are very naturally rendered.

You might be interested to read about the history of Kanaks in Australia. They were brought here for the purposes of slavery, mainly working in the cane fields of Queensland and mines of New South Wales. Many Kanaks mixed with our First Nations Peoples, aswell as the Torres Strait Islanders.

Thanks for sharing and I hope you and your lady love are keeping well.

Hugs
Lisa

macjake (98544) 2016-06-05 18:02

Hi Bulent
personally, I prefer the coloured version, maybe because blue, and blue/grey are my favorite colours :)

how could anyone not be pulled in by this fellas look and warm invitation?!

and thanks for the reminder about composition, i'll have to look that up one more time - always good to have a refresher course once in a while.

such a friendly looking man, and its great to hear he was quite humble. and I agree with your predicament about paying or not paying and the expectations...its a tough one.
this shot worked out well, its a wonderful experience to keep in the memory banks.

and thanks for the book reference in Chicago :)
cheers
Craig

lucasgalodoido (27698) 2016-08-19 16:32

Olб Bulent,
um bonito retrato desse "modelo" mesmo. Aprecio muito esse tipo de fotografia. Belo trabalho.
Parabйns e Abraзo,
Lucas