'The Bus Stop (V)' (BW Ed.) PN Photo of the Week, May 28, 2011

You may not have noticed unless you're very meticulous, but the stones in the wall are very white/gray with white/gray mortar/cement holding them together.

The stones appear white, and the cement appears gray.

When the people's shadows are superimposed, there is a different, maybe 'reverse video' effect (maybe not quite, but you see?).

The stones then become 'white and more glistening with much contrast' whereas the gray/white mortar/cement becomes much darker.

I could have processed this photo to make the wall darker, but it might have interfered with the shadow silhouettes - they need a very light backdrop to work properly.

On the other hand, there is room for further experimentation before this photo is printed -- it's bound for my special gallery/museum folder (private) where I keep 135 (soon to be 136) of my best works, as I see them.

The effect I saw was that the people appear somehow to have their shadows (noted above a little) merged with the stone. I coined the phrase, 'rock stone people' to describe them, and now I feel even more that is an appropriate descriptor.

Any suggestions on the final processing? 

john

John (Crosley)

If this is a cliche, how in the "experts" name, would we from now on call the seasons..?!  Suggest to crop that tiny, partial shadow on the left, or at least the white point in it. Congrats John..! Phenomenal. :) 

The "reverse video effect" was the reason I didn't react immediately, even before some one else, for I was as always late, or early. First I was thinking you lighted the stones in post processing.  Later I thought that nearly impossible, because of the dotted character. I still don't like it and in fact, never will. Have a good trip..! :) 

If mine, I "simply" would call it "Stoned".

I'm sorry you don't like the effect of the stones (you express no other thought about the photo . . . a rarity from you . . . but seem to be turned off by the photo entirely.

No, I didn't work on the stones -- I seldom do much of anything in Photoshop besides levels sorts of work (shadow/highlight, levels, etc, and occasionally some burning/dodging and/or selections for lightening/darkening/contrast adjustment locally.

I am a minimalist with photoshopping, though I do like the use of two good plug-in sets from Nik and Imagenomics to help me do my business quickly, well and make everything look snappier (Photoshop didn't go far enough to allow us to do these things the plug-ins do, and that's a shame for a world class expensive program.

Thanks for the comment, though . . . . you are a man I know to be honest to the core based on our history.

john

John (Crosley)

John, the effect of the stones was the reason I didn't react. For the base I used the word phenomenal..! It's always a personal matter. A fantastic wallpaper can be layed down because of just a detail. However, that detail gets repeated a few more times..! Yes, I know we understand.  

Don't needs a  lot of word just to say that it an original, wonderful shot! Congraulation!

Yes, we do understand.

'Phenomenal', thanks.

And we do understand each other -- to the core. 

With great respect -- your judgment and each expression is always appreciated.

john

John (Crosley)

This 'wonderful' shot didn't just happen.

I saw the potential about 30 or so shots before.  I had started with different views, mostly pointing my camera the other direction, but the results were very worthy.

Then the line moved, buses and their shadows came and went, revealing these individuals and their shadows and I 'worked the scene' waiting for precise movements on the part of the individuals.  Some other captures have better individual movements on the part of individuals but the movements or actions detract from the uniformity of the depiction, so I decided not to post those, though they also are very good.  It's all a matter of choice -- you know --  editing.

I took a LOT of photos -- what else was there to do, and people in the line didn't seem too disturbed?  The guy on the bus next to me for the 30-minute ride who saw me digitally editing these said 'KLAS' (classy) to me, introduced himself, gave me his card, shook my hand, and as he left, said 'KLAS photograph' (classy photographs' again (self-explanatory).  He had seen ALL my captures including unrelated captures to this particular scene and all from this area - ALL.

It is something I do - I review my captures often with total strangers, and if they yawn, I know I have problems, but if I have their attention, then that's my first test.  Ukrainian young people especially generally have good education; the very old people often do not, especially if they came from a village and are very old and the very older ones make less reliable critics.

So, this photo came about, not from just taking ONE FRAME, but taking dozens, and 'working the scene' then choosing 'one of the best' but not necessarily the best, just a representative good one.

I'm glad it resonates with you (and viewers too, it seems).

;~))

john

John (Crosley)

Open mind: looks dangerous. Well seen. BR JV

I understand the 'well seen' part and thank you for that - indeed special thanks.

'Looks dangerous' I am not sure I understand.

Do the dark parallel lines remind you of jail or prison bars?

And thus remind you of criminals or criminality in some way?  Do these folks looked like they're locked up, to you?  (stretching,  I know, but I'm trying to understand.)

