street Simpelveld

Nahoj, you are a true story teller without expending a single word. Just look at all the tales bubbling up in every viewer's mind, including mine. And they range from the key figures being unrelated to a stormy history of emotional conflict between them. As John suggested, I also flipped the picture, and again the two stories that come to my mind with this change of position are different. The emotional emphasis shifts from one figure to the other in a different way. A real mirror to project all our sentiments.

It looks like you tripped to the past.Great post-war atmosphere, almost duotone, with balanced DOF between the two persons.Excellent framing work too.Best regards

I LOVE this photograph for the story it tells. I love the desaturated colors and the woman's expression. However, I question the value of the tilted frame or of the fake tattering of the photo's edges. I find those elements distracting. There's nothing about this image that needs to be "old." It is a contemporary scene. The tilt doesn't convey motion -- only tilt. At one time tilted perspectives were meant to convey a sense of "strangeness," but that's not appropriate here. (Of course modern usage of tilt is used to convey... er... tilt. It's used for no reason, as here.) To me, this is a somber image of the last "goodbye" between the two figures, who are possibly grandmother and grandson. The oxygen tube sets off this theme brilliantly. I'd have preferred it without the gimmicks, though.

It is a very atmospheric photograph ..obviously a steam train in a country probably Eastern Europe ..it almost has a '50s feel to it. Very Andre Kertesz-ian .. however whilst it is intriguing and makes you look into it for clues as to what it is conveying my creative side is asking ..."Why isnt it in monochrome ?..the reddish hue in the foreground ...has it been coloured in on Photoshop, has it been hand-dyed??...and the people in it ..are they connected ...? Saying Goodbye?

The old woman appears to have tubes into her nose or is it a reflection in the window ...perhaps shes on oxygen..and the face next to her ..both looking at the photographer but not relating to him ..so strangers on a train who dont know why the photographer is taking the photograph ..they sdont smile . Where are they going ? Refugees maybe ..Georgians perhaps ...trains still havent shed their Nazi death-camp stigmas 65 years on have they. Id like to see this photo as part of a picture story ..a documentary pleaewe! Thanks foir choosing such a surreal,disturbing one.

Very descriptive image of two people seperated by miles yet so close in proximity...Two lonely people deep in thought...as compared to the person sitting next to the woman who appears to be relating to the outside world...they seem to be related because of a similarity of features... great technical skill shown in this image... Great work Nahoj......Marjorie

Nahoj:

 

I like this picture a lot, it makes a lovely period piece that one might imagine in the 1930s, or if you will, many rail stations in the U.S. or Europe during the 1940s as older lines slowly phased out steam engine. My memory adds the sounds of a 1949 L&N mainline station, steam haze in the air against the the train shed lights. There's the sound as we board,steam hissing, the sharp sound of couplers mating cars, explosive sounds of air or steam escaping, trains trundling through on passing trains. .. .

 

The atmospherics bring out the memory to some and an imagined past for others. It has the look of authentic example of the old school of street photography. You might compare it to some of the work in the 30s by leaders of that genre. It's an interesting approach to dealing with the old cliches of railway museum kitsch.

 

At first, it looks like a clever staging but from the look of it, it is a mix of a good eye and a hand that's fast on the trigger. Simpelveld is home to a tourist railway with a mix on antique steam and diesel and period cars, One assumes that you were either fortunate in a spontaneous moment to be fixed or scouted out the light. The rivets and ancient glass are part of the set. The old woman could be a cliche but isn't.

 

I think the one thing that might be use would be a bit of the process. What led you to the day and time you photographed it. How random. My wife has never understood the eye for light. Sometimes I'm lucky that time and image meet. But there are the days that you see and image that will work tomorrow at 4.32 p.m. - ora.m.

 

 

 

 

 

One extraneous detail that probably have been cloned out is the name badge (or whatever) on the standing man wears.I guess he has some responsibility with the station. But he is in any event the anchor for the image. The old lady is the real center. The image is disrupted by the name-badge or whatever the white blob is. It's not needed in the dream quality and it helps to enhance the possibilities of a connection with the old many.I can't tell how prominent it is in a larger print, but there might need to be more softness on the left edge characters.

 

Lastly on the question of reversal. The eye moves first along converging lines to the Mr. X and then back to Madam Y (and the ghostly character behind her). The visual pull between the two is part of the tension that makes such a nice piece. (so do the train's lines, that bulge and bend, and the spot of rust). Given the face and car, you might wonder if she is Russian and this is perhaps in some provincial Russian town (but we know better). Ultimately the question of balance for standalone photography are in the eyes of the photographer. We all have a natural balance visually and you have presented a dense image.Consider the simpler choice of 120 military men (r sports team) lined and you're just going to each of them. Here we're looking for clues.

 

In newspaper layout, there are some general rules followed. On page one, you want an image to lead you into the page, not out of the page. Multiple photographs are spotted so that there is no unwarrented graphic conflict. Bad example but imagine two sports arguing over a call. You have two picture of them shouting. Should you point them nose to nose, or backs turned. Assuming it meets the reality test, face to face is better. This isn't a newspaper page.

