eYe

After another inspirational blogpost today called Eloquence of the Eye from famous photographer Steve McCurry I had to think about an eye-photo I took during Semana Santa 2012 in Zaragoza, Spain.
Another repost (here´s the original) where I think my postprocessing skills improved since then and gets me closer to the result I was aiming for…

(1/125, F5.6, ISO200, 214mm)

Tags: 2012, Aragon, Detail, Easter, Eye, Eyes, Holy, Inspiration, Nazarenos, Photography, Portrait, Procession, Semana Santa, Spain, Steve McCurry, Street, Week, Zaragoza

51 thoughts on “eYe”

krikitarts on March 26, 2013 at 01:55 said:

Hi, Ron, This is my first visit, having followed you back from your liking of my recent post. I see there are many commenters ahead of me, and I may get lost in the avalanche, but I just want to say that I love your eye for detail, perspective, and composition. I am very happy that your took the time to let me know that you liked what you saw. Con muchas felicidades! Gary

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 26, 2013 at 14:59 said:
  
  Hello Gary,
  I hope to make sure nobody gets lost in the avalanche; just happy viewers seem to like some of my photos.
  Thanks for looking through and giving your thoughts! Really flattered with your compliments.
  Muchas gracias y saludos, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
vastlycurious.com on March 26, 2013 at 01:32 said:

I do not know what took me so long to find your work but its spell binding !

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 26, 2013 at 14:57 said:
  
  Whoaa, thats phenomenal to hear, very big thanks, Katrina, that makes me really happy!
  Allt he best to you, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
shiroknowes on March 18, 2013 at 19:23 said:

Excited, little creepy and beautiful all together !

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 26, 2013 at 14:54 said:
  
  Dank je, Sérach, altijd bizonder om in de ogen van een ander te kijken 😉
  Je vraagt je toch af wat er onder die sluier en achter dat oog schuil gaat?!
  Groetjes, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
  - shiroknowes on March 26, 2013 at 16:51 said:
    
    Ja precies was toch wel intrigerend hoor, prettige avond nog ! Xoxo
    
    Reply ↓
    - rondje on March 26, 2013 at 17:00 said:
      
      Dank je, jij ook! xoxo
      
      Reply ↓
Steve Schwartzman on March 18, 2013 at 13:02 said:

By coincidence, I just commented on the last picture in the post at

http://windagainstcurrent.com/2013/03/08/the-eyes-the-window-to-the-soul

and mentioned the off-center placement of the eye. That picture is mostly white, while yours is mostly black. That photograph features a bird’s eye, yours a person’s eye. Both images are quite effective abstractions.

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 26, 2013 at 14:49 said:
  
  Hi Steve, thanks for telling, nice photo as well, different but same idea for sure!
  Greetings from Spain, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
David Bennett on March 13, 2013 at 23:48 said:

It’s a great image beautifully processed. As a photographer, I ask – what is your technique for processing?

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 14, 2013 at 00:04 said:
  
  Hi David, well ofcourse first of all find something in the subject you feel makes it intrigueing or interesting to watch and while shooting raw i control light, aperture, diaphragma and composition. With this particular series of the Semana Santa processions before the week filled with lot of procession i had this idea of eyes and colored fabrics in close-up could make for a cool set; very difficult with low light (most of em being afternoon or later) and moving targets 😉
  Then I do light temperature which mostly is spot on, maybe a bit in exposure, than open in Photoshop 6 were I do some straightening and or cropping.
  Then could go anywhere, looking for techniques on the web that will take me through the process to get what I want. Lots of times I go to Nik software, Silver Efex for B&W, where I do all the tweaking myself, have some recipes for certain subjects.
  For color I use Nik´s Color Efex to sharpen, contrast, detail and more, also recipes for my most photographed subjects and with this eye also used a little Nik´viveza, because it works in a circular way its perfect for doing stuff on and around eyes.
  Hope thats not too detailed for you, but thats it.
  Thanks for stopping by and please give critique wher you think needed, much appreciated, greetings, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
  - David Bennett on March 14, 2013 at 00:07 said:
    
    That’s perfect – and it all makes sense.
    
    I’ve heard good things about Nik products – never tried them – maybe now is the time.
    
    Your image is a winner, but the processing makes it extra special.
    
    Reply ↓
    - rondje on March 26, 2013 at 14:55 said:
      
      Thanks David, its all used to get the view I had in mind and think I saw, but my memorymaybe makes things more beautiful, but dont we all do that?
      Definitely like the idea behind Nik, very cool way of approaching postprocessing in my opinion.
      Good luck and greetz, Ron.
      
