She Hopes He'll Understand. He Hopes She'll Change.

A beautiful shot with a very nice title, Jeff!

A well paired set of universal sentiments you've used for your title. The title fits with the lack of physical contact between the couple despite their close proximity. The second soft focused couple are a nice counterpoint with their intimacy and warmth. I find it curious how I visually want to rush past the awkwardness of the sharply focused couple despite their clarity and position in the frame in order to catch up with the relative comfort  and easy manner of the distant couple.

Your processing here is quite lovely I like the toning and the way you have handled the light. The sense of spontaneity along with the feeling of depth pulls me in lets me feel a part of this old world  leisurely afternoon stroll. 

I have a similar feeling about wanting to move past the first couple. I also agree that the processing on this is quite strong. Very nice handling of the lighting and that strong directional pull is effective. I think more could have gone into working with the awkwardness of the first couple . . . so that the awkwardness would not be just awkward. Many directions seem possible . . . including more of the couple (the framing at the bottom seems too spontaneous to me, considering there is a deliberate feel to the juxtaposition of the two couples, even if it wasn't deliberate per se). The juxtaposition seems so strong that I think the strong focus and drop-off to lack of focus feels out of sync with the content. Her skin, his arms, the tattoo are beautifully handled in this toned black and white processing. Rich and deep. The logo on his tee-shirt plays nicely with her tattoos. Tattoos are not just prevalent on skin. They are all around us! I've been appreciating your titles more and more and hope I've said so in recent comments. Not this one. It seems like a disconnected projection and takes me away from what's going on in the photo itself, which is much more human and casual than the cliché/platitude of the title.

I agree with Gordon, great pic with deep meaning, love it. Mari

 

Ruud:  Thanks for commenting on the photo and title.  Appreciated.

Gordon:  I didn't notice that there were two couples until a week later when I was scrolling through my shots.  I agree that the ease of the far couple seems a relief from some of the tension of the main twosome.  I followed them for about a block, but only got one shot of them that worked.  They didn't seem angry at each other or disconnected, but somewhat lost in their own experience, which I suppose happens after the first wave of romance. 

Fred:  I appreciate your in-depth analysis of the visual elements of this shot.  There's not a whole lot of tinkering in this shot, other than brightening the main couple a bit and some selective sharpening.  Your word "strong" could be taken a several different ways ranging from well-managed to heavy-handed or perhaps a little of both.  I mulled over your thoughts about the title.  The title represents my interpretation or perhaps a projection of my thoughts regarding the nature of relationships.  I agree that the title sometimes defines and frames a photo too much and interrupts the viewer's unique interpretation of an ambiguous scene.  Perhaps that is what is happening here.  After mulling over your comment, I had two thoughts.  First, what would you title the scene (if anything at all?).  Second, what would you had imagined if there was only the title, but no accompanying picture.  I ask this not to be defensive or challenging, but just for the sake of sifting through the importance of a title or possibly the importance of avoiding them.  Carlos recently commented about how much one of my cheeseball titles got in the way.  And it's something I've been thinking about.

Mari:  Thanks so much.  I'm glad you found it interesting.

Wonderful capture with a great title! Bravo!

There's a lot of reading into this one, and I find myself not wanting to go there. I like the simple differentiation between the man's all black and very basic attire in comparison to the peacock who not only has spots all over on her clothes, but has turned her skin into an additional canvas for display. I personally don't think such a big deal is warranted by the fact that the couple in front seems to be more intimately connected at this one small moment in time. The couple in the foreground could be captured in a non typical mood or time.

You know I love titles, and I see nothing wrong with your stamping it with your own possible interpretation. I think it is obvious that it is just a suggestion of a possible (and common) life situation.

And, as always, I'm fond of the fly on the wall perspective. I do that a lot.

I rarely title things, so I probably would have given it no title. The titles I tend to give are the names of the subjects of my portraits. I think the only title I've given to a shot on the street was the Jesus photo, which I happened to submit on the first day of Passover, so I called it something with Passover in the title just to be cute and a little ironic, since it was taken on an Easter Sunday. Were I forced to title this, I'd start with Two Couples and reject that out of boredom. I might go with something like The Tattoo or Grabbing Her Ass. I would avoid projecting what I thought might be going on beyond what I was seeing. I tend to try to avoid that even when discussing my own photos. 

I meant strong (regarding the processing) not in terms of heavy handed but in terms of good. I think the processing and toning works well with the content and feel of the photo.

Had I read your title with no picture, I probably would have thought of the book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. I'm not sure your title would have conjured up anything visual.

A question for you. Are there any artists/photographers/painters who title their work and which titles you particularly respond to? I can think of some isolated cases, but not many. For some strange reason, Nude Descending A Staircase has always been a favorite of mine. Figures. It's descriptive rather than elaborative.

