I'm sorry. I like this picure

[WilliamPitt]

That was taken on the banks of the Hudson late last winter as the ice was going out. I think it's kinda cool. I use it all the time. All these 'professionals' tell me it isn't good, that it's too dark and morose or whatever, but I really like it.

Does it suck? Tell me I'm wrong, or right, or something. Should I get another one?

This is the whole picture:



Should I get another one, or what? Serious question.

[SoonerShankle]

1. It's an appropriate photo

dark, morose....no. Fitting for the times....yes. contemplative. I like it. It looks nice on the website.

[WilliamPitt]

2. Yay! Thanks.

Welocme to DU! :)

[southerngirlwriter]

3. Here's my honest opinion.

For what you do -- tell the truth about things that are rarely pleasant -- it's perfect.

If you were planning to use it to run with a column about how to have a happy birthday party or a how-to article about something light-hearted, I'd have another picture taken with more light and with a closer view of your face, and with a happier look on your face.

You asked for the truth. You got it. By the way, I'm a huge fan. :hi:

[WilliamPitt]

5. How to have a happy birthday party?

Hee. That'll be my next gig. :)

Thanks!

[Dookus]

4. I like it!

You should photoshop a polar bear into the background.

[WilliamPitt]

6. I should photoshop your tiny talking ass into the background

Right on my shoulder. Appropriate, yes?

:)

[Dookus]

9. hey!

back off, ass-bandit! It's MINE!!!

[WilliamPitt]

12. Just you wait. I'm gonna be a big time sellout star on NBC

and you'll turn on your TV, AND THERE I'LL BE WITH YOUR TINY ASS ON MY SHOULDER. AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME!!! MWWAAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!!!

Well, er, no. But it's funny to think about.

[Sufi Marmot]

15. And penguins...

Those ice floes are just calling out for some penguins. Sort of a Greek chorus in the background... :-)

-SM

[WilliamPitt]

16. "truthout...squalk!!...truthout...caw!!!...truthout...queep!!!"

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaybe...

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. There's something missing.

Do you have one with a flight suit? Maybe, I don't know a huge red, white and blue banner in the background. Yeah, that's it.

[WilliamPitt]

8. Next time

I'll be sure to have a Bible tucked under my arm, too. King James version, of course...

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. That'sh right boy. Long live Texas Jesus, wooohoooo.

<Added wooohooo on edit.>

[Dover]

11. Depends on the use. It's not a 'typical' professional portfolio picture.

But it would be fine for a book dustcover. Got any others for comparison?

[WilliamPitt]

13. That's the problem

No. No I do not.

[Dookus]

17. c'mon....

post a few tasteful nudes.

[WilliamPitt]

20. Never mind

Bad idea jeans.

[Mobius]

40. I do think Id like the pick more if you were naked

:evilgrin:

[Dover]

21. Well then, it's the best one!

If you are exploring some new career options, though, it might be a good idea to have some photo options as well, for different situations.

But this one is a keeper imo and should work well for some purposes.

[aquart]

14. Squinting into the bleak future. Looks good to me.

You can get a smiley one after the election. There will be a few days of euphoria till the full horror strikes.

[lazarus]

18. It's good

As others have said, it matches what you do.

[MichaelHarris]

19. wait....

Isn't that Rock Hudson and his Ice Station Zebra sub in the background? I woulda photoshoped it in but my dog is in my lap and he has a giant head. Also I suck at Photoshop.
Michael

[Zinfandel]

22. The close up's not bad...but I would go with a straw hat...kind of a

Jimmy Buffet (in the snow) number with a Hawaiian shirt and a Margarita in hand (a nice doob :smoke: wouldn't hurt either) perhaps a bubblehead next to you...Man, people would take you seriously.
:toast:
They'd know you mean business!:evilgrin:

You opened yourself up for this one dude.
:bounce:

[Dover]

23. Maybe Annie Leibowitz does charity work

A photo for every professional situation....

http://www.art-forum.org/z_Leibowitz/Ip/AL_44.htm

[WilliamPitt]

24. Osama?

He looks so...sensitive.

He?

[Dover]

25. No.....yomama

lol!

[NightNurse]

37. Will!? JUST GET YOUR Partiots-Luvin' Butt to PHILLY on 4/24!

That is all! Over and Out!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

28. Thanks for showing me that before going to bed.

[Dover]

31. The object is to bring out the different parts of your personality

The ice flow picture is contemplative and austere, but it doesn't let the viewer "inside". This one feels like a more personal moment of self examination that lets the viewer get into your skin....

http://www.art-forum.org/z_Leibowitz/Ip/AL_divine.htm

Or you could follow Ahhhhnold's lead....or steed:

http://www.art-forum.org/z_Leibowitz/Ip/AL_arnie.htm

[montana_hazeleyes]

26. To me it makes me think of an intelligent , thoughtful man

who's not afraid to say what he thinks. The black and white is good.

