jessica_smith9 0 Posted November 29, 2006 Excellent street photography! Most of this type I find boring or plain, but you captured a moment full of life. Link to comment
chucksinnc 0 Posted November 29, 2006 What a curious image. Not sure what to make of it. The time and place seem like this could be taken 50 years ago. The hat is and plastic bag tell otherwise. Such strange posture and expression. Nice work. Link to comment
street photography karina 0 Posted November 29, 2006 Fantastic characters, the way they sit, the way the are staring, the way they are dressed, ... nice one! Link to comment
rapo 0 Posted November 29, 2006 Excellent picture. What about just a little more contrast? Link to comment
johncrosley 1 Posted November 30, 2006 But when I see something that's simply outstanding -- that's completely different -- then I see your name attached, I completely understand. This is a wonderful 'street' photograph. What it actually depicts is less important than the postures it depicts -- it bespeaks a certain sort of grim reality, where everything is less than perfect, where doors to enclosures are composed of sheet metal that is made of less than the finest work, but where plastic bags suggest that there is active shopping going on and perhaps the suggestion of progress and coming economic prosperity -- some suggestion perhaps of Russia's present dichotomy -- the aging Communist infrastructure and low quality goods and a populace forever put upon and 'making do' with less than that an adequate infrastructure because that's what they have -- a place of aging trains -- electrishkies, running past high-speed trains, competing with new double-decker buses built in Germany with televisions and stewardesses serving coffee and Cokes, delivering their passengers to some sort of grim reality where the past has not yet caught up to the promise of the future. Look at the women's shoes and dress -- like all Russian women she's dressed up to 'to go somewhere special' in her *fine clothes* -- a birthday, anniversary, wedding, but not in this case in the best of taste, I think, and there she is in an enclosure that might be a toilet, but only to sit there and the enclosure is built poorly -- a study in multiple contrasts, and then contrast her to the man next to her, seated, waiting (perhaps forever) with his plastic bag of goods, hat in lap, and finally the looks on both of their faces -- perhaps forever waiting for bad things to happen, just waiting and waiting and waiting. I think, dear Rusla, that more than any photograph, and more than most Photo.net members can recognize, you may have encapsulated as much as one person can in one photograph, the state of Russia in transformation from a command economy to a capitalist economy and one from impoverishment that followed the relative abundance of Brezhnev's time (after Reaganomics spent the Soviet Union on defense into literally 'falling apart') to a time when its new-found oil wealth and power promises riches and power that never was believed possible, but in the face of a declining population that its president has declared a national emergency -- and perhaps these people are far younger than they appear, because of the roughness of the economy and life in Russia. (I presume this is Russia, it certainly looks like it). Tell me if I'm wrong, (and I can't always find my commnents to follow up, so it might help if you e-mail me with a URL to help find any reply comments you make.) My hat's off to you, Rusla, for this photo. You don't post so many photos, but the ones you do, to me, are memorable. This is one of those. Oh, and the Russia is a completely unenlightened place also, just look at the pinup breasts on the enclosure wall -- you'll find those on walls in fine homes, and women don't complain, or at least you would in the not distant past. Men were allowed their pinups, even in hallways -- educated men, and that was 'wall art' even if just a gatefold from a magazine (with a bikini, no nudes in front of the kids). Have I understood your photo? John (Crosley) Link to comment
ruslan safin 0 Posted December 1, 2006 John, how do you know that deep, I wonder?... She watches after public convenience, it is a street toilet. The man has spent 18 years in prison and has just been released. I am not sure if they know each other... Thank you really. Link to comment
drybrain 0 Posted January 29, 2007 i like this shot very much.russian gothic. the similarity of their clutching hands and the divergence of the gazes streaming out of the off-center point - just to mention two things that impress here. Link to comment
BK1664882259 0 Posted September 11, 2009 well done- great capture of all the various elements. the opposing postures of the man & woman is priceless. Link to comment
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