Paduang Woman

Critiques [Translate]

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• InasiaJones (16947)
• [2007-06-14 3:11]
• [+]

Hi Henk,

I haven’t met this one, but I think she’s a fake Padaung... Sometimes, they hire girls to walk in the villages, just to impress photographers like you. You can see she’s not a real one, from her coil that is not perfectly twist under her chin. They have to make it quick, when they saw you coming... It’s too bad you had been confused by fake padaung woman...

LOL!!! I’m joking of course, but I can only imagine your face, reading my comment, thinking:« What the f*** is he talking about!»... Ahahahah!!!

I can appreciate the extra touch you’ve done with your "softening" technich... Can you do something like everybody else! I like the sharpness right there in her eyes and the classic pose you got. I’m not sure though that the white spot on her nose was necessary to keep, as it attracts a lot of attention...

Nice to see your own look on this tribe.

Cheers!

André

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• alagarcia (252)
• [2007-06-14 3:13]
• [2]

the portrait is well-composed ,soft-portrait-like picture but it lacks some light.
I heard different stories why they put this metal-rings on the neck;in the past:
1.first story that once it was a kind of protection fore those women that worked in the jungle tribs from the tigers that could't break the metal
2.that if the wife was having an affair with some other man the husband could cut the metal rings killigg women as her spine would break immedietly
nowadays:
3.it's just a tourist attraction-those refugees from Myanmar that can't find some other job in Thailand often use elements of their culture just to serve as the tourist attraction ,selling stories about keeping in touch with the tradition
regards
Alicja

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• robertosalguero (14771)
• [2007-06-14 3:20]

Amazing how they can stretch their neck with the rings. I think is very interesting why and how they do it. Is something we don't practice in the western world but whenever we see it we feel admiration and awe. Nice work Henk. The dreamy effect work well here.

Roberto

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• vincz (17534)
• [2007-06-14 3:46]

Very intriguing portrait. I think it looks taht way (intriguing) because of your treatmnt creating this dreamy effect as you say. A very sharp face with strangely textured skin (did she have some paste on the chicks?) emerging from a very soft body, the rings making the transition step by step. Is she wearing a necklace with a christian cross? or is it something else?

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• gulnilgun (1966)
• [2007-06-14 4:00]

Hi henk,
so beautiful portrait,
i know this neck rings,
you show us how to strech their necks they are,
thanks for sharing,
nilgun

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• oochappan (26676)
• [2007-06-14 4:21]

Nu nog een zeer lichte tritone erop om fijntjes kleur te bekennen welke een warmere indruk kan geven. Een andere stap dat ook gekund had was de glow op de background te behouden en een softfocus op haar om haar fijntjes van de achtergrond los te laten, meer diepte dus, licht kan ook helpen zonder haar uit de shaduw te halen. Mooi de scherp behouden focus op haar ogen, ze blijft je aanstaren, zo doordringend. Akkoord om onvomaaktheden op haar gelaat te behouden, dit doet geen afbreuk aan haar schoonheid zolang het niet afleid, zij had misschien zelf gewenst dat je haar een digitale schoonheidskuur had gegeven, je weet hoe vrouwen zijn hé :), alhoewel sommige mannen ook geen gebrek hebben aan een verzuchtend narcisme. Toch maar eens als een verademing aanhalen, een gelaat heeft nog altijd een boeiender expressie dan andere ledematen:)). Je kader oogt zo mooi, bijna afleidend, van die hopeloze kaderchaos hier op TE weerhoudt ik me doorgaans, copieren doen ze toch. Dat moet ik je toedichten, je perfectie die je beoogt werk heel wat meer inspirerend dan het weglachen van sommigen.
groeten
Henk

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• Dpbours (7893)
• [2007-06-14 4:27]

Hoi Henk,

Ja, de soft glow doet het toch niet helemaal voor me.
Het effect is wel goed, maar het item wat deze traditionele vrouw juist bijzonder maakt is de nekband. En ja, die is deels zachter gemaakt en dat is wel jammer. Wat me ook op valt is dat de achtergrond rechts wel in focus is en links niet. Nu ligt links ook verder weg, maar met f/2.8 had ik rechts ook out of focus verwacht - of ik zou het blurren. En de reflectie van die ringen moet in kleur machtig mooi zijn!

Maar ja, gewoon mijn ideeen! Qua compositie is het nog steeds des Henk Meijers!! ;-)

Groeten! Dennis

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• PixelTerror (76542)
• [2007-06-14 4:28]

Hi Henk,
ROTFL, I would have loved to see your face as you were reading André's comment ;-))
It's unusual to see a BW portrait from you, but it shows that, unlike me, you can do everything.
The result of your softening technique looks good to me, not sure I'd call it dreamy, but enigmatic to some degree and you succeeded in having the visage sharp. A final touch would be to run neat image on the cheeks with the "bulldozer" option checked ;-)
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

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• barrufeto_77 (21584)
• [2007-06-14 4:50]

Hi Henk.

