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Study Group 39
Mohammed Arfan Asif









 
David Halgrimson
Mohammed Arfan Asif
Jerry Hug
Paul Hoffman
Jon Brehaut
Rok Godec
Jim Baker
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July Title Survivor

How I did it -

One of the series from my Afghan Portraits. I tried to capture the spirit of the Afghan in this portrait. Several shots were taken and I preferred this image due to the tight compo and expression.

Tech details: The image was shot using a Nikon D80 at F4.8 at 165mm focal (70-300 Nikon ED Lens) and 1/20 sec on Velbon Tripod. The morning light provided great warmth. A reflector – crumpled aluminum foil on cardboard was used to fill in the shadows. I had an assistant holding the reflector. The headgear is natural, whereas the drape on the subject and for the background was mine. I preferred the sepia tone, though some would like the black and white version.


COMMENTS: 
David Halgrimson The eyes have it, they are great. I like the tone and the tension of the hat being cropped. I might dull the area under his chin a little and remove the item on the far right middle.
Mohammed Arfan Asif
Jerry Hug Yes, I think you got the essence of your goal. This man has a stare that goes right through you. His ruffled hair and traditional hat adds to the impact of the image. The toning works for me. I am always trying to find a sepia color mix that would work for all toned images and I am still working on that.
Paul Hoffman Now I do like this, the tone on this one works well. The angle you have chosen is very good with nice detail and good eye. There is a little white patch half way down on right hand side, I would remove that as it catches the eyes. But I would have liked to take this one.
Jon Brehaut
Roc Godec
Jim Baker Beautiful environmental portrait of Afghan man.  Great lighting and very effective cropping.  The inclusion of the headgear adds to the composition along with the piercing yet soulful eyes.  Great range of tones and the sepia toning adds to the presentation.


Member Bio

Mohammed Arfan Asif - Biography 

Arfan is presently working as Principal Pharmacist in Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he is based since the past 15 years. He has been participating seriously in photographic salons since 1989.  Arfan was inspired by the distinguished photo artists of his hometown; Bangalore in India where he grew up and did his Masters in Pharmacy post graduate education. He has been awarded the ARPS, AFIAP and AICS photographic distinctions apart from many Awards, Honorable mentions and photo publications in International exhibitions spread over 29 countries. Arfan loves traveling and writes on photography regularly. Arfan uses Nikon camera system and Photoshop for his digital imaging.

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