Street Sounds, a photo from Pernambuco, Northeast

Photographer's Note

This is on a square in front of the cathedral of Olinda. You can find additional information in my previous notes here and here. In fact the photo was taken on the same place of the StreetMusician posting, but just after the sun had set.

While looking for something fresh to drink at one of the stands in a street fair, I was attracted by the music of this duo, and specially by the instrument that the old man is playing. (This is why I preferred this one to other with a ‘front’ view of the musicians).

It was a Saturday evening and a lot of people walked around (mostly locals, since Olinda only has a few small ‘pousadas’, there are not many tourists in the nights) and the place was filled by the sound of different kinds of music (other street musicians and a dance club very close) and loud conversations, but this duo seemed to stand all over that.

After they finished playing I asked them if they had ever recorded anything, and they said that no, that they only made music for pleasure.

Olinda is not only part of the World Heritage (the old part of the city is very well preserved and has a very nice bohemian and relaxed atmosphere), but also considered (by mane Brazilians) to host the best carnival in Brazil. Even if rental and lodging prices soar during carnival days, it is almost impossible to find accommodation with months of advance.

I took the photo with very little light (sun had just set and the many trees interfered with the public lights, so I finally decided to convert to monochrome. After seeing the result, I also decided to apply a very light gaussian blur.

In the WS I included two bonus shots, one of the Olinda’s Cathedral, and other of street vendors, just in front of the church.

Hope you enjoy them.

Raw Capture at ISO 800 – f5.6 – 1/60s @ 50 mm – Post processing: raw conversion (DPP) to Jpg, and then cropping, conversion, contrast (curves), gaussian blur, USM, frame, and save for the web.

pboehringer, john_c, papagolf21, TeresaT, Flavia, efigesta, plimrn, Cretense, berek, atus, Tue, Click3, ahmetgedikli, Davidwh, jhm, alejandroguzman, imrek, prezntime, RADEEH, Silke, alebastos, elmec ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

xavshot (69835) 2006-08-23 11:18

Bonjour Carlos
j'aime beaucoup le traitement que tu as fait sur cette photo. Belle compo et beau résultat. j'aime également le cadrage avec le guitariste de dos. Bien joué
amicalement
Xavier

pboehringer (770) 2006-08-23 11:20

Hi Carlos, interesting choice to take sepia for this exposure. The interaction of these two muscicians is obvious. The guitar guy looks intensely to the other one and so do I. What on earth is that kind of instrument. I never saw anything alike in my 25 years living in Brazil?
Best Regards, Peter

P-S-I-G (25536) 2006-08-23 11:27

Hello Carlos,
Very good choice to take a sepia version.
Good composition with musicians.
Well done.
Best regards,
Fabrice

john_c (24666) 2006-08-23 14:33

Hi Carlos,
An amazing instrument being played by the fellow on the left. There is good action and dynamics here, with the sepia look quite apropos. All of the fine details of the two men and their instruments are seen with great clarity. A superb note.
John

papagolf21 (152605) 2006-08-23 16:40

Bonsoir mon ami Carlos,
Cet instrument m'intrigue au plus haut point, j'ai fait des recherches poussées sur internet sans trouver le nom de cet instrument.
Le mystère restera donc entier. Une chose est sûre, Carlos, l'image est très intéressante et parfaitement mise en valeur avec ces deux musiciens, dont ce vieil homme jouant, avec application de cet instrument qui sort d'un autre âge.
Merci, Carlos, de nous faire partager une telle image.
Amitiés.
Philippe

MIG13 (0) 2006-08-23 16:44

OLá, Carlos! Além de tecnicamente interessante (gosto dessa variação de sépia, bem forte, com definição igualmente destacada), a foto mostra um pouco da cara do Brasil mais popular, simples e musical. O texto, igualmente, é muito bom. Legal, amigo! Saludos desde Rio! Miguel.

