Appreciation

Does kind of bring to mind the famous Ruth Orkin photograph, no?

Funny.

Although the woman is also looking off to the right -- perhaps something is happening off frame and the kids are not actually ogling her?

No matter, it works anyhow. B&W adds to the character here.

The picture is obviously posed, but it's a charming image nevertheless. Very nicely done. Nice old-fashioned look, not only in the B&W tones, but the clothing as well (though some of the boys' hairstyles are decidedly not old-fashioned unless your idea of old-fashioned is the 1970s).

SUPERB...

Very nicely composed. Notice how the shape created by the boys creates an arc that takes you up into the painting in the background, then down to the woman, and then finally the chair, completing the arc. The other thing that's interesting is that depth is provided by the depth inherent in the painting in the background. The lighting is fantastic. Perhaps the shot is a little too obviously posed, especially the teacher's gesture, but perhaps that's necessary to make the whole scene work.

Kudos to the teacher. He's the real icing on this delicious cake.
Whether this photo is posed or not, it's irrelevant to me. It just tells a story near immediate, and does so very convincingly. So if it was posed, it's been done very well. If it wasn't, then the photographer reacted really well - either way, it's well done.
This image puts a big smile on my face and makes me realise I'm still a boy really. Turns out there was a painting in the photo too.

The story is as old as time, and the meaning is clear and as subtle as a cereal commercial, but that's what make this work.

Photographs such as this one are why I try to become a better photographer just about every single day. Maybe one day ... just maybe.

Did I hear Martin say Ruth Orkin?

http://www.orkinphoto.com/

--Lannie

I've been a bit busy of late with a trial looming and last minute details. That prevented me from really giving a comment to this image that it deserved when I first rated it a 7 a week ago. Even then, I believed it was POW worthy. This is nowhere near the contrived Ruth Orkin picture since, beyond the purient, mauldlin interest, the Orkin picture really said very little else. This image, on the other hand, is a study in composition and tonality, not unlike a complex composition like Da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks or Gericault's Raft of the Meduse. The figures on the right, particularly the gesticulating man harken to the figure on Gericault pointing to the ship approaching on the horizon, or the John the Baptist figure from the Davinci work. The choice of DOF allows a working distance between the figures on the foreground and the picture in the distance, and the girl in white breaks the monotonous tone nicely, not unlike the little girl in red in Schindler's list. But her placement to the side, unlike Spielberg's front and center of the girl, allows this image to work without her dominating it like the girl in Schindler. All in all, and intriguing and spectacular composition and presentation. In other words, a work of art.

Christopher's picture may be superior to Ruth Orkin's American Girl in terms of formal composition, but it's probably at least as contrived. It is a great picture, but it does owe some historical debt to American Girl.

This discussion seems like it may go the way of last weeks POW with lots of adulation and maybe not as much discussion, so maybe I will change that.

First of all, I spent some time with Christopher's work here and on his website and it is obvious he is a proficient photographer with a well honed eye and impeccable technical skills. This image is no exception to that but I do see it as different in many ways from the work of Orkin. To me, whether it is Orkin's American Girl, Eisenstadt's Kiss or Rosenthal's Iwo Jima, those photos are organic to the time and whether staged in part or in total still have a sense of immediacy to them that I don't find here. Instead, I find something more akin to some of Rockwell's more comedic pieces, where some things are overplayed but with great success and effect for their purpose.

When I first saw this image, I did get a kick out of it in many ways. It is certainly well done. A lot of effort went into the production, propping and styling of this shot and for me it has more of a feeling of a commercially done image. Although I find the teacher's gesture here perfect for the joke, it is pretty overplayed for a reality. He is connecting with no one--can't see if his eyes are at least on the boy to our left of him or not--and his placement makes the gesture a bit over the top for not having any potential audience. I think this works for the gag, but isn't very believable outside of that.

Maybe it is just old eyes--and a small photo here, but I don't see that the boys are looking anywhere else than at the obvious. But I don't know if it is my lack of knowledge about the setting and time, but the boys hats and wardrobe don't seem to be in concert to me. The hats just remind me of a US Fourth of July picnic while the clothes seem more winter-ish to me. But more out of place are the boys hair styles, which tie this immediately back to the present and away from the inferred period. The hats are a bit over the top for me as well but, again, add to the overall comedic intent of the work.

Because I see this as a comedic piece more than a period piece, none of these things really bother me. The image works as I see its intention and it is well done. But it doesn't go beyond that for me--nor does it have to. It's a great photo to enjoy as it is!

Michael Mancil and John A. have both referred to Norman Rockwell in regards to what they see in this photo (presumably the ever-so-slightly over-the-top depiction of a gently humorous side of American life), and that's the first thought that came to my mind as well. It brings a smile to my face, and that is sufficient for me.

I was also intrigued by Christopher's specialization in table-top illustrations, simply because in my limited world I had not known of that kind of photographic specialization, and I came to better appreciate it by viewing Christopher's work.

