Children in Wales

This was quite a surprise....didn't think it happened until midnight. I appreciate the very kind comments.

 

The camera is (was) a small viewfinder model with a wonderfully sharp 40mm lens. The Tri-X was not pushed, the kids weren't pasted in, it is not cropped, and the print isn't flat, but the scan is. I went for detail more than dynamics in the final posted photo. The first image I posted had better blacks, but lost a lot of detail in the brickwork. I very quickly replaced it.

 

 

 

 

This picture is great. The more I stare at it, the more I let my imagination run wild, the more the children look like clay models on a miniature city scape. Like others have noted, sometimes pictures catch moments so perfectly that your mind is forced to think it can't be real.

 

You have great talent. Thank you for sharing, I enjoyed this photograph greatly.

Excellent, a masterpiece created out of nothing, just the right time. I wouldn't touch the composition and wouldn't crop, it would be too simple, would say 'kids are running, don't you see' in your face and you wouldn't like it more the more you looked at. Cross road contributes positively too. Even the post doesn't look bothersome, because it makes a connection from bottom to top I think.

This is another wonderful POW. The composition is excellent, the texture is great and the atmosphere is right there. I love the triangularity and to me, the shadow from the telephone pole looks like the starting or finishing line of a race the kids are racing. No cropping is needed, but cropping a bit from the left side could perhaps be considered (not suggested, though). I certainly wouldn't crop much from the top, as suggested earlier. Wonderful work, Ian!

Hi Ian,

Finally you made it. Last week's choice was already a double niner as far as the elves are concerned. This week a very very underrated photographer got the price. Maybe now people will look at your portfolios and started giving out double nines to put you somewhere in the top ten. It's a shame you weren't there all the time already. Congratulations on this great picture. And thanks elves, for making a b/w pic picture of the week two weeks in a row. Now there's still Mr. Jo Voets waiting to get his pic of the week (y'all can choose out of about a hundred premium b/w pics).

Rock on elves, long live the revitalised pic of the week contest!

Absolutely one of the best photos I've seen here. Originally I looked at it in October for the first time, and I thank the elves for bringing it to my attention once again. To be able to capture the spirit of childhood like this, on film, is amazing.

 

Congratulations on POW. You deserved it long before now, for any one of the masterpieces in your portfolio.

There seems to be an awfully large number of photographers here that seem to feel that if it isn't black and white classic photography - it isn't worthy of accolades. I love Ian's work as well as Tony Dummit and Miguel Mealha who are among my favorites. There is something pure and wonderful in the stories they tell and the lives and/or activities they depict. However, I - for one - do not agree that these are the only type of images worthy of a POW. That is what I'm gleaning from some purists on photo net over these months of watching the POW picks. I think that some of the color/macro/scenic/fall leaves/portraits etc... type of images are very much as wonderful for different reasons. As much as I love this image - and I do - I would be truly sorry to see only this genre constantly picked as POW. This should be a POW - don't get me wrong. But I like variety too... A few classic B&W's, a few macro's, a few IR images, a few scenics, a few portraits, abstracts and yes, even a few photoshop images... They all have a place here and as expected - many will continue to be controversial. I guess what I am saying is that the elves do a great job every week - whether I like the photo or not - by choosing a wonderful cross section of types of work. Congrats Ian on POW. I particularly love the elongated shadows of the children in this shot.

How static this would be without the kids! This is very well composed and a compelling image of life in this neighborhood

I have nothing against colour-photography, I have a portfolio with colour-pics myself. They are not my favourite , I'm very bad with colour, as you can see for yourself. My pleasure at seeing a b/w pic chosen as pic of the week two weeks in a row, is simply because I like b/w better. Of the pics of the week gallery, 20 are b/w (including the sepia-toned ones) and 53 are colour, so colourfans can't complain I guess. So don't understand me wrong here, i like colour pics, I even rate some of them! Hahaha, just kiddin'. Anyway, just because I'm doin' mostly b/w and I like this picture of the week, don't put me in a group of monochrome fetischists. Rienki

Wow! This is about as perfect as photographs get. A cut above the rest of your work.

 

I second Ken's comments.

Interesting Rienk... I did not realize that only 20 images had been chosen as POW and 53 color! That does seem to be unfortunatley imbalanced. Anyway, I am a lover of black and white and love it's qualities very much especially IR and black and white portraits! I talk all my clients into doing some black and white artistic photojournalism for their weddings -- even when they initially didn't think they cared for black and white. I'm a fan! I just get tired of comments that knock the elves choices when there are clearly people that love some of the other work. What I object to is comments that the elves have FINALLY chosen something of worth. Yes, it is a great photo. I just don't agree that some of the OTHER choices in the last few months were bad choices. I just needed to state that. And, Judging by the ratings and comments - I'm not the only one who thought some of them were excellent. Photo net is a place of many tastes and opinions. Personally, I try to find the good and the bad in any work, including my own. That balance helps to be inspired and encouraged by what you are doing right...and learning through honesty of others what doesn't work and needs improvement. Teachers do this and know how to encourage and critisize at the same time and the really good teachers do it well. I just object to absolutes especially when in the form of a negative comment. Now, I will say that all this is "In my opinion...." Because, after all, we are all entitled to our opinion. People that love this type of work above all else are also entitled to their opinion. I just wish we could see less negative critisizm about the choice itself.

