other a 50 years old man having a heart attack after seeing the winning lottery numbers

for one thing, it should be "year" not "years". "Response to" should be "Reaction of". The photograph, if that's what it really is, is obviously staged (which is okay) but looks more like a graphic than a photo. It's nicely conceived, but overdone, as far as the squalor, the barefeet, the TV as table, the dirty undershirt...and no matter how hard I look at this, it still looks like a commercially done piece of artwork, not a photo. Reminds me in many ways of a Norman Rockewell painting, in the noir style.

There's nothing like a slice of real life to put things in perspective. Even if this photo were technicaly incorrect I could still smell the place from here. The muted colors only tend to further capture real life in America. The real Joe lunchbox. The heart of America. I'm very impressed. Frank

As a trainer for photographers and being one myself for over 5 years(actual paid), I spend much time critqueing their work in Portraits, Sports and candids. This image is way-out, bizarre and slightly unhinged, but since I am too, I think it's a great image that I would love to have called my own. Perhaps if we try to think more like children and see things as what they can be instead of what they are, we would produce more images like yours. Technical know how is the one thing we all agree on but NOT at the expense of something that pleases us. Positive attracts positive and negative, negative, and I am positive this image could make a go at PPA. Ditch the title. Selective, dingy color truly makes this image stay true to it's invisioner. And if we cannot make fun at ourselves or laugh with each other in plain humor, we can not bring social issues to light. Excellent!

Nice !, its a serious moment! with humour! :-), I love the mood the colours create, .. Great piece.

I love photos of staged scenes. This picture reminds me of a small series of really large photos I saw in the MOMA when I was in NY in '02. Excellent color and lighting although the subject has been done. This was just done better.

If you present it without the title, where are you then?

to me it very much falls in line with so many "art products" of the day which only derive their content from explanations. i think, if a photo cannot speak clearly for itself, the effort is lost.

i appreciate discussion with the "elves".

saludos cordiales

Looks like an advertisement for a Heart Stent Manufacturer. Indeed, it has that commercial quality to it and the creator would do well to apply his talents to making money for others. It is an illustration, not a photograph. It totally lacks the ring of reality and after viewing it once, it does not make my hair stand on end, the test of all great artwork.

I think lots of places call their lottery games 6/49. There are 49 numbers of which the player picks 6 numbers. It was actually even the California name for their lottery originally, since changed.

 

Besides that I think it is a humorous photograph. But the shadow of the lamp is a little too prominent in my opinion.

 

And the post image processing makes the room, which I suspect is supposed to appear squalid, look a little too pretty, or at the least ideal.

Nice Job. Yes, I like the Rockwellish (Norman - NOT Ken)look you have captured for the cover of the next issue of the Saturday Evening Post.

 

Thanks!

bob

 

http://mid-illini.com

The photo is indeed rich in narration. It's just like reading a short story and that's not all. Story telling in an image also needs perfection in aesthetic aspect of the image and all the usual talks about lighting, composition and all. This one is captivating with the sort of spot-light projection of screen light having illuminated only necessary portion of the room that helps advancing the story forward. The man's expression of panicky thrill is perpetuated in a sort of implied graphic movement and there are two major points of interest that compete for attention and make the viewer eyes travel alternatively which is fortunately bright here since it helps to add coherence to the story. All in all. I enjoyed a lot probing this image for minor details too, like the write-off Tv set the man is dining on. That may become part of my interpretation that this guy is sort of " TVholic". These details here may look trivial at first but a close inspection can be enlighting.

What a wonderful photo. The color is brilliant, as well as the subject matter. Love the shot. :):)

Amending my response: Without the title or caption gives a different perspective on the photo.

 

Not knowing what the paper is in his hand, it could be a piece of mail (or worse, a bill), note from a neighbor or handbill from a solicitor. The expression on his face could be agony at his sport team not doing so well (I have had that expression lately). And "Grabbing his tit"? Look at his shirt. More likely scratching a serious itch, and his team did something bad in mid-scratch, which made him clutch.

