No Look

"No-Look" Portraits

A subject need not have his/her eyes looking at the camera for for a portrait to be wonderful.  Some of my favorite & timeless portraits were stolen - where the subject did not know he/she was being photographed. Not only that, some are one-attempt photos [where I got to click my shutter only once before the fleeting moment was gone - forever].

Right of - this is what I'm talking about :

- Sun Kissed -

2009 - Ateneo Football Field
[1 click]

- I Love My Job -

2010 - Arena in San Juan
[1 click]

- Parang Manika -

2010 - Sucat - in a sari-sari store

[5 clicks]

-Tata -

2011 - Ateneo Football Field

[1 click]

- EJ - Biker -

2010 - South Bay, Sucat - open shade [garage]

[6 clicks]

- Impish - 
2011 - Araneta Coliseum
[1 click]

- PBA Spectator -

2012 - Smart Araneta
[1 click]

FYI, The 5 images above are digital.

Actually, have lots and lots of close up "huddle" images of basketball, volleyball, and football , softball, and baseball players - more often then not, unflattering -  Eventually, I'll select and post a number of these - can't say when, though.

- Anyways -

Browsing occasionally through my analogue files [as in images taken with 35mm Color Negative film and 35mm Black & White film] I realized that I had quite a number of "No-Look Portraits" that have been there - all these years. I've had the fortune of being able to preserve some prints and eventually scanning them to come out with JPEGs of select film photos.

 And, If I May say So - Herein is a glimpse at my "Photographic Roots" - 

Available Light On-the-Spot Portraiture

ALL the images below were taken with 35mm film 

[Color and/or Black & White]

 - Andrew R -
Quezon City - on a driveway [note the padlock on the gate behind]

- Little Boy -
Quezon City - window light

 - Martha R -
Bulacan - this is a reflection from a mirror

 - Misha V -
Magallanes Village - driveway - open shade

 - Misha V -
Magallanes Village - village street

 - Monette R -
Malate - window light

- Nace G -
South Bay Gardens - village street - cloudy day

 - Bea L -
Ayala Alabang Village - sidewalk - I climbed a tree to take this photo

 Turns out - I even did a series if images of Bea NOT looking at my camera.

[next 4 photos] [window light]

 

 - Bea R -
New Manila - lanai 

 - Siblings [from Denmark] -
San Lorenzo Village - lanai - used a cotton backdrop

 - Elia C-
Pasig - poolside

- The Godinezes [ Alex & Sam] -

Ayala Alabang Village - window sill

 - The Heunefelds -
Magallanes Village - driveway

- Janine  B -

Mandaluyong - window light

 - Toni L & Flying Tiger -
Manila Polo Club - polo field

- Javi C -
Bulacan - lanai - used an airbrushed canvas backdrop

 - Joanne Z -

[Canon Asia Photo Contest Finalist]

Salcedo Village - window light

The 2 images below [Kamiko & Dayanarra] were taken with studio lighting.

[I once had strobes - which I eventually sold]

- Kamiko D -
Dasmarinas Village - indoors - used cotton backdrop

 

- Dayanarra T -
Ecology Village - indoors - used cotton backdrop

- And Of Course -

How can I NOT Include the Two "No-Look" Images that follow below ?

- Perf de Castro -
Folk Arts Theatre - River Maya Live Concert

Check out my SECOND blog post, where there is tech info on how this image [from a Black & White 35mm Film Negative]
resulted in this color print.

[FYI, I started this blog last June of 2011]

- Taken with the Heart & Laced with Cyanide -
Magallanes Village - driveway

I took this available light portrait w/ 35mm Kodak Tri-X Black & White Film, processed the film and printed this image on 4 x 6 paper about 10 times.The orig prints literally had black blacks and gray grays.

I ever so carefully dabbed [gently stroked] each print with cotton

 [I used metal tweezers]

dipped on diluted cyanide { a fuschia-colored TOXIC powder }

[the cyanide was so strong, after I disposed of the liquid - right after using it  - the tin tray which I used had already started to corrode]

to age it just right.

After 8 tedious attempts I finally got the tone I wanted.

I Photograph Not only What I See

I Photograph What I FEEL.

brosi gonzales