Spike's

An enigma?

Hi Reed,

Your work really moves me despite some technical flaws, which can be overcome with work and patience. What is more difficult to achieve is the way you capture the world around you.

I can smell the hot dogs, hear the kids noise...reminds me of some of Robert Frank´s work.

You used a great film on a great camera with a phenomenal lens to make something that screams "throw me away, I was an accidental shutter click" until you see that scrunched up face in the center. Technicallity and what makes me grin are two different measurements of quality.

A good call Nicholas. This was a throw-away shot until a much wiser man said, "Holy shit Reed, this is the best shot you've taken!" And my eyes opened to what it was I measured a good photo by.

Here's what I like about this photo: The focus (or lack of) is on the one subject who has removed himself from the scene - via a cell phone. A somewhat telling commentary on the indiscriminate use of them (when you have one you are there but only physically not cognitively) and the attention they tend to draw because of the users annoying lack of courtesy. And then there is this overtly Americana imagery of hotdogs, red white and blue Pepsi cups and kids all blurred in some sort of home town mosaic puntuated with the American flag over their heads and hanging just below is the peace sign on thrusted arm attached to "scrunched-up face" kid.

There is a big story here. Is it perfectly focused? Yes. It's the blurred line between what we expect in a photograph and what we expect in a photograph. Huh? We seem to judge photos on technical merit more than on content when both carry weight. I believe content has more importance. In this case I think the predominance out of out-of-focus area contributes to a lack of specifity of meaning that opens the photo to interpretation. What was once a throw-a-way because of a technical flaw became my most enigmatic shot. I think it has substance. And so it goes...

I welcome input into this discussion of content and technique.

Excellent shot! I always wanted to capture something similar, but haven't found the way to do it yet. After reading your commentary, I enjoy it even more. Thank you!