 

Someone mentioned the doilies. My guess is that Mrs. placed them before her demise, and he has never moved them. They have become part of his life. She probably warned him against moving them and he wouldn't think to.

 

Remember folks.... This is art. Not all art is to everyone's taste. Yes it is staged. How many times in a millenium do you think someone would happen on a candid shot like this? :-)

 

Bruce.

This image reminds me of Dan Burkholder...

First, the discussion about whether the picture is staged seems less than relevant. All photography -- except for photojournalism and sports -- contains elements of stagecraft. Portraits and nudes are posed, clothing is color-coordinated, backgrounds and still-life objects are arranged, lighting is manipulated -- not to say anything about post-exposure processing.

 

Second, I think this image has universal appeal, with or without the title. It has elements of the comic and tragic (loneliness, a lower middle-class gentility that is just precariously short of poverty). It is interesting to me that one of the earlier responses said that the photos on the walls said Europe, and everything else said USA. When I originally saw this picture, it looked like a vignette out of an Indian art film made by the likes of Satyajit Ray or Mrinal Sen (both famous directors). (In terms of context, I was born in India, and live in the USA.)

If you want to see a movie that takes this theme further,(lottery winner dies after seeing his number called on the TV), there's a great Irish film called "Waking Ned Devine" (1999).

 

I think the photo is set in present-day time (because of the big TV) and as an earlier comment said, he is alone now, the lottery ticket would have taken him from his poverty, and the location suggested by the decor could be Europe, or USA, it doesn't matter. Staged? Yes. It tells a story and gets people discussing it. Like it or not, that's your choice. Well done. As for the long title, the artist said he meant that to be the caption, not the title, but entered it on the wrong line.

Titles can matter and convey quite a bit. - suggested short title -

"Ned Devine"

I am new to this forum. The thing that intrigues me about this photograph is that it resembles a photo in a book that I have just been reading: "Mastering Black and White Digital Photography" by Michael Freeman,Lark Books 2006. The photo is on page 128, and is described as an 1930's Italian-American living room installation in a museum. The book discusses a duotone treatment suiting the photograph. Has anyone else noticed this? Is it just a coincidence?

The color pallet is the only thing going for it in my opnion, I heard today that someone i

knew died of a heart attack. the subject hits a nerve....... otherwise great photo shop

technique.................... I know I know don't take life so seriously

i'm verry curios about that picture from youre book!!! can you scan/photograph it and posted here?

not sure about this, as what is the image without the title, would the image stand alone? probably not.

Unfortunately I am unable to share the excitement that this photograph has created.

 

I think technically this is a good piece. But that is where it ends. If its purpose is to illustrate a children's book, it is a fabulous illustration. If its purpose is to illustrate the acting capability of the guy, it gets a B or B+.

 

Humbly,

 

AR

very good photo! Very good subject(the old man), good expression, congratulations! Catalin

a technically a well executed image. However, the care that has been take in the set up has not extended to the lighting, some good comments have been made about this so won't repeat them. The expression of the man does not reflect the joy or the pain one would have on winning the lottery or having a major trauma heart attack and thereore the irony is does not extend beyond the initial viewing of the image.

Here is a scan of the photo that I saw in the book.

I think many have the wrong concept on this view.

For one, the shadow of the lamp and most other items are politically correct.

Light source is from the TV, not from position of CAMERA.. Maybe a bit too bright.

Luminance filters will preserve the face.

 

Added Blue filter to the true color of the TV picture tube to the florescent light spectrum.

Not quite as bright.

 

Also, I may have opened the double doors to give it more depth in the background even if

a small table lamp was on in the next room.

 

As for the actual character in the set, it's perfect.

That's almost exactly what the scene would be out in the countryside lake cabin, or in the

inner city 40's style apartments that are still the same.

 

The foot stool TV is about as perfect as it gets.

Maybe a large bowl of spilt popcorn caught in action blur.

A tad more contrast maybe.

Camera moved to the right a little to cancel out center window.

 

Title wise,,'Winning Lotto Attack'