Basketball

I am trying to document a public housing neighbourhood that is being

demolished and am wondering if the pictures can stand alone or require

the set. Please critique and be picky. I can take it.

For me, this shot does not work on its own. The light is not interesting, the composition doesn't have anything that grabs my attention, and there is not even a decisive moment happening on the basketball court (perhaps if he were just putting the ball in net?) However, I like the other two photos ('Victoria' and the one of the two people -- the man with the red hat). If there were a person closer in this one it would be more interesting. Perhaps the guy playing ball would have posed for you. Or perhaps that's not what you were looking for in this shot.

Yeah. I am having problems conveying my point. I am going more for the point that it is dehumanizing for every public space in this city run neighbourhood to be surrounded by city dumpsters. This is how it has been for decades. The people in this neighbourhood, or at least some of them, try to make it nice. They paint murals, start gardens, but yet everything is surrounded by dumpsters. Extremely smelly dumpsters that attract vermin, etc.

 

I have taken numerous pictures of dumpsters, but I don't think any of them really say what I am trying to say. As a set, maybe, or maybe I will just look like I have a dumpster fetish.

 

Oh and regarding the lighting, it has been overcast in Toronto all summer, fall and on. Unfortunately, this place is coming down pretty fast, so I can't really wait for a nice day. Also, because I have been photographing it for almost every weekend for some time now, I kind of don't want the weather to change.

 

I agree that I think I should try to focus more on the people of the area, but I have problems approaching people. I am working on that.

 

Thank you very much for your comments. I am far too close to the subject and have problems seeing from others eyes.

 

 

How about if you were to push one of the dumpsters to create a gap between the two so that you can shoot someone on the basketball court (or somewhere) framed by the smelly things. Do they have a second pair of wheels so that they could be repositioned in this way?

 

Good luck with your project, by the way. It's an admirable idea. I hope you'll get some coverage in the local press if that fits in with your goals.