[DemOverseas]

27. WSJ

Get that Wall Street Journal guy to do it in pixel format.......

[whirlygigspin]

29. nice pic handsome

wasn't Jane Fonda standing next to you in the original?

hmmm.

[Kool Kitty]

30. I like this picture,

especially the larger version. You look like the last man left standing after the beginning of the next ice age. Or something. But seriously, it's a good pic. Serious and handsome.

[VOX]

32. You've got a nice Ernest Shackleton thing going in that pic...

I see no darkness or moroseness in that photo.

What do the pros want? A sunny pic of you lolling with a puppy? Or one with your chin thoughtfully resting on your hand, as you gaze off into the horizon?

However, submitted for possible research purposes, here's a gallery of writer's photos as submitted for author events at a Northern Calif. bookstore:

http://www.bookpassage.com/

[Dover]

33. some things to consider if you are taking new photos

done by a professional photographer if possible (not a passport photoshop).

close up headshot with and without glasses (tighter than the cropped one above).

smile/neutral/serious

take a change of clothing to the studio...dark and light shirt/jacket

one casual shot, one more formal

but no "seasonal" cues in the background or in your clothes

If you are resisting the usual chin-in-hand shots then figure out what feels natural. A good photographer is very helpful with exploring these choices.

[catzies]

60. Wow, I have to go get photos done to go with press releases too

and I never knew any of that!

Hope it helps you too, Will. I like the photo both large and small, but do agree it's not for every purpose and you should have an arsenal of photos at your disposal.

[Dogmudgeon]

34. A Low-Cost Photo Shoot

I like the photo, too, but I can see how it might fall short of the "ideals" many people have for photography. A lot of them may be full of shit, but there are others who have a keen eye and can make useful suggestions.

Get a friend of yours who has some experience in "real" photography to shoot about a dozen rolls of film on you in all sorts of situations. It doesn't have to be done all at once -- over the run of a year or so is fine.

You'll end up with about 300 photos, of which 50 won't suck, and out of these, you should be able to find half a dozen that are truly excellent. They should last you for five or ten years, until you hit late youth/early middle age.

Also, if you become better known, make sure to exchange contact info with photographers and photojournalists (you may be doing this already).

One of these days, some high-assed member of the Commentariat is going to try to take a chunk out of your ass and come up missing several teeth. If you bloody the nose of someone like Bill O'Reilly or Bob Novak, you may have a lot of people taking your picture.

That photo is good because it has the mojo of gravitas, but it will be joined by many more. The William Rivers Pitt Fan Club will be pining for more pictures. Don't disappoint them!

--bkl
The local William Rivers Pitt Fan Club includes about a dozen "old broads" who have had your articles forced on them by my mother.
Congratulations -- you're up there with Tom Jones!

[SoCalDem]

35. Be daring.. (use a little photoshop) and BAM.. a pic they will talk about

[Paragon]

36. Reminds me of the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials and "Elf"

Riding ice floes is the only way to travel.

[lojasmo]

38. I like it

But it looks like you're squinting. maybe thinking "why am I moving away from the cameraman?....Oh shit, i'm floating away!"

[Mobius]

39. nice backround, you are a handsome guy, but

you are squinting. Squinting is bad. I have done some professional photography, and you want to avoid the squint. The squint is only second to the one closed eye, in rank of photo avoidance. I'm sorry, I think your colleagues are correct.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

41. Next time you're in Cali

You should let my friend do your head shots. Ask Salin...he's a great photographer.

That pic is a good pic of you but it isn't a good professional headshot.

[VelmaD]

42. I don't think it does you justice

I mean, it's a nice picture and all, and I agree with everyone who says it looks all serious and everything...but it just fails to capture something about you. It doesn't have that energy that you have in person.

Plus you're way cuter than that. ;)

[THUNDER HANDS]

43. well, you do kinda look like your getting an snowball enema there

:D

[Melsky]

44. I'd get another one

It looks like you are having digestive dificulties.

[SOteric]

45. I think the determinant is a matter of what it is

you're hoping to project.

I think it's a fine picture, though I'm informed you're a doll-baby and this is not perhaps the image this photo inspires.

Seriously though, it give the impression of a brooding east-coast intellectual. At least that's what I get. And for where you're at in your career, that's certainly been a fine image to nurture.

As you grow in your public persona, it's possible and even likely that you'll want a more polished and professional image to put forward.

I'm still thinking I look better than you in a dress, though.

[supernova]

46. I like the Shakleford look, Will, HOWEVER

you are squinting... and the head portion is too far away. Thus it's hard to tell what you really look like. As VelmaD says, you're way cuter. :D

The background, lovely as it is, competes with you. My eyes wander to the ice flows. :crazy: So you need a headshot that is tighter.

Practice the "serious blank stare." You can look intense, powerful, intellectual, without looking stern. My friend here in my avatar is extremly good at this expression in stills.

