In a portrait, if you have eyes you probably should look – but it does not necessarily have to be at the camera, in every picture.
Like in this self portrait I made this morning:
Bonus question for my Flash students: what lights am I using here? There’s three.
Photos look so much better printed. My “82 Days” lay-flat photo books just arrived: photos should be on walls, in books, and so on – and not just on your Facebook Wall.
Since the store re-opened, I have been doing a lot of photo restoration. Like these two, today:
And these examples illustrate two things. One, I do it all in Adobe Lightroom. With a bit of inventiveness and experience, it can handle this. And that brings me to the second point: there is a big difference between “good” and “good enough”.
Of course in the ideal world, you only do “good”. But that can easily mean several hours on one image. Which means a couple of hundred dollars – which puts the restoration beyond most people. So instead, you do what is warranted. It does have to be good enough, as these are, but it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Whatever you do – do restore your old pictures. Or have an expert do it for you. When I fix old photos, I also print them as giclée prints, using pigments on permanent media. So that they will last an awful lot longer than the orginals.
It has been an interesting journey. In many way, of course, it is not over, but the main disaster, the physical distancing and social isolation, and the closure of the shop, is now over. I am back in operation, ready to serve the citizens of Orléans and Ottawa as before. With, of course, some changes to ensure everyone’s safety. It certainly was a long 82 days.
The Store is about to re-open: see www.michaelwillemsphoto.com. It will be around this weekend (store preparation depends on supplies). In any case, I am preparing. It feels good.
It looks like light at the end of the tunnel. Day 79 of the mall being closed, but it is re-opening at the end of this week. You can read all about it on this page. And: I look forward to seeing some of you in the store for your continued photo restoration, passport photos, prints, portraits, and more.
Below: is that a glimmer of a smile?