 

If this was going into a book of photographs full page, I might want to reverse it so that the anytime you look at it, you look at the woman and then the man, leading the eye off the page, rather than into another photograph page confusing the viewer.

 

But all that aside, it got me a startle by stirring a memory from nearly 60 years back. The excess of works should not take away for a very strong work. FWIW, after looking at this, I looked at your portfolio and I though it's a very strong collection.

 

I think the one thing that might be use would be a bit of the process. What led you to the day and time you photographed it. My wife has never understood the eye for light. Sometimes I'm lucky that time and image meet. But there are the days that you see and image that will work tomorrow at 4.32 p.m. - or a.m. Film, digital, lens, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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There are many things to like about this picture--and most people (everyone!) have said a great many positive things already. So instead of me adding to those, I will comment on what doesn’t appeal to me instead of waxed lyrical praise.

 

It looks very contrived, and stood out as that immediately (particularly the bloke, I can imagine something like this on a billboard though-very commercial), further emphasised by the sharp angle of view. It’s hard to see past the photoshopping which makes it more frustrating to look at. The stark split between B&W and colour down the centre of the frame is somewhat awkward to look at as well and adds to graphic art look of the picture. The woman is interesting though and goes a long way to helping this picture.

Great Atmosphere, nice presentation. Compliments.

Were did you shot it?

 

Umberto

Excelente contraste entre cores e idades.

Amei!

What an awesome photograph. It tells a story. It seems as if a young man, perhaps a grandson, has said goodbye to his grandmother for the last time. It's the kind of photogaph that grabs your heart, reminds you of something in your past. For me, it makes me wish my mother-in-law could have lived long enough to see my son reach this age. She died when he was a baby. It touches an emotion. Very well done...awesome! Regards, Ginni

What do I think? Well, you already have great ratings and comments - but I don't mind piling on... This is a fabulous image for both originality and aesthetics - full of mood, intrigue and mystery. There are probably a hundred different stories that could be told based on this image. Very, very well done -one of the very best images I have seen around here in a long time. Jerry

I can't help but be sorrow on this photo.

Let my name be sorrow.

I get Very Good Past Impression.

This is "The Visit" or "Der Besuch der Alten Dame" by the Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt. It could be the beginning or the end of

the story.

Excellent. the atmosphere of the photo really brings the mood up. When I saw the photo for the first time, it has brought me back to like being in the 60's - 70's with the steam trains. we hardly see many steam trains left now. i would say that this selected piece of work of yours truly deserves to be here.

Strange post-processing... It seems most people loved it... I might have loved this as well, for all the positive aspects that other members mentionned earlier, but I can't believe in this picture, simply because it's half black & white on the left and half color on the right - which directly screams "hey, I tried a smart post-processing, cool isn't it ?"... Sorry, but for me, this b/w-color gimmick killed all the positive emotions I could have about an otherwise well taken and well composed and interesting photo... If anyone wants to produce a photo that conveys an emotion, I think it's best to leave all tricks aside, and to stick to the raw emotion with subtle and invisible post-processing if any... Here, the original emotion became an esthetic surgeon's showroom. My suggestion: do rework on the original in a more simple way - pure black and white should be fine ! Btw, it would have been nice to see the original image(s)... Regards.

My congratulations to Nahoj Sennah

This photograph is a mixture of past present and future.

It's great

Good luck!

Salma

This photo begs to tell a story. Is she looking in the past or is this random? What is her secret thought? How does the man fit into her life or does he? This is not your average nice to look at scenic but a truly awesome photo because it makes you wonder. Well done.

Since I love B&W as well as documentary/street photos,yours absolutely captivated me.I can imagine so many "stories" surrounding thus image.I love the mood, the angle, and the juxtoposition of the people.Great work!

Instant nostalgia/sadness. Utter perfection.

I fully appreciate that many people like this picture. However, it is counter productive if only people that like the picture comment. I chose to bring to the discussion of this picture a different perspective. T

 

 

As I said, there are many things to like about this picture, but for me, I find it too distracting and frustrating to see past all the PS to appreciate it

Andrew, I appeciate your point of view, but we can't forget that innovations involve anyone and now the same cameras are makig alterations even without the photography intenction.

Just for the sake of debate.

I love the image but I do agree with Marc G,

 

The power in the image does not need any modern gimmicks. All Black and white would have made the statement just as loud. For me it is all about the viewer getting into the minds of the two people in the frame. What are were they thinking at that instant?

 

Not wanting to take anything away from the image, it is first class, but for me would be better in plain B/W. Less is more.

Just amazing and beautiful.The smoke looks great.Plus the depth is wonderful

I am very impressed of your work! It expresses a lot of inner feelings.I'm so very interested in working with you.Please contact me for this if you agree.

 

Have a nice day,

 

for_working_only@yahoo.com

Seriously clever image, it makes me think of many things, like the limited use of colour too.