      Reply ↓
Luiza on March 11, 2013 at 10:04 said:

Cool caption! I wondered a bit about this blue eye. In Germany they are mostly black..-

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:23 said:
  
  Thanks, Luiza! Don´t totally understand what you mean, thought like Holland, Germany you have all kindsof eyes, in Spain there brown and dark yes mostly’?!
  Greetings, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
  - Luiza on March 11, 2013 at 21:03 said:
    
    ..what i mean was, the german “community” is boring. only the turkish people wear clothes like that:-)
    
    Reply ↓
    - rondje on March 11, 2013 at 21:05 said:
      
      Aha, ok, i get it, wel the Spanish wear them too in the Holy week 😉
      
      Reply ↓
      - Luiza on March 11, 2013 at 21:16 said:
        
        😉
        
        Reply ↓
Touch2Touch on March 8, 2013 at 17:52 said:

That is one wild eye! Well, it’s Semana Santa, after all.
I don’t know anything about processing and Photoshop, etc., so that’s of less interest to me than the painterly qualities you end up (however you do so).

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:31 said:
  
  Thanks a lot! It´s all about what it does to the viewer and postprocessing is just a thing I need to do working with RAW-files. Well whatever, just glad to know you like what you see 🙂
  Greetings, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
nheijkoop on March 7, 2013 at 17:53 said:

amazing work !

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:20 said:
  
  Dank je, Nick! Groet, Ron
  
  Reply ↓
Mary Gilmartin on March 7, 2013 at 01:15 said:

Interesting photograph (eye catching by “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”)…What’s your photographer name?

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:15 said:
  
  Hola Mary, thanks so much! Never thought about a ´name´, so Ron it is til now 😉 Greetz
  
  Reply ↓
erassima on March 6, 2013 at 21:54 said:

Spannend!

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:11 said:
  
  Dank je, Wilma, vond wel leuke kijk op de klassieke Semana Santa, had een hele serie toendertijd, maar vond deze de beste om tereposten 🙂
  Groet, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
Truels on March 6, 2013 at 14:35 said:

Ron this is a great image. As fine as Steve McCurry’s ….. Thanks for linking to his blog, I hadn’t been there before…..

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:12 said:
  
  Thanks so much, ofcoursse I hoped people to put it in same sentence as Steve McCurry´s, but so cool you like both
  All the best, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
margaret21 on March 5, 2013 at 18:33 said:

Thanks for introducing me to Steve McCurry’s work. Striking stuff. But I remember your image from the first time you posted it, just after I started seeing your blog. I found it an arresting image then, and now it’s even moved up a notch..

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:05 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Margaret, nice to hear you didnt know Steve McCurry´s blog, lots of exploring and admiring to be done 😉
  Thanks for all your support and feedback, much appreciated, greetings, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
campanulladellaanna on March 5, 2013 at 17:39 said:

Fabulous creation 🙂

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:00 said:
  
  Dank je wel, Della Anna, super dat je moeite neemt om te reageren, vriendelijke groet, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
soonie2 on March 5, 2013 at 15:08 said:

Fantastic! Great work! I love Steve McCurry’s work too, he’s so inspiring!

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 20:03 said:
  
  Thank you, Susan. Yep, like Steve´s work a lot and also his way of blogging is very nice!
  Have a great week, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
Noeline Smith on March 5, 2013 at 10:31 said:

Great shot! This version is better as there are less distracting ‘highlights’ from the fabric around the eye.

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 19:57 said:
  
  Thank you so much (for ALL the support), Noeline! Think at that time I was exaggerating a bit on brightening darker parts, hopefully this is closer to reality. Hope all is well, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
Ed on March 5, 2013 at 09:00 said:

That is one intense pic..:-)

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 19:55 said:
  
  Thank you, Ed, very kind of you to comment!
  
  Reply ↓
Bashar A. on March 5, 2013 at 06:10 said:

I miss that series 🙂 It was over a year ago wasn’t it? from Zaragoza?!?!

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 19:54 said:
  
  Yep, Bashar, more than a year I think, so cool to have the parades rolling through the streets in Zaragoza; do miss that place sometimes!
  Greetz, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
sedge808 on March 5, 2013 at 05:08 said:

scary cool.

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 19:49 said:
  
  Thanks, Gavin!
  
  Reply ↓
ninasbreakfast on March 5, 2013 at 02:27 said:

Great photos! The only thing I miss a little from the original is the depth of the eye from the cloth. Still, the second photo is more striking.
Cheers from California!

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 19:52 said:
  
  Thank you, Nina, don´t know exactly what you mean by the depth of the eye from the cloth?
  Maybe cuz its shadow is less brightened than the original?
  All the best from Spain, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
lostfunzone on March 4, 2013 at 19:36 said:

that is fantastic!

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 11, 2013 at 19:51 said:
  
  Thanks very much, cool to hear! Greetings, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
teresabass on March 4, 2013 at 19:24 said:

Wow! Very cool. Well done.

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 8, 2013 at 18:53 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Teresa. Just don´tlook into it too long 😉
  Greetings, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓
Maya on March 4, 2013 at 18:23 said:

I am always in awe of your photos.

Reply ↓
- rondje on March 8, 2013 at 18:27 said:
  
  Hla Maya, thats very cool of you to say, thanks a lot and have a great weekend, Ron.
  
  Reply ↓