Soul Searching

"bokeh" in the background (out of focus highlights , in this case it's in the tree foliage)

here, the "bokeh" bleeds thru the mirrored image layer to create the effect I wanted.

This is one image that exemplifies doing "candid portraiture at events"
(in Technique).

A 'rorshocking' portrait of introspection, utilizing selective focus 'bokeh' bokeh overlay effect to complete the effect (but she's really just watching an event).

My personal faved best photo of 2004 (added to the 'Cream of the Crop' pool) because it combines utilizing a photographic medium techinque with basic Photoshop technique to create something much more than the sum of the parts.

And in 2005, a wonderful contextual blogging by utata.org and by flickrsoup

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Comments

Auntie K says:

Wonderful portrait. The selective focus really adds to the image.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

gaspi *your guide says:

Yes, the selective focus provides the aethereal material to create the "spiritual reflection".
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

murn says:

What exactly is bokeh? And how do you pronounce it?
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

gaspi *your guide says:

Bokeh or boke (bo-keh) is a modern Japanese techie word (or term) for the capacity of a given lens to produce to produce aesthetic looking out-of-focus highlights in a photo image taken at a wide aperture. Naturally, larger format lenses produce 'better' boheh than do smaller format digital lenses. And, long focal length 'mirror' lenses produce donut-shaped boke.

A selected cutout of the subject's face was flipped and layered over the masked image and then a 50% overlay blend was used to bleed the background bokeh through the second face.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

murn says:

Using the notes function, would you point out an example of nice bokeh on the above image?
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

gaspi *your guide says:

Done... now THAT is a very useful and commendable site feature. Thanks for showing me!
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

kunja says:

Nicely done
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

ccarriconde says:

Very, very beautiful!
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

Keith says:

Nothing less than superb.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

crossguy72 says:

excellent portrait
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

Mute* says:

Good job, great look and feel.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

pfong says:

Nice pic and very informative post. Thanks.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

Robert Whitehead says:

Here is an example of the donut shaped boke alluded to earlier.
This shot was purely to see if my old Canon 500mm mirror reflex lens would work on my new EOS 300D with a lens adaptor I found in a second-hand store.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

SteveFE says:

Thanks:

a) syzygynick for the great picture (much better than it looked from a thumbnail)

b) for the education on bokeh - it was bugging me so much that I searched Flickr for it
Posted 55 months ago. ( permalink )

davidharding says:

great shot!
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

BoazImages says:

What a great photograph!
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

ccarriconde says:

Wonderful portrait!!!
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

Margo-Rita says:

Bravo!!! WONDERFUL SHOT...
added to my favorites
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

Catherine Jamieson says:

Congratulations!
You've been utata'd!
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

gaspi *your guide says:

Thank you very much, Catherine. The collaborative context means a lot.
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

!efatima says:

Its beautiful. Blogged it at FlickrSoup Group. :) thanks for sharing.
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

Shavar Ross says:

So nice. Saw this on www.utata.org
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

drp says:

Beautiful marriage of the traditional and digital.
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

jmso says:

I'been watching to all your photos for about an hour. All of them are great and inspiring. As someone stated above, thankyou for sharing your work. I've learned and enjoyed a lot watching them.
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

Roberto Delduque says:

*****
Bravo!!!
Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

kimberkit says:

It's wonderful.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Sugar Cain says:

awesome
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

DeLares (Eliud Martinez) says:

whew!....a tour d'force...well done!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Ibni says:

wow!
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

gayscguy [deleted] says:

lovely image!
Posted 44 months ago. ( permalink )

electricgecko says:

strong photo!
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

tanad says:

introspective!
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

LOtM / Sara says:

Amazing.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

dinghyman says:

Thanks for sharing such a great photo. It's a favorite with my students. Thanks also for using the CC license so we can share it. -- photok12.org
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

photosagiv says:

You are my winner!
Please add this photo to
www.flickr.com/groups/mywinners/
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

SerialCoder says:

This image has been added to the Flickr Museum for making explore's top 25. Kudos! You can check it out HERE...

Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

photoriel says:

Wonderful capture !
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Shutterhack says:

I think it is absolutely true that a photographer can capture more than the physical appearance of a scene or person. Aspects of character and even more "spiritual" aspects of a person or scene can be deliberately revealed in photography, painting, sculpture, any form of art. My point is just that an photographer should have in his mind what he is trying to illustrate before he begins. To be called a great portrait, I think it must have more than just a physical resemblance to the person, place, or thing being photographed. I can surely find some of these values in your photo here.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Renmarc says:

Ciao, sono amministratore di un gruppo chiamato Black and White Dreams. Ci farebbe piacere aggiungere le tuo foto al gruppo.

Your photo make me dream!
You are invited to add this image to
Black and White Dreams!
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

teddyrux says:

Featured: blog.epicedits.com/2007/12/10/16-inspirationa l-portrait-p...
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

m@t@l says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Your Preferred Picture, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

~jjjohn~ says:

Ciao, sono amministratore di un gruppo chiamato Golden Visions (BLACK AND WHITE CONTEST - POSTING NOW). Ci farebbe piacere aggiungere l’elemento al gruppo.

----------------
You are INVITED to add this photo to:
GOLDEN VISIONS

Tag this photo with "Golden Visions"

Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

D_is_4_Digital says:

actually 'boke' in Japanese doesn't have any specific reference to photography.It means 'muddled' or 'confused' or can be used to call someone an idiot. :) a senile person can be referred to as 'boketeiru' .Of course,it also has the connotation of blurred and fuzzy when used in a visual sense.

anyway enough of the linguistic lesson, what a lovely portrait!! so crisp and evocative.I could only ever hope to take such a photo.
Nice work.I am such a boke that I often forget the simple things like white balance.LOL
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

Jackal1 says:

Superb!
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

elsvo (back to 365) says:

Gorgeous!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

d-k-t says:

cool shot!
Posted 4 days ago. ( permalink )

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Soul Searching

Comments

Auntie K says:

gaspi *your guide says:

murn says:

gaspi *your guide says:

murn says:

gaspi *your guide says:

kunja says:

ccarriconde says:

*Keith* says:

crossguy72 says:

Mute* says:

pfong says:

Robert Whitehead says:

SteveFE says:

davidharding says:

BoazImages says:

ccarriconde says:

Margo-Rita says:

Catherine Jamieson says:

gaspi *your guide says:

!efatima says:

Shavar Ross says:

drp says:

jmso says:

Roberto Delduque says:

kimberkit says:

Sugar Cain says:

DeLares (Eliud Martinez) says:

Ibni says:

gayscguy [deleted] says:

electricgecko says:

tanad says:

LOtM / Sara says:

dinghyman says:

photosagiv says:

SerialCoder says:

photoriel says:

Shutterhack says:

Renmarc says:

teddyrux says:

m@t@l says:

~jjjohn~ says:

D_is_4_Digital says:

Jackal1 says:

elsvo (back to 365) says:

d-k-t says:

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Keith says: