Shona

Shona


Quartz Singlet Soft Focus Lens

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Klaus,

I missed this. I think of Shona as the Mashona of Zimbabwe who live around Harari the capital, or else a shortened version of Shoshana, (hebrew for rose). Is the stone with wavy curves on the left a piece that you discovered fits to the shape of the lady?

Tell us more about this. The softness of the lens I like. So do you consider and modification of the contrast curve in the center or else sharpening, even a little? There's a general cloudiness as if this is a paper negative or old developer.

Asher

I brought that back from my business travels to Zimbabwe and it was bought from a Shona gallery there. It depicts an african woman with long hair braids flowing down her side as she looks down a bit over her right shoulder. When I was walking around there in that sculpture park, that piece of 3rd generation carver Luxon Karise, the artist who carved that, immediately catched my attention, because of its elegance and expression. So that fine piece started my Shona collection actually. I'm still impressed by their art to see the "Spirits in Stone" and with hard labour and simple tools work that out of teh stone, leave parts in the rough, polish others, partially wax them after having them heated on a wood fire to give them shine and bring out the stone structure and color so wonderfully. Funny that a friend from Kenya actually looks very similar to that piece shown, the facial expression, forehead, lips, even having braids down to her hips.

I wanted that older retro look like in old photographs, but feel free to modify it to your liking and show it here!

Here are two different versions in case you would like to see others:

Klaus,

Do you have more of the face?

Also this looks so bronze!

Asher

Dr Klaus Schmitt said:

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Klaus,

I love African culture and especially the Mashona and Ndebele as I have had the opportunity to work with them. How long were you there and when was this visit? I'd love to see more and also any pictures of people and also of Victoria Falls and the Zimbabwe Ruins? I'd like to visit again. Doesn't seem to safe these days!

In your picture, her head is away from the sweet spot of the lens and perhaps with a shot just of the head, it might be drawn differently. Do you happen to have also done studies just on the head?

Also what process is this, digital or film and what then are the details of development?

Asher

I was there some 15 or so times when I was still in the airport business. which finally led to the construction of the new Harare airport some 15 years ago. I was too busy to travel around but took the chance to meet Shona artists and galleries there.

I'll certainly redo the shots using different settings. That one was shot digital.

Dr Klaus Schmitt said:

I was there some 15 or so times when I was still in the airport business. which finally led to the construction of the new Harare airport some 15 years ago.

Click to expand...

I'll have to look it up! There may be pictures online. The country has suffered a lot from civil strife. South Africa tries to help but they cannot seem to influence their Northern neighbors enough to get peace. I wonder how it is maintained since the strife became an international cause for concern.

Dr Klaus Schmitt said:

I'll certainly redo the shots using different settings. That one was shot digital.

Click to expand...

How did the monochrome granular effect come about then?

Asher