Ahhhhhhhhhh...excellent portrait. The face is really amazing!

My compliments!

Rgs, Oscar

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• Luko (13802)
• [2007-06-14 5:00]
• [2] [+]

Hi Henk, sorry I'll be quite critical on your processing choice, something I can't do with most of your images ;D...

I really can't see why you chose BW instead of staying with RGB :

1- as your BW conversion does not differentiate the beige/yellow tones from skin tones the tanaka she puts on her face looks more like pimples or skin rash than what it his made for : a beauty mask.

2- I don't care much with the conversion you've done, it comes out in a uniform greyish range with no true black or white. As an initial BW film photographer, I'm quite picky with BW conversion, the only thing that keeps me from selling my old Leica M and using my home darkroom from something else. here I cannot find the lighting that makes a BW image stand out, for me it's definitely a color shot.

Another myth about the Padaung is that it's in no way the neck that elongates, which should be deadly for them, but their shoulders that lower down. Not sure about the full moon thing or there might be many Padaung women born on full moon in that long neck village near Mae Hong Son.

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• Gerrit (28404)
• [2007-06-14 5:05]

Dah Henk,
mooi portret met de v in het licht van haar ogen en het licht op de metalen ringen om haar nek. Haar acne geeft haar iets heel kwetsbaars mee. Ook de (kwasi) traan langs haar neus werkt tegengesteld aan haar ernstige zellfverzekerde blik.
Groeten Gerrit

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• ben4321 (9367)
• [2007-06-14 5:24]
• [3] [+]

I'd like to see the original un-PP'd version of this, because although it's a very well taken portrait, I'm afraid the artificial soft-focus effect isn't for me. Just personal preference really.
I think it works well as a B&W image, although I think if you had pushed the contrast up a bit more it would have had more impact.
Maybe shooting wide open at f1.8 could have given you the softness you wanted, while keeping the eyes sharp of course. I bet you could have done great things here with the 85mm f1.2 - I know I'd be drooling over one if I used a Canon!

Cheers,
Ben

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• faubry (29411)
• [2007-06-14 5:52]

hello Henk, amazing and incredible photo, very good skin details, i like your soft treatmant, thanks
francine

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• feather (43340)
• [2007-06-14 6:06]

It seems you got some mixed reviews on this one Henk. I can't really say anything useful as I don't know very much about B&W, as you know and still prefer colour. However as those rings already make her face stand out from the rest of the photo your selective softening adds to that illusion. What really stands out are her eyes, and that it what portrait photographers aim for. Right? They have a gentle look and the glints help them to stand out even more.
An interesting cultural presentation.
Kath

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• delkoo (27336)
• [2007-06-14 7:15]

hi henk
what to say about this photo very controverted, I like smooth tones and the sharpness of details.
it's strange tradition with diferent meanings.

cheers
didier

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• cbrman (15071)
• [2007-06-14 7:25]

Hello Henk,

Bien étrange culture que celle-ci ! L'allongement du cou donne un air surnaturel à cette personne ! La photographie est bien prise et le noir et blanc bien choisi ! Cela donne une impression de respect envers le sujet !
Bien vu !

A+

Dominique

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• JoseMiguel (858)
• [2007-06-14 8:47]

Hi Henk,
A very good portrait of this long neck!
I like so much the tight cropping made, to focus all the attention of the woman's face.
You caught a nice expression on her face, like almost all of them have.
I like your PP work to achieve this smooth appearance.
Congratulations and thanks for share it.
My best regards,
JM

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• imrek (6494)
• [2007-06-14 9:26]

hello Henk,
very good portrait and nice bw conversion, used softening tchnique gives pleasant effect.!!
regards,
imre

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• Cormac (25805)
• [2007-06-14 10:57]

Great shot! This is something I've heard of a long time ago, but I haven't seen any photos of it. The soft glow works very well on the rings, making them more natural and less harsh, and the overall effect is, as you say, very dreamy. Well done!

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• carper (57433)
• [2007-06-14 12:34]
• [+]

hoi Henk.
het is een prachtige foto, het belangrijke oggcontact is aanwezig en een zeer goede details zijn aanwezig. links bovenin is hij volgens mij iets te donker, wat eenvoudig met een highligth tool opgelost kan worden. Ik heb dit thuis al uitgeprobeerd, maar wie ben ik om U te verbeteren.
groet Jaap

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• Photo65Net (36991)
• [2007-06-14 13:55]

Henk,
Beautiful soft tones and contrasts in this one.
Of course the rings are very impressive, always nice to see such particular ethnic characteristics.
Nice job, as always !
Regards,
JB.

