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Mara at Home

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Pierre Pageau 2 years ago

félicitations .

ed nadel 2 years ago

the great portraitist, beyond the technical, to reveal the inner self

S.C. 2 years ago

Dear Andre,

I am astonished by your work...somehow, you are at the right time, in the right place, with the right character who, by fortune or not, is allways related to some enviromental object...in this case, the cup with "I love..." that matches completely the expression on her face...
She, clearly, is not a rich woman and look...surprize, I find a 5.99 sign behind her...:)
I trully enjoy finding this "clues" in your photos...
So wonderful...

S.C.

Codrin Lupei 2 years ago

Great, just great, Andre, love your work and this is no exception! Thanks for sharing these pieces!

Andre du Plessis Thank you Codrin. This is from the pictures that I took in SA 2 months ago. Running out of material:) Glad that you enjoyed this. Andre

joan kocak 2 years ago

such a twinkle in her eye, sparks of the soul! Beautiful, as always Andre.

Andre du Plessis She does seem to have a naughty look in her eyes...you are right:)

Colmar Wocke 2 years ago

Andre,

I've just signed on after a self-inflicted layoff here and I find another "Du Plessis" on the FP - well done!

Good B&W.

Colmar

Andre du Plessis I seem to get lucky whenever you turn your back. How about that 2nd long holiday that you are planning:)

mm767cap 2 years ago

What a grand composition. The cups really anchor my eye in the center so that I can explore the surroundings with no risk of running out of the image. It's wonderful, though I expect nothing less from you!

Andre du Plessis I really liked how you described it that way - thanks! It makes me so much more comfortable when I see it now.

SofiG 2 years ago

:-)

Andre du Plessis Thanks!

Antonio Arcos aka fotonstudio 2 years ago

love her "killer" smile!!!

Andre du Plessis Thats funny:) When I hand her the pics in December, I am going to tell her that. I am sure that she will even improve on this smile then!

alberto angelici 2 years ago

A bright BW for a very nice composition telling us a story. My compliments.
Alberto

Andre du Plessis Thank you for commenting on this Alberto. Yes, I wish it was a bit darker, but somehow struggled to contain this one. Regards!

alberto angelici I think it should be better, if darker, but I do like even so. :-)
I see you get same camera and same lens of mine.
A.

latoday 2 years ago

Oh I loove this wonderful smile on her face :)

Andre du Plessis Thanks Anja - yes she turned out a very sweet lady. However, that extended to the tea afterwards as well - probably 3 spoons of sugar in my small cup of Rooibos tea. Rather sweet:)

JBA 2 years ago

Another cracker. A hard one to get right in processing I bet. The white on the cups and the dresser is always threatening to take the eye away from the lady. It doesn't though, so your eye and technique triumphs again ;-)

Andre du Plessis Thanks for picking up on that. Yes - it was tricky. Bathed in the light, the cups were so brilliantly white, so I was forced to selectively add a fill of about 10% to them otherwise they would have become even more distracting. The greyness in the image around her face was another reason to get the cups 'down'. Good take on this Jon! Regards, Andre

Cheron 2 years ago

Great expression, great light ... Great photo !

Andre du Plessis Thank you Cheron!

Adi Popa 2 years ago

Excellent portrait, I wonder where it was taken?

Andre du Plessis Dear Adi - thanks for asking! Just a few miles away from my house outside Plettenberg Bay there are these communities called Wittedrift and Green valley - simply about one hundred houses and shacks alongside 2 adjoining narrow valleys. Nothing too spectacular. These are quite insular communities, with mainly people of the coloured race living there. They speak Afrikaans, just like me, who is originally from European descent (440 years ago - French Hugenots). There are the stand-alone in-between race of South Africa, neither white (settlers), neither black, and a very interesting people. Socio-economically they were discriminated against as well during the apartheid years, so although they 'leant' more towards the white race, both in religion, mindset, language and in culture, they were still considered non-white, and the same restrictions applied.
Google 'coloured people of South Africa' and you will understand and appreciate. Thanks for asking, Andre

Jan Timmons 2 years ago

Beautiful woman with such graceful hands. I love the way you captured her and, if she's a private person as you wrote earlier, then good work getting her at ease in her environment.

Andre du Plessis Thank you Jan. She was akwardly shy initially, but then her 2 daughters came in, and that relaxed her so much more. Also - showing the images on the LCD always seem to be just the facilitator needed to gain wilful cooperation.

Monica 2 years ago

I love also. The tasse, the mimic, the scene, your editing.
Best wishes, Monica

Andre du Plessis Hello Monica. The editing gave me headaches here - see below. Sometimes these low light/concentrated light interiors can be tricky to be presentable.
However, I was hoping that the image's strenght will also come from the rudimentary kitchen table, and the bare essentials of the cups and containers, with a glimpse of the sleeping place (bare mattress) past the cabinet to the right. That being the environmental value which Robert referred to...
Thank you for your kind and supportive words, Andre

Faddoush 2 years ago

I knew this was yours ever since member screening...yet another great soul capture.

Andre du Plessis Got me sussed already, hey? Now I am going to get that macro out to confuse you:). No, in all seriousness, I like this stuff the best. See reply to Chris below. Thanks, and best wishes Faddoush

Faddoush I can never be bored by your portraits, as I said many times you have a special way capturing the essence of a person...just looking at your portraits you instantly melt with the person in it, it is like if I know these people that I have never met...

Kim Ayres 2 years ago

Another superb capture :)

Andre du Plessis Many thanks Kim.