I think NSMA's suggestion of Salin is a good one. Didn't know s/he is a photog. :thumbsup:

edit: As a casual portrait to have at home or give to friends, this one is fine.

[GOPisEvil]

47. That's a great photograph.

However, for your more scholarly endeavors, I suggest a portrait.

[blondeatlast]

48. I don't think it really looks like you. When I saw you in Tempe, you

were more attractive than that. Use it if you like, but it's just "off," somehow.

[DS1]

49. Hey, I remember cropping that!!!!

someone else put the drop shadow in :hi:

[ewagner]

50. Just another 2 cents worth

Any pic should match with the audience and the message. At some point in time you will need another pic with a different tone to address a different (broader) audience. Probably should look into getting some more taken.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

51. It isn't the squint per se,

it's that your eyes can't be seen. You're talking to people about important things, they want to look into your eyes and gauge you themselves. Windows of the soul and all that.

Keep the demeanor; keep the persona; get a new photo.

[twilight]

52. I like it

Reminds of "The Spy that Came in from the Cold" ... :D

:dem: :kick:

[Catshrink]

53. Makes you look like a grumpy old fart...

not that that's a bad thing. But you're a really cute guy and should have a photo that shows off your assets.

[asthmaticeog]

54. I'm a professional

and I'd use that in the publication I design. It is my professional opinion that the professionals who think it's too morose can get bent, I like moody, wintry shots, they convey seriousness. FWIW, I prefer the cropped one, though it could use a little more breathing room at the sides and top - it's usually my preference the the subject dominate the background, though the opposite can be attractive sometimes. If it were my call, I'd say don't shoot another one. It's a good shot by any measure, and YOU like it, and it's you that it exists to represent.

[Mobius]

65. nice shining/shrub pic

:applause:

[CatWoman]

55. I like it cause it speaks of the soul

I have several pictures of a dark, stormy Virginia Beach.

Storms are cool. Look at the calm that comes out of them.

Same as the ice packed river. Look at how nature thrives after the ice is gone. The ice is a beginning of a new cycle.

Keep it -- that's a good picture.

[populistmom]

56. Looks fine to me

I think with the work you do, you need a picture where you do look a bit more serious. But I'd have to agree with Velma in the fact that you're cuter in person. :)
If you're going to re-do it though, stick with the serious look. I think that serious is necessary to a large extent, because these are serious times. Seriously.

[greendog]

57. Almost perfect....

....it would be much better if you were holding either a baseball bat or an assault rifle.

[Crewleader]

58. A updated picture of you would be great....

having various backgrounds of nature works.
If things are going good with the photographer who took it, keep it but if not change it and move on my friend.
You may just like a another image of yourself in the present which your friends will certainly support!

It would be good to have a few more different pics of yourself! :-)

[TrogL]

59. It's got problems

It needs lighting up around the eyes. Your shirt isn't straight and the picture is underexposed.

[Ellen Forradalom]

61. Where's your hat???

You'll catch your death of cold!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

62. I've taken care of the squint for you and also believe I can get you some

work at Quizno's. :toast:

[catzies]

74. WE LIKE THA WILL

CAUSE HE IS CLOSE TO US!

[BigMcLargehuge]

63. three interpretations of will from BigMcLargehuge

Will n' Pal!



Will n' Big McLargehuge on recent vacation to Japan (thanks for the Sushi Will!)



Will visiting with Dr. Hidaka as Gamera bursts through the ice (off screen).

[ScreamingMeemie]

69. That's hysterical Big!

Thanks for the laugh...:hi:

[WilliamPitt]

71. BWWWAAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Nice.

[maggrwaggr]

64. if you like it that much, it probably doesn't look that much like you

not that that's a bad thing .......

I think it's a good picture. Although I almost can't believe there's an entire thread started by you, about you.

[Mobius]

66. Will and Janet:

Come on, you know you wanted to see this :evilgrin:

[4323Lopez]

67. puts some penquins or seals in the background

[Obamarama]

68. A few Photoshop enhancements......

I made a few Photoshop enhancements that, in my humble opinion, help accentuate your natural good looks:

1) Lightened up your face
2) Lessened that "squinty" look and gave you eyes (All the better to see nefarious conservatives with...)
3) Warmed up the tones a little bit..sort of a sepia toned effect. I felt the original was too cold. Warm = inviting.
4) Blurred the landscape in the background. It was detracting too much from the subject of the photograph: YOU!
5) Got rid of the time/date stamp.
6) Added your name, website address.

If you want to use as a headshot only, it can easily be cropped. Soooooooooo...whaddaya think?

[WilliamPitt]

70. I really really like the graphics

But my face area looks a little erased. Nice work, though! Thanks!

[Kamika]

72. "Prozac can help you too"

printed on the picture

[jus_the_facts]

73. you've got that pissy 'I loathe repukes' look goin'....

.....it's fittin' for what you're usin' it for....surely 'they' wouldn't want ya to look *happy-go-lucky* while spewin' vile at the right? :eyes: