Hello. I have recently photographed my father-in-law:
It is basically sooc Fujifilm Arcos R. I like it but I wish it had more punch and a more raw appearance. My editing always leads to similar results (which are too vanilla for my taste). I would love to see what others can do with this image.
20241220_0043.RAF (21.3 MB)
Beautiful Beard © 2024 by Daniel Fischer is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 
My B/W edit
20241220_0043.RAF.xmp (35.5 KB)
B/W edit with increased contrast by brightening midtones and highlights in the Color balance RGB module
20241220_0043.RAF.xmp (36.0 KB)
Now with a hint of color.
20241220_0043.RAF.xmp (20.4 KB)
What a magnificent portrait!
Yes, the beard is beautiful - it makes my scraggly growth look uncouth!
But the way you have set and lit the scene is superb.
I doubt I will be able to approach the fine renders of @Terry.
However here is my attempt at your brief:
hhmmm I’ve seen this man before…
that’s Santa!
Hello, my version developed first with Art 1.24.3, application of the Lut “Kodak T Max 100” then adjustment with the Tonal equalizer and export to Gimp for application of the “National Geographic” plugin.
Hi Terry, thanks for this edit. The textures look great and beards structure is nicely accentuated. However, your edit removed two of the main elements from the original:
20241220_0043.RAF.xmp (10.6 KB)
Sorry, didn’t stick with the black and white theme, but it was a picture that I really wanted to play with. Love the contrast and simple lighting.
Processed with darktable 20241220_0043.RAF.xmp (8.3 KB) and a custom film simulation tool.
A great characterful portrait.
My play in GIMP. I have lightened the left side of the face and very slight increase in mid range contrast.
I disagree about the re-lit eye. I think it adds complexity to the expression that was lacking. The eyes look dead in some of the more contrasty edits, and convey pure sadness or regret. Those emotions can still be read in Terry’s version(s), but the life in that left eye allows for more ambiguity, which increases drama, in my opinion.
Now, as for the crop and fading into the shadows, I think I’m more on your side.
…Hi, everybody; I’m new in town. Maybe my first post shouldn’t have been a critique, but I felt moved to weigh in. 
Hi Tristan,
Welcome! Almost all opinions are welcome here. I appreciate very highly that different people have different perspectives on these edits. From my point of view it shows that the picture is flexible enough to work for different edits - which is a good thing I assume.
I happily accept these criticisms and supply a new edit to hopefully return these missing elements.