I love it!
really art, like the painting in the background

O Yes! Boys will be boys and if they live through boyhood they will be men too they will... HA! What a great observer of human behavior you are and what a timely shot. The decisive moment personified. There is always an element of luck when one is out treasure hunting and all I can say that I haven't already is... WHAT LUCK!
Cheers, Raymond

It is very effective, a great idea, with excellent lighting, tonality and positioning of subjects. I believe that the author may be European, or working in Europe (boy's school uniforms seem to suggest that), and his cinematographic experience seemingly is at the route of his ability to arrange his subject matter very effectively within the frame. I love the idea, its preparation and its execution, even if it seems just a little a bit too contrived.

On the critique side, we have little idea of what the attractive young lady is doing there, as she seems not to be viewing the painting and there is litle other evidence that her oblique gaze is anywhere but a possible blank spot on the wall beyond the large painting. I just guess that the photographer wanted to suggest the girl's ignorance of the group of little boys, but perhaps it might be better if she was actually looking at the painting other than if she was simply standing like simeone at a bus stop. The other thing that is more overdone than it needs to be is the strong gesture of the teacher or guide, which is virtually completely unnoticed by the boys. It would be more intersting if just the boys in direct vision of the girl, were distracted by her appeal, with the others, or at least a few of the others, still listening to the teacher or guide.

This is the sort of photo that works best in B&W and could even have more chiaroscuro effect added to an already excellent tonal range. Despite my slight reservations regarding improvement, my hat is off to Mr. Broadbent for a type of image that is creative and of an intent and impact not often seen.

I don't think the picture is based on a great idea; it's based on a pretty typical idea: the humor in seeing these boys, who should be looking at one thing, looking at another. It's also not a "decisive moment" shot, as I understand the term, because it is almost certainly a staged shot. I agree that it may be more in line with a Normal Rockwell painting than with Ruth Orkin's American Girl.

It's a very well done, very effective photograph.

Brilliant!

Brilliant!

Looking at the rest of Christopher's work,( still life nice arrangements/compositions) that one looks staged as well , especially the boys body language.I still think it is a very nice composition even if staged (or not.) The 3 elements, the painting ,the class group with the teacher, and the lady are telling a story with a sense of humour, and a good composition. Nice,well done .

I agree with the many that find this very good and very amusing. Whether that makes it into the finest, art can be discussed, of course. For me, it is bringing us back to the "good old days" of the 50s (I was too small to remember) when drawings of this imaginative kind, and amusing scenes like this, were in high esteem, especially in the US. That shouldn't prevent us from getting amused and admire the skills of Christopher - and in the same time to admire what can be seen of the lady, just like the boys. Poor teacher, he is missing something essential to life.

Staged? Norman Rockwell? If so, it's a bit of a letdown. But then Robert Doisneau staged his kiss photograph and that wasn't outed for half a century or so. Not until an elderly couple sued Doisneau, claiming they were the subjects of his most famous photograph.

Please let this photograph not be staged. Then we can forget flippin' Norman Rockwell and think of "Araby" by James Joyce. That's a story about a schoolboy who falls for an older girl who is like a little mother to his playmate.

It is interesting to read what other people can see in a picture and how differently they can interpret some of its elements.
Until I read the comments above, it didn't occur to me at all, that 1) the boys could be looking at anything else but the woman, 2) the woman could be looking at anything else than the painting. The painting is so huge... I think she might be looking into some lower corner part of the painting, studying some detail. If she was to look directly somewhere to the middle of the whole huge painting, it would feel stiff to me. The picture would lose her nicely relaxed, womanly indifferent posture.
As far as the teacher is concerned, I agree (as John A suggeted above) that his gesture is overplayed and that he does not connect with anyone, but in my understanding, that is OK. He, as a grown man, should perhaps be the first one to look at the woman, but he is such a pundit... not connected to the physical world (at least not at the moment). The picture is visibly staged and I do not think the author tried to hide it, I assume just the opposite. If nothing else, it is exactly the theatrical teacher's gesture to frankly indicate this fact to the viewer. So the teacher is OK to me too, he plays a useful role in the whole thing and he does it well.
That said, although I see this picture as worth of having a thorough look at and I therefore believe it was very well chosen as a POW for discussion, I am quite hesitant to embrace and fully accept it. The logical part of myself see no problem at all with or in the picture, but my emotional part simply does not connect with it.



I see this as a combination of two allegories, the one on the painting and the one staged in front of the painting. I believe that this scene is strongly influenced by Christopher Broadbent's background as a cinematographer, watching how it is set up.
The whole photo looks so thought-through and I feel that each and every element and characteristics of it must be intentional, also the lack of contrast between the foreground scene and the background picture.
So, in the end, it's a take-it-or-leave-it issue, it is up to the viewer to decide whether to like it or not.
Certainly it is a well thought out and executed photograph.