I lost your train of thought but can free associate.

Also 'open mind' is somehow associated with that.

Can you explain, please? I think you were too spare with words, or I'm just too sleepless.

john

John (Crosley)

Please note the following:

• This image has been selected for discussion. It is not necessarily the "best" picture the Elves have seen this week, nor is it a contest.
• Discussion of photo.net policy, including the choice of Photograph of the Week should not take place here, but in the Help & Questions Forum.
• The About Photograph of the Week page tells you more about this feature of photo.net.
• Before writing a contribution to this thread, please consider our reason for having this forum: to help people learn about photography. Visitors have browsed the gallery, found a few striking images and want to know things like why is it a good picture, why does it work? Or, indeed, why doesn't it work, or how could it be improved? Try to answer such questions with your contribution.

John, I will be among the first to congratulate you with this very deserved POW. I'll be back with comments later, for sure.

This is a simple but unique view shot.This is great because the photographer deny to show the people directly and this help the shot to be better and nice.I really like the shadow play and the row of people that they are waiting for something.Very well POW,also!Best regards(Bobby).

I'm waiting for the discussions and John's advice and critique...! Great choice by the elves!

John:
THis photograph is an excellent study in contrasts - between light and dark, and between the texture on the wall and the finer texture on the ground. The shadows cast on the wall are amorphous enough to provide a sense of mystery, while those on the ground heighten the viewer's curiosity to see where they may lead.
Bravo !
michael

Wow. No analysis needed. Just plain Wow !

Static and dynamic at once! Who would have guessed that shadows could show so much motion?

Great work, John--and thanks for having the photo-journalistic integrity to keep the plastic garbage bag in there.

--Lannie

Lannie, this doesn't strike me as a particularly photojournalistic work. I like and agree with your "static/dynamic" description.

This seems much more a vision than a document. So the trash bag is an included element, and a good one but, to me, not because it preserves any sort of integrity. Rather, it brings in some happenstance to a very staid and coordinated-feeling composition. All the ducks are in a row, except for the reminder of human litter floating by in the breeze. To me, its influence is to break a pattern, to intrude somehow, which I like. I like the visual rhythm established here.

With this great shot of John, we are in expressionist cinema of the 1920s, such as Metropolis of Frits Lang (1926) with it's extreme alienation of people, in a city of stones. There are remindings in the shot of some of the works of Elliot Erwitt, ( 1) or others of Dorethea Lange (Japanese prisoner shots). And yet, the dark shadows of the people are individualized, in this marvelous shot of John - which brings hope and humanity to the scene.

So why does it work? I, especially would stress the composition of the scene. A scene of separated individual shadows with almost equal space between them - the space of no interaction. The long inhuman base of the silhouettes drawn on the ground. The stone "clothing" of each human shadow - "beyond humans". The angle of the shot tells the viewer that the line of shadows is infinite - including all humanity. And then, the great relief of the scene, the shadows are individualized.

Knowing since long the works of John, I see this photo as a sort of index to many of his photos. You can expect to find the people of these shadows in other photos of his great portfolio, and this time deeply impregnated with humanity, hope - and much irony.
Yet another great shot, John.

 

I like the photo for many reasons but mostly I like John's attitude about taking photos. He is out there blasting away and has been for a long time. He is knowledgeable, helpful, courteous, respectful and writes like crazy. He is on my list of photographers that it would be fun to shoot with for a day and then spend a few hours drinking and talking about photography.

No, there is definitely no cliche - perhaps someone taking a picture of their own shadow is, but shadows speak in all directions - they are the culminating effect of the reflections of life - the imperfections of the image - the trash, the bubbled pavement, the random, yet orderly backdrop of rocks, all contrast perfectly with the orderly array of the shadows - these are ordinary people at a bus stop that have stories to tell, and you, my friend, have already told one with your vision.

Sam

I also find this image a case of photographic study and so powerful with its well presented light and shade philosophy, John is also one of the photo.net photographers whom they have my respect for their work and attitude.
Rashed
Colombo / Sri Lanka

What I love about this is the fact that while having such strong abstract elements and the composition of the shadow "play" seem so strongly composed yet, seeing and getting the photo was so entirely serendipity, found, stumbled on, but recognized and captured in that instant, that it's, well, just great fun and a cool photo. . You might call this a photo that exemplifies the so called "decisive moment" that has been discussed so much. Congrats John.

John Crosley wrote:

That plus what Tim wrote.

I'll leave dissecting the minutiae to the " experts " and simply say nice shot John, congrats and keep on shooting.