Vato_Law (12732) 2006-08-23 17:00

Olá Carlos (cá vai ela em português para poder praticar).
Bela foto deste 2 musicos, gostei da escolha do P&B nesta foto. Bons contrastes e boa expressão capturada na face do musico que está de frente.
Gosto do tratamento que deste à imagem embora ache que está um pouco desfocada nalgumas partes, mas nada que estrague demasiado a foto.
Um abraço
Paulo

TeresaT (10806) 2006-08-23 18:54

Olá amigo Carlos,
Bonita composição destes artistas de rua.
Os tons sepia estão muito bonitos e dão um efeito antigo à imagem.
E o grão da foto, devido ao (ISO800) faz com que a imagem pareça uma foto revelada num laboratorio caseiro.
Muito bonita mesmo.
Um grande beijo
Teresa

Flavia (10352) 2006-08-23 19:00

Hola Carlos,

Lindo trio todos mereciam estar como 'main posts', mas entendo que tenha escolhido coloca-los juntos por estarem relacionados entre si. O que e o instrumento de sopro do senhor? Nunca vi nada parecido! Em uma primeira olhada achei que ele estivesse comendo uma perna de carneiro ou coisa assim... O nordeste tem mesmo coisas diferentes p quem vem do sul, quero um dia ir a esta regiao. Belo enquadramento e a ideia de converter em monocromatica funciona, talvez o preto e branco tradicional fosse ainda melhor ?(questao de gosto...) O blur da ideia de que eles estao de se movendo com a musica e funciona bem.

Abracos,

Flavia

efigesta (12188) 2006-08-23 19:21

Hola Amigo
uma foto a preto e branco de um retrato muito bem conseguido
parabens
manuel
abraço de portugal

plimrn (21344) 2006-08-23 20:07

Hi Carlos,
I really like the way you've captured the two musicians; as Peter comments, "The interaction...is obvious." I agree with John about the excellent detail you've shown. Your processing choices are very effective; The sepia works well and the blur almost seem to make the photo appear sharper. I've never seen anything like the wind instrument being played and I guess nobody else has either. I also particularly like the cathedral in the bonus shot.
Regards, Pat

rosaline (0) 2006-08-24 3:56

Hi Carlos
A great everyday shot captured at a good moment. I like the expression on the man's face and the emotion too. Good sepia effect and a nice atmosphere and mood. Well done
Aubrey

markstaples (15670) 2006-08-24 4:56

Hi Carlos
I like very much the PP work you have done on this photo - it gives such ambiance. I like too your framing and composition with the guitarist's back to us. Nice work.
Best wishes
Mark

vinicio (23423) 2006-08-24 6:25

Beautiful life scene and interesting musical instrument in the hands of the man on the left, good composition and image full of good life, compliments.
Ciao
Vinicio

Cretense (68709) 2006-08-24 6:30

Siempre me encantan la fotos de musicos, Carlos! Aqui tenemos una escena muy viva y muy emocionante, ademas una escena muy natural. Me gusta mucho el B&N y la composicion. Me gusta tambien la posicion de los musicos, especialmente del guitarrista que parece estar muy atento a lo que toca su companero. Muy buena nota tambien! Felicidades amigo!

Un abrazo,
Hercules

berek (50518) 2006-08-24 7:18

Hi Carlos,
nice b&W taken. its meaningful daily life picture my friend. I like it. have a nice day.
Berek
my overall evaluation -> :-))

atus (15878) 2006-08-24 18:27

Hello Carlos,
very well captured shot and very nice mood. Captured in a decisive moment with a great expression of the musician. The sepia tones are very nice here and fits well with the scene captured. Well done, my friend!
Attila

Burberry1 (6041) 2006-08-25 7:19

A great strong photograph carlos!!!
I love the tones and I can almost hesr the music sounds in my house!!

Regards,

A g n i e s z k a

klennon79 (0) 2006-08-25 10:04

Hi Carlos.
This is a great perspective. What a curious looking instrument--makes me wonder what it sounded like. I like the b&w and blur. Nice composition.
Take care.
Kirsten

isabela_sor (47748) 2006-08-25 10:33

I like a lot this choice for grain sepia...a nice daily life picture. The tight framing is great and I'm very impress about this strange instrument....A perfect picture ,dear Carlos
Have a nice week end
Isabela

Lynette (1615) 2006-08-25 12:00

Hello Carlos, how are you?
Very good choice converting to sepia version.
Good composition with musicians.
Good weekend to you.
Best regards,
Lynette

Tue (91574) 2006-08-25 15:53

Hej Carlos,
Good shot, the sepia works very nicely here. The POV is also good. The two musicians are placed well in the composition. Good work!
Hilsen,
Lars