This is an excellent photo, Jeff and I appreciate it from a theatrical, tonal, and compositional point of view. I don't necessarily contrast the two couples, seeing one as distant and the other intimate; I don't make any value judgements at all here. For me, the woman is the key figure in the picture, the whiteness of her back immediately drawing my attention together with her polka dot headgear and dress. Her central positioning within the composition reinforces her primacy. Her consort, to the left, doesn't seem distant at all which perhaps reflects my own family background view of how couples presented themselves in public. It's paradoxical that I identify more with the foreground couple even with their tattoos. Tattoos are ubiquitous today (In the world of professional sports they have become not just illustrations but entire storyboards) but in my day they were rather rare and seeing such visible tattoos on a woman still seems strange to me. One would think that, coming from a '60's background, I would identify with the second couple but I feel much more comfortable with the first. Interesting how we project our own points of view and individual backgrounds into this picture. As for the title, nah, not this time. Like you, I'm a verbal guy and titles are important to me, but here I think the picture should have been left purposely ambiguous for the reasons I've stated above.

Jeff, it's funny how the title has garnered so much attention, but it disturbed me too.  Fred, I wish you would title your pics more than just simply the names of the subjects -- provide more.  Jeff, I love how so many of your pics are titled with lyrics of pop songs and spirituals, such interesting subtexts; they deepen the presentation, give the viewer a window into the workings of the pic ...thinking of the photographer.  I relate more to the couple nearest us (I don't like the way other one is grabbing her rear). Her tattoos with feminine dress show her as edgy, modern.  The world -- (street) is fading away (actively), as the other couple walks off into the distance, and attention is on her white back, on them -- the couple with body language that does not define them in that   "we" took a walk, and then "we" held each other as "we" walked  and,...., but suggests at that time they exist as individuals together -- how?  You ask that question with the juxtaposition with the other couple, and the interest lies in us wondering 

"Fred, I wish you would title your pics more than just simply the names of the subjects -- provide more."

See my above post to Jeff. There may be a time when a different style of titling will appeal to me. I'm just about (within a month or so) to launch my own web site which will contain a portfolio and I have added a few select titles. It was a fun exercise. They obviously provide something but I don't think of that something as "more."Accompaniment, perhaps. The titles seem impressionistic to me. I wonder if viewers will look for messages in them.

Still, they can still get along fairly well, like millions do ;)

Seriously though, my interpretation is more or less like Jack's. I agree that the presence of the blurry couple does add some extra charm to this one. However, for me, the image is about the girl with the tattoos.

I liked your processing and the toning very much, by the way. That warmth suits this one nicely.

 

Maurizio:  I'm so glad you got the joke.

David:  It's interesting where the eye goes in a crowd.  Of course, I have no idea what the nature of the relationship between our two lovers might be.  You can't take one frame out of a movie and think you know anything about anything.  But my title represented complete fiction regarding what I thought might be happening.  Unfortunately, I realize that my imagination might get in the way of others' interpretation or projection.

Fred:  The importance of titles might vary, depending on the subject matter or the "artist" involved (put in quotes because I'm not elevating myself to the level of artist).  Off the top of my head, I can think of several pieces by Picasso and Gauguin that benefited from a title, either in announcing the thought that inspired the piece or by way of telling a joke through irony.  Photography is interesting in that most of the time the energy centers on what's "out there" instead of what's "in here."  Some titles, including my own, inspire eye-rolling.  Perhaps it's better not to title a photo, but let it speak for itself.  I always like Jack's titles because they wryly take the photo to someplace ironic or deep or sometimes ridiculous, and I don't mind being taken there.  I think you're so adept at words that titles would be a natural part of your artistic statement, but perhaps the two ways of expression remain separate experiences:  presenting a photo versus talking about it.  I don't think telling another person what to think is a good thing.  Note the title for today's post, entirely descriptive and not at all interpretive.

Jack:  Well, well.  It's interesting how some critics thought the title was cute and others found it disruptive.  I can't defend this title because it is a bit silly and sad.  It may not describe at all what these two were experiencing or what any other person on the planet might have thought about the.  From the front, the woman was even quirkier, while the guy looked like he had the potential to transform into something a bit more conservative somewhere down the road.  I'm glad you liked the visual elements of the photo, which of course to me are much more important than any title I might conjure up.

Donna:  I love music, particularly lyrics, and I've always loved poetry, so lines sort of stick with me for awhile.  Sometimes, I bury them like a squirrel storing acorns and then dig them up when the wind blows the right way.  I think it's an interesting question.  Which couple represents true romance.  The two individuals walking independently, but side by side or the dreamy, grab-ass couple fading in the distance.

Bulent:  The photo wouldn't work without the girl with the glorious tattoos.  Thanks for your thoughts about the toning.  You've perfectly captured the truth behind all successful relationships. 

 

Jeff I love the title and find it very amusing... but also find it "to the heart of the matter".

I enjoy all of your titles, and most of the time I "get it"!  The tone is perfect.  Keep on entertaining us.  I enjoy your perspective.  As for the hand on the rear, which I did not notice at first..... I would, if I were her,  ask him to remove it...at  least until we got home!! Love your work.  I always linger. ~j 

 

Fantastic shot, the title made my day, very funny.

Cheers.

Jeff, I looked at the photo before reading the title or the comments. You know how much I like your "frozen moment in time" images, and this one is truely excellent. You have a wonderful feeling of depth here. There is also a feeling of movement, of passing time, a parade of humans walking, marching, parading through time, the focus on this couple for a second. I can see into the future when people look at this and shake their heads wondering what this woman was thinking when she got dressed. They look like an interesting couple and we could speculate endlessly about who they are and what are they doing together. They could be lovers, friends, co-workers, strangers who just happen to be walking at the same pace. Their indeterminate relationship adds to the interest in the image. The second couple is blurred, already past tense, they are background.

 

I like Jack’s comment “the woman is the key figure in the picture, the whiteness of her back immediately drawing my attention together with her polka dot headgear and dress.” and agree. She really is the most interesting part of this photo.

 

The title of any piece of art should be the artist’s decision, whether it be photography, film, literature or any other form of visual art. If an artist has to speculate about whether or not critics will like or dislike the title, that will slow the creative process. It will create one more hindrance to creative expression. Anyway, isn't this pandering?

 

Your work often shows a wonderful spontaneity that is maintained through your processing. I think this title was your spontaneous reaction to your image. It shows something of how you see the world around you. If it feels right to you, go with it! BTW, I like it.

 

Warm wishes,

 

Linda

I don't think Jeff's considering what others have to say about the title and perhaps even changing it would be pandering unless he did it strictly to gain popularity or to please his critics. If, on the other hand, something gets mentioned that rings a bell and makes us think twice and perhaps change something, that's not pandering. As a matter of fact, that's the whole point of engaging in a critique forum, isn't it? 

Considering and even acting on the criticisms of peers doesn't slow the creative process. It deepens it and makes it richer. The creative process evolves. We maintain our integrity by constantly pursuing our own vision, even while we allow ourselves to be influenced by others. That's pretty much the history of art . . . a balance of influence and individuality.

Next time I will use file name as title... just joking. About this particular work. It excellent, casual street shot, and it does make a story... Couple, who in front some how little bit cool down, and best time is fading. Only what is left try pickup it from fogy memory. That actually in front of them... Excellent work! With all my best, Grigoriy 

Good point. The keyword in your comment is “peers”. You are right, you can’t grow artistically in a vacuum.

 

My opinion comes from my experience as a graphic artist. In order to make a living the average graphic artist has to pander. You find yourself following the wishes of someone who knows nothing about aesthetics, and has the taste of an Orangutan. Or you design something, say a logo, and are told to change it into something you find hideously unattractive. When you free-lance you are always thinking about whether or not your work will sell. There is little freedom of expression. For many years I exhibited and sold watercolours which was my creative outlet. Once, I was told that I should change my signature, then perhaps they would like the painting! I believe that this, mainly the graphic art work, did interfere and hinder my own creative process.

 

Peers can be helpful. They can give you a different perspective, point out problems that you have missed, give you tips, share their expertise. They can also be nit picky perfectionists. I like to encourage people to “follow their bliss” (Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth)

 

I like this, “That's pretty much the history of art . . . a balance of influence and individuality.” Very well said.

 

 

Started to read the other comments and my mind couldn't handle them all, so here's my humble whatever. I love it. First, great composition.  The sepia is perfect. The interaction with the couples is awesome. Timing is everything. Your dof is outstanding in this-a macro on life, eh? One wonders, is the groping time over for the couple in focus? I assume she is not holding anything, but rather has her arms in front to protect herself-to keep from holding hands. His walk seems determined. There is a whole book here. One of my favorites, Jeff. Well captured.

BTW-the title is great.

Janis:  Thanks.  The titles are a fun accompaniment to my photos, although as pointed out, not all of them work.  Sometimes, they represent inside jokes that are so "inside" that only I get them. 

Alberto:  Glad you got a laugh out of it.

Linda:  Thanks for your in-depth review, not only of the photo itself, but also of the act of titling it.  I love to watch people, but I rarely photograph them because doing so seems too intrusive and I don't like calling attention to myself.  I think that's why a lot of my people photos are of their backs.  Regarding the titles, I always listen to others' advice and opinions and sometimes it results in an alteration, not to please them so much as finding and responding to truth in what they have said.  I can't imagine having to make money from this hobby.  I think it would drain all the fun out of it and turn it into a job like everything else.

Fred:  You're right.  I wouldn't change a title or even a photo unless I felt it made sense and was consistent with my own beliefs about the piece.  The importance of titles varies.  Some of them are merely throwaway afterthoughts and others are vital to what I feel is going on.  I do change my titles from time to time, though.  There are times I return to a photo and roll my eyes and mutter, "What was I thinking?"

Gregoriy:  Maybe these two couples are at different points on a continuum.  Thanks for noticing the story I tried to tell.

Margaret:  I thought this told an old tale of males and females trying to find comfort with each others' differences.  Thank God they have tattoos in common.

It is a great photo!  I looove  everything about this photo!

A wonderful image and can't imagine what else I could write that has not already been said. I also move right pass the first couple to the 2nd. I then back up and enjoy the contrast in couples.