This is a dual portrait of my son, David and his cat, taken yesterday on a visit to his new apartment. Does it convey his capacity for relaxed attentiveness to you the way it does to me?

P

-- Paul Harris (pharris@neosoft.com), February 13, 2000

Answers

...just adding some iformation after checking if the posting worked :)..

I have been experimenting with Ilford HP5+ at 800 for getting dim-light pictures. Xtol 1+1 14min, 20deg.C. I could have used it at 400 for this, or my common Tri-X in HC110. Do you have an opinion on the texture/grain?

Nikon FM2n, 24mm

-- Paul Harris (pharris@neosoft.com), February 13, 2000.

I like the way the cat is looking towards the light source. That is really good and adds a feeling of apprehension to the image, making it dynamic.

The corner at the right, with those two lines sloping off at an odd angle really disturb me. I'd suggest you digitally remove them. Get rid of the table while you are at it: there isn't enough of it to make it iteresting.

Grain is a very personal matter. I tend to think less is better, but everybody is different. I like Ilford Delta better than HP5 and tend to recommend it.

But: good picture. Great pose of the cat. I'm impressed you managed to capture it. Now if you can just get the cat (and the son) to adopt that pose again then ... :-)

-- Allan Engelhardt (allane@cybaea.com), February 13, 2000.

I was thinking of a crop along these lines:

(Hope it works!)

-- Allan Engelhardt (allane@cybaea.com), February 13, 2000.

Speaking of film...I have used T-Max 400 since it came out, but have recently explored Ilford film with different developer combinations, primarily for available light photography and portraits at 400 or 800. I recently tried HP5 Plus with HC110, and Delta 400 with HC110 and T-Max developer. I keep hearing about Xtol. Tell me, before I buy a bottle, what it will do to improve my negatives over HC110 or T- Max developer. Much thanks.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), February 13, 2000.

I love it, the grain is perfectly acceptable to me, and the contrast is very nice. I really don't like the wall protruding from the right (which the crop fixes...). Nice work.

Call me crazy but does your son look a little like Phil G.? shawn

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), February 13, 2000.

Thanks for the critiques! All good points. Allan- I think the crop helps. I would like a little more space on the top. Actually, I'd like more space all around, but the problem in the first place was that some of that space was filled with distracting elements :0 It was a little pretentious of me to call it a "portrait", because that implies planning. David and I were just hanging out and talking, and when an interesting moment caught my eye, I pushed the button. When I saw the proofs last night, I laughed and groaned, because on the original negative there was even more distracting stuff on the table!

Todd- I used Tri-x and HC110 a lot and still really like it. I got into Xtol as a developer for Delta 3200, and because I had heard good things about it, and because they have good charts for developing a multitude of films, I sort of migrated over. I don't know enough yet for a really good answer. On some films I felt that the longer development times gave me some "wiggle" room. Shawn - If you think that David looks like Phil G. in that, imagine him holding a large dog _here_

-- Paul Harris (pharris@neosoft.com), February 13, 2000.

When I saw the proofs last night, I laughed and groaned, because on the original negative there was even more distracting stuff on the table!

...maybe try it with the stuff on the table, it might be just as interesting, and I've often found that more 'complex' compositions sometimes don't fade away from memory for some reason as quickly as less complex ones. Case in point could be HCB...or (ugh, here we go again) Newton.

and I like the softness of the shadows in Number 2...

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), February 13, 2000.

oooooooh underlines that should help

-- grant groberg (grant@emeraldp.com), February 14, 2000.

Allan- I think the crop helps. I would like a little more space on the top.

Thanks. It is a crop and a slight edit of the different coloured areas to the right. Space on the top is a matter of experimentation: maybe a little more, but not as much as you had would be my feelings.

Actually, I'd like more space all around...

Ditto that. Try to include the environment: as it is (at least in my crop + edit) it is an almost abstract picture. I don't know if including the surroundings would really work, but as I said: just get the cat and son to adopt the same pose again and ....

-- Allan Engelhardt (allane@cybaea.com), February 14, 2000.

Memo to myself- ....must sedate cat....

-- Paul Harris (pharris@neosoft.com), February 14, 2000.

I currently have 4 cats hoteling here. what did yours destroy?

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), February 15, 2000.

sedation?

For posing purposes only (sedation). The cat was aware of the sound of the camera. Of course, I wouldn't really do that.

-- Paul Harris (pharris@neosoft.com), February 15, 2000.

Glad you're not one of those people who, ten years later, talks about getting their cat stoned when they were teenagers...

...though one of my brother's cats is actually on a human antidepressant!!! humm, wonder if that means we should try catnip?!?

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), February 15, 2000.