Click3 (1886) 2006-08-25 21:12

Carlos...una foto MUY expresiva...la música flota en el ambiente. Me encanta el tratamiento con el sepia que has logrado y el ángulo de toma...muy ad-hoc para esta foto. Gracias por compartir, un abrazo, Robert

leo61 (0) 2006-08-26 0:53

Hi Carlos!
What an impressive instrument,I`ve never seen before.The two musicians are verry well placed and the sepia tones make a nice atmosphere.
Have a nice weekend,
regards,Leo

ahmetgedikli (25609) 2006-08-26 5:16

Ola Carlos,
A really wonderful work! Good capture and black-white composition. Well done.
Saludos, greetings.
Ahmet

feather (51130) 2006-08-26 8:42

Interesting shot of the musicians. Even though we don't see much of the face of the man on the right, we can tell by his body language how much he is intent on the older man. (father & son maybe?)I like the PP treatment you gave the image. I also like the church in the WS and think it could be a strong candidate for a main post.
Kath

Davidwh (3662) 2006-08-26 12:15

Hi Carlos,
It has been a while since I saw you last and you have added some very nice images.This one is especially good...lovely style...I really like the grainyness of the image and the fact it is in black and white.You have given the image a lot of character.Certainly is an interesting instrument and the note is very informative.Good work!
Regards, David

jhm (211734) 2006-08-26 13:13

Hi Carlos,

I look to your WS, and altered Image #2 is a very well picture, also this picture give a nice composition with full attention for the old musician, very well done.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

alejandroguzman (4684) 2006-08-27 2:21

Hola Carlos
quebuena compo que armaste en esta fotografia, y la opcion del formato de color que esocogiste de igual manera.

buen trabajo, felicidades
Alejandro

imrek (4) 2006-08-27 16:48

Hi Carlos,
very good composition and B/W works very well here, i like your framing too...well done!!!
regards,
imre

Angshu (56760) 2006-08-28 3:47

Hello Carlos
I looked at your shot for a long time trying to decipher the instrument the man's playing. It does look wierd & nothing like any instrument I'd seen. I wonder how it would be sounding & going by your note it sure would be very nice. I like the conversion to sepia here, which I feel adds to the mood. Good work
Regards
Angshu

anavazao (5592) 2006-08-28 16:38

Olá,
Que bonito momento! Gosto da escolha da cor acho que foi acertada! Penso que resulta!
Fica bem Ana:)

prezntime (3946) 2006-09-05 6:51

Hello Carlos.
A beautiful capture, and alhough not the same type of music, the disc I'm listening to compliments this photo quite well. (Carlos Montoya). I think the conversion works very well. Without seeing the guitar players face, you can tell he is smiling. Good details in the shot and I like your POV. What kind of instrument is he playing andyhow?
Regards,
Chris
:) tomorrow.

brevbrev14 (140) 2006-09-07 14:46

Hi Carlos!very good POV here!the moment is amazing and i like very also sepia tones!
Bravo!

Ciao

Valeria

RADEEH (2802) 2006-09-10 21:02

Dear Carlos
Sepia fits to convey the Heritage and bohemian and relaxed atmosphere of the city.The PoV is perfect to enjoy the musicians gestures. We feel the music here. Good composition.TFS
Regards RadeeH

Silke (3027) 2006-09-15 6:17

A fascinating capture that makes me wonder what music they might be playing (can't be Gershwin!) A great capture, well-chosen sepia tones and blurring for the final. TFS
Silke

alebastos (248) 2006-09-20 0:11

Como vai Carlos? Mesmo com pouca luz esta lente 50mm 1.8 fez um ótimo registro. Eu ainda não encontrei a minha aqui no Brasil, mas guardo comigo aquela sua mensagem falando sobre esta lente (obrigado pelas dicas!). O momento registrado por você foi muito interessante pois resgata a boemia da Olinda. Gostei da composição e do contraste forte em Sépia.

Grande Abraço!

elmec (12210) 2006-11-02 14:59

Hello Carlos!
Great scene!
Perfect composed and framed, and the colours are best for photo like this!
Congratulations!
Best regards!

iainsp (3298) 2010-10-02 5:27

Hi Carlos,

I really like what you have done with this shot - firstly, in true TE style you have picked up on what looks like a one-of-a-kind instrument. More importantly, you have takena great photograph. Good interaction between the musicians. A nice decision to go monochrome and to increase the graininess. I would have gone for a similar effect, but by pushing the ISO up to a higher level (there are always more than one way to solve a problem ;) ).

un abrazo, Iain

Si yo vivo ahora en Buenos Aires - pero provincia y no ciudad. Estara en Quilmes hasta el fin de este año. Saludos, y suerte. Chao.

EstudioChispa (2182) 2013-08-12 13:29

Don Carlos...

Quizas se puede ver en mis fotos... Lo amo fotos de músicos! Casi puedo oír el sonido!

Saludos de Tejas,

Russ
Austin