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• melmcree (2253)
• [2007-06-14 14:18]
• [+]

Very nice composition Henk. I have one question for you. I see three flashes in her eyes, so you use slave flashes when you do portraits such as this?

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• Poet (50)
• [2007-06-14 14:21]

Wat een reacties Henk, en de eerste slaat echt alles, hahaha.
Dacht je echt?... what the f .... !!!!
Een prachtige foto, nu eens weer in zwart/wit. Je hebt de foto mooi verzacht .. laat dat maar aan Henk over :-))
Mijn complimenten.

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• gilou530 (28107)
• [2007-06-14 17:13]

salut henk
the N&B appears to me well for saying that the ritual of the rings is rather a constraint of an ancestral habit, that I had the occasion to see and I was ostructed to take photographs in this human park of animals beautiful clearness
amitiés
gilbert

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• belido (11003)
• [2007-06-15 7:58]

Hi Henk,

graceful portrait. I don't know the reason but she seems to have a sad smile, maybe just an impression. This probably helped to enhance the composition. Great indeed!
Regards,
Carlos

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• jhm (71163)
• [2007-06-15 8:04]
• [+]

Hallo Henk,

Oef, wanneer ik alle kritieks lees, durf ik bij god niets meer schrijven, ik die dacht dat TE een site was voor opbouwdende kritiek, sommige durven steen voor steen de zaak onderuit halen, of was het soms eens de bedoeling om een aardverschuiving teweeg te brengen op TE? Nederlanders zijn nu eenmaal geen mensen die schrik hebben van een kattepis nietwaar.
Dat ik echt geen fan ben van ZW wist u reeds lang, maar dat ZW moeilijk is zijn er blijkbaar een aantal mensen vergeten, waarom moet men de eerste tweejaar in de school zwart-wit leren maken misschien!
Ik spaar verder alle woorden want er zijn er reeds voldoende gevallen.

Maar een prettig weekend krijgt u toch van mij.
Groeten,
John.

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• pboehringer (19604)
• [2007-06-15 10:23]
• [+]

Henk, I wonder how close you really got to her. I noticed a very sharp resolution in here face and already at her chest the blurr. I can mimic sch technique with getting very close and using the shutter wide open. Is that what you did?
Remarkable the skin texture. As a physician I have the impression of a butterfly shape and ask myself if the young lady has a disease called lupus. There seems to be some sunlight sensitivity in her face.
Sorry, my critique got a little bit medical ;-)

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• leo61 (35523)
• [2007-06-16 2:14]

Hello Henk!
I think the origin of these women is in Burma and they are send over the border to earn some money from tourists.
Anyway,it`s a good B&W shot.Her eyes are wonderful and I like her expresiion.
Regards,Leo

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• luiscar (3261)
• [2007-06-16 3:42]

Hello Henk, beautiful portrait of this Asian woman with good tones of gray obtained.
I like the expressiveness of the image and the tones of light and twinkles of the necklace.
big work, a greeting
happy weekend, a greeting

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• plimrn (17326)
• [2007-06-16 21:39]

Hi Henk,
I feel sad to see such a young woman damaging her body like this. Andre is not too far from wrong according to this website who calls the practice of tourist villages, "a human zoo." It continues, "But the Padaung were actively encouraged to cross the border. The Thais benefit from the extra income generated by the influx of tourists to the region. At the 'tourist villages' there is an entrance fee. The Padaung women receive some of the revenue but most is taken by Karens, of whom the Padaung are a sub-group. The money helps pay for the struggle against the Burmese Government."
HLJ, Pat

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• zeca (18746)
• [2007-06-17 22:44]

Hi Henk!
Nice quality on this portrait! The skin tone and texture is very real and nice. Well taken!
Have a nice week!
Zeca

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• sothy81 (8209)
• [2007-06-20 6:11]

Ahhh... you went to Thailand. Really close to Cambodia. Did you come? This is a very nice portrait. It is interesting to see the code of conduct of girls from some ethnic minority. Well done in BW. Sothy

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• MarianneS (10520)
• [2008-06-21 13:49]

Dag Henk,
Enigmatic portrait... I am not use to see B&W in your gallery, but it fits well to this young lady.
The texture of her skin is so well translated by your shot.
She seems to be lost in her thoughts...
I laughed a lot on reading André's note :-))
Have a good evening... we are watching the match... let's hope the dutch team will win!!!
Cheers,
Marianne