Chris Dixon 2 years ago

Andre, you can spot your shots a mile away...brilliant

Cheers Chris

Andre du Plessis Oops...that predictable:) Constantly trying to expand my repertoire a bit, but images like this will always remain what I love about my excursion into photography the most. Africa, ordinary people, and their environments. Dead pan stuff that has melancholic appeal, but at the same time invigorates me so that I can jump 10m. Wierd, but that is the way it is for me. And frankly has always been. Thanks for commenting Chris:)

Helmut Schadt 2 years ago

Wonderful picture Andre!

Andre du Plessis Many, many thanks Helmut. Glad to see you visiting again, and good weekend there, Andre

Marek Wilczura 2 years ago

great scene, good BW

Andre du Plessis Much appreciated Marek.

Phyllis Clarke 2 years ago

"I love" yes...she looks like she could love everyone on the planet - from how you have captured her here. Love the touch of her home and the depth of the toning. So Artistic you are Andre Bravo.!! My best Phyllis

Andre du Plessis Hello Phyllis. How I would have loved you to be with me when I go knocking on these doors. I am sure that you will write down their stories as well. Glad to see that you have enjoyed Mara - she is a very sweet, but apparently quite private person. So I guess that I am fortunate that she allowed me free access here. I wanted to get a bit more deeper tones in this - see comment below. Best wishes, and thanks, Andre

Tony N. 2 years ago

Wonderfull compo, B&W ! Great emotion !

Andre du Plessis Many thanks Tony

Suryo Tutuko 2 years ago

What a shot, nice expression Andre, regards Tuk

Andre du Plessis Thank you Tuk, Andre:)

Sofiya 2 years ago

full of emotions!!!

Andre du Plessis Thank you Sofiya!

Stephen Edds 2 years ago

Simply lekker.....wonderful :)

Andre du Plessis Hello Stephen! Regards from Basel - here to man a Rooibos Tea stand at a Hospitality Expo. Thanks for looking in, and still keeping my fingers crossed for your big news. Andre

Stephen Edds mm? A doctor promoting Rooibos in Switzerland ??? OK that's a curve ball !
I have drunk nothing else for the last ten years....bring back some samples
please !!! :)) Eliza now enjoying 5 star kuxury in Morocco.

Ricky Siegers 2 years ago

Andre, again I always amazed with the details on your work.
What a picture:)

Andre du Plessis Hi Ricky. There are so many 'dust gatherers' in some of these houses - or at least - initially one thinks so, until you realise that most are not decorations, but have a functional use. Even the pictures on the walls - every framed image has an direct relationship with the family. Not so much represented here, but usually the case. Look at the top drawer - it has no knob, yet she lives with that, and no one seems to be knocking on her door to come and fix it. Africa is like that: Survival is paramount, and these gentle extras faal to the wayside. So the older ladies like Mara themselves become quite hardened and tough. I hope that her face portrays that.

moses stell 2 years ago

another great shot from you Andre!

Andre du Plessis Many thanks Moses. You might read below that the tonal presentation here left me a bit unsure, but now I am happy that others like it.

Robert 2 years ago

Hello Andre,
it is always such a pleasure looking at your environmental portraits. The smiling lady with the love pot!:-) Great grayscale!

Robert

Andre du Plessis Dear Robert. I gave her the opportunity to select the cup, and this was what she took. I turned it a bit so that only the I love showed. She is an utterly hospitable lady, and sat me down for a cup of tea afterwards, telling me all about the extended family. I have some more images where her 2 grown-up daughters hug her, but was unsure about that one's appeal. Good weekend for you, Andre

Robert Nice story Andre! You know, i experience that the situation and the talk with the people and there hospitality is from such a high value that almost the taken photograph becomes secondary. In your picture both is there, the meeting, communication and a good picture! This is what it means to achieve and later on as you show the picture to here and she is happy than you have reached also her and her happiness is so much more than all money in the world!

Robert

sasson haviv 2 years ago

i love:) with a smile. is great!!!

Andre du Plessis Thank you sasson. I am very positive about your last correspondence to me, and shall take time out over the weekend to reply in full. Take care, Andre

jacques philippe 2 years ago

Love it at screening. Sure it was from you BTW.

Andre du Plessis Hi Jacques. I was happy with this, but because the only outside door was 'once again' bathing the scene in sunlight, and factor added to the white kitchen cabinet....and the similar greys of her clothes and the background behing her, I ended with an image which is of a more mid-grey appearance than I am usually comfortable with. However, more contrast and deeper toning variants that I worked up seemed a bit too strong, so I settled on this. Thanks for the comment!

limawhisky 2 years ago

nice kitchen, nice portrait, nice to meet you... Unggul,-

Andre du Plessis Hi Unggul. I have shot 4 different images, of differeing scenes in this 30sq m house. All the functions of 6 people living, dressing, washing - all between 4 walls with only draw curtains as separation, and the 'long drop' toilet outside in the yard.
The concept of 'personal space ' is mostly a no-no here. Thanks, Andre

limawhisky Andre, appreciate to tell me the story behind the scenes. I am sure it was very interesting to have chance to visit and got this kind of experience. i am expecting to see another 3 more shots of them. Thanks and keep sharing your good ones. My respect to you, Unggul

gerard sexton 2 years ago

I love these Andre so rich in sentiment & human detail full of personality & so natural. They are treasures an insight into another world we are never likely to see for real (unless of course you invite me on your next trip back). Bravo!

Andre du Plessis Dear Gerard. Sorry for the delayed reply, but I am here in Basel, and although I have paid good money to access the internet from the hotel room, IX's server is barring the Swisscom IP address. So good to J & R for fitting such thick firewalls.
Now down at receptions desk's internet, and lovely to pick up on the comments. You want to g=come down there. No problem my friend. I have a little modest house in the most beautiful of bays, and you can swim with the dolphins every afternoon free of charge. Just speak the word. ...and by the way, many thanks for the positive comment, Andre

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