Increasing my guts

A recent visit to the famous Pike Market in downtown led me to a street performance. Within minutes, this <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/898406">man</a> stood out like a shining gem in the crowd. I walked up to him to within 3 feet and fired off one shot for the sake of his T-shirt and his size. Does it evoke any emotion? Did I include enough context?

There was no point in even making this photo. I see nothing but a billboard on his back. You see it you move on. No emotion. Sorry I think it fails.

 

Get some faces or have a reason for shooting with out them. Fear is not a good reason.

Very gutsy move, shooting someone in the back.

I don't think you necessarily have to have a subject's face visible in order to make a photo of a human figure evocative or to capture a feeling. Look at these: <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/479787">silhouette</a> / <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/906886">from the back</a>. However, this shot doesn't work as well as it could because whatever made this guy stand out doesn't show. Was he in a row of "normal-looking" tourist types? If so, you need some of them to be visible to show his contrasting look. Also, his tattoos are an important part of his overall apearance - you cut them off. Finally, his bald pate might have been emphasized if you had gotten down a little and shot up, so that there was a less cluttered background behind his head.

I know just how you feel. Over coming fear to get the shot takes intestinal fortitude. Only a scant couple of hours had past since this individual through a fit like none I had ever seen. Arms flailed, legs kicked and I swear I saw their head rotate completely around several times. I was cautious, approached quietly and pressed the shutter...

<a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=908334&size=lg">link</a>

<br><br>

I think it is quite powerful, for more reasons than I have time to write about in this venue. I don't know how I would use it as part of a project but I like it.

 

No photograph is pointless. If you are displeased later, to quote Lee Friedlander, "throw it away, or don't print it."

 

Keep shooting.

Like I said Dave. Have a reason for not including faces.

I know that guy and he's looking for you!

To those who really care about the quality of their critiques and to educate others, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But, to others, who have made their marks with no such noble intentions, you have certainly conjured disappointment --- in its purest form.

for me, it doesnt invoke much. it looks like what you said you did.

you walked up and shot a pic of his back.....the interest stops there for me....

 

i cant really give you advice on how to shoot, other than

just keep shooting....

This looks to me like a low-budget advert for the T-shirt.

 

That's not a snide comment, just a reflection of what you're giving

me to see: a large bald biker doing and wearing what I expect

large bald bikers to do and wear. There are no revelations of

character or quirky things that don't fit, so there's not much to

hold my attention once I've registered the scene.

 

I don't do this sort of thing, but to me it seems that you are still at

the stage of thinking about what you are photographing. Keep

going, and you'll start to think more and more about how you

photograph people like this. How, that is, you can turn

something interesting in front of the lens into something

interesting in front of your viewers. It'll come, if Todd doesn't

hand out your home address first :-)

I rather like the photograph. The people clutter in the background is a bit distracting and the photo would be much stronger for me if there were some shining bikes in the frame...that would add context.

 

As I have expressed previously, I share the fear many have in doing this type of photography. My comment above is a "joke" in that regard...that is, you never really know who doesn't want their photo taken. Now days I think retaliation is a serious concern.

 

I think a good thread regarding techniques with working with strangers on the street would be very helpful.

It was kind of already said earlier in here... but to quote what you originally wrote, 'Within minutes, this man stood out like a shining gem in the crowd'. It seems to me that what made this guy interesting enough to you to take a picture had a lot to do with the crowd surrounding him. I think that's where this photo may mean more to you, than us. You still have the memory of the crowd to superimpose this photo upon, and we don't. I just see another bald headed guy in a Harley t-shirt.

The only time I shoot someone in the back is when s/he is not

the subject.<div></div>

<i>The only time I shoot someone in the back ...</i>

<p>

Hehehehe... I am sorry, I simply had to laugh... but seriously, it is perfectly alright to shoot someone from the back. It can be used to connote solitude, calmness, introspection, etc. Your picture was a great example!

Emre, Perhaps you are right since I don't appear to follow my

own rule in this case!

Actually, if my memory serves me right, I saw some of HC-B's photos that had his main subjects back turned towards the camera but like always, his shots have a clear theme and provides a very good context to support the main ideas.