Dear Mary, I think the reason why some people object to the choice of the POW is because they often lack composition. Instead, they use one thing or another as a bait to lure people away from the truth that it is not the photographer's interpretation that is pleasing, but the subject itself. I'm writing this thinking of quite a few nudes and the odd Velvia shot. I am not defending the position that B&W is desirable, nor that color can not be the centerpiece of a photograph. Many B&W pictures are pretentious attempts at high art; but the last two POW clearly have substance.

If this were to have been shot in color back in the "Day" I suspect that it is what would have been used.

 

Ian, I would not change any of the cropping here despite the what the comments above might suggest, this image keeps a genuine feel by including the "Messy Vitality" of life around it.

 

As for Dennis's comment above about "Cookie Cutter" kids??? This is why I wish photoshop were never invented. The fact that photos are now subject to such skeptical scrutiny is really ashame not to mention the Digital composites and creations that are not clearly put in that category.

 

I think this is a well deserved POW. I also think this for it's content............not the fact that it is B+W. Some of my favorite images of my own are in both color and Black & White. Snowy Animal tracks is my favorite image in my own gallery. I could not imagine Horses and rainbow or the paragliding shot as B+W.

 

I guess I am sick and tired of some of the comments around here implying that for a photo to be great, it has to either be black and white or have a person in it. I have PLENTY of "Social Documentary" type photos that have won awards over the years, I choose to share the images I do because I am sooooooo tired of the same dried up Ethiopian scenes from James Natchwey and Steve McCurry taking POY in the NPPA contests every year (Most of those are now in that dreaded color stuff too folks). We all know what images from New York will take it the pulitzer next year. Photography started in a monotone scheme. I often think it is way too easy for photographers to deal with a color problem by simply shooting black and white, your getting rid of the distraction of maybe not so great light or color then aren't you....waaaay too easy indeed!!

 

We SEE in color guys, accept that!! Please don't bash the fact that REAL world is indeed in color. There are some nice POW's on this site, many in B+W and many in color. I think I would of liked this image just as much if it were shot on K-25 for it is the moment, not the damn film. Everything starts as C O L O R!!! Get OVER it and look at the content!!!

 

Good job Ian, the thread and opinions are growing. I think "Asylum is good stuff too but needs a tighter edit, my opinion though :-)

 

db

As good as it gets. Beautiful work, Ian.

This is an amazing piece. So many questions... Where are they running? Are they running to somewhere, or from something? Their little backs are so straight and all those feet in the air and arms pumping, it gives almost a comic-book feel to the moment. I have been looking at this for 15 minutes and am not tired of it yet. Bravo!

Film itself is several steps away from reality, Dave. Color images are very much dependent upon exposure, cast, emulsion and so on. B&W images are just one step further away than color. Color and B&W composition can be and are often radically different, given a particular scene. Anyway, isn't it emotional reality we're after, not "actual" reality?

OK, I agree that the subject matter and composition are wonderful, but this image has an overall flat tonality, almost as though it is a bit underexposed. I would like to see it resubmitted with more contrast.

Not much time on my hands at the moment, but (in light of certain critical comments) I just had to let everyone know that Ian does not have access to a decent film scanner. The one he uses is nothing short of appalling and it says quite a bit about his photos that they can survive the process enough to generate a considerable positive reaction among so many. I have seen the prints and the prints are very, very good--Ian is not just an excellent photographer, but a master printer, as well. It's too bad he insists on using that nasty, grainy Tri-X ;-)

 

More later.

The camera angle makes this shot, along with the action. It may not be perfect in terms of composition but those kids are just about perfectly situated and their shadows simply add to the overall effect.

 

I am young again, in Oswestry (almost Wales!) and I am running away from Mr. Jones, not toward Mr. Edwards. Like last week, this PoW takes me back across the pond to an earlier time. Thank you - I am old enough to be horribly nostalgic, which probably explains why I like this photo so much.

(First paragraph deleted with great respect to M. Spinak after receiving a greater understanding via e-mail which is probably the better place for non-critique communications) I am enjoying the dialog on color vs black and white.. although I don't really have a problem with black and white. Love it. Love this deserving POW.. Also do agree Ian needs a scanner - I also noticed the flatness (milkyness) but suspected it was the scan! Thanks Vuk for your info. It is the super negativity and condemnation/strong opinionated absolutes that just kill me and I think it is so offputting to people and does not foster creativity. We've seen some newcomers comments about the members ripping into people and elves and images and spitting them out in such a arrogant way. I'm hoping it stops. Is there anyone out there besides me that would like to see decent yet honest critiques? I saw one recently. It was a critique by Philip Greenspan on a nude. It was one of the best critiques I've ever read. It purposefully outlined the positive and the negative as well as insight on improvements. It was kind and it was honest at the same time. In this world of bickering and strife and ill-will -- maybe we can rise above it all.

To Daniel Bayer's comment.

 

Daniel I thing that you're over simplifying the choice of B&W over Colour.

Surely a good photographer would choose to photograph under the best circumstances with the best materials to achieve a specific goal.

To suggest that some of us would load Black & White film as a means to make a dull scene somehow 'classic' is a little harsh.

 

Yes the world is in colour, but so what?

 

Sometimes the use of light and form can be more clearly interpreted without the distraction of reds and blues.

Perhaps Black and white is not an option for many people here because the process is complicated and not so readily available.

 

This shouldn't elevate the process to classic status.

 

Working in Black and white is a valuable way of learning the craft of Photography, without the distractions of colour.

 

The process may not be as symplistic as dropping your film at the lab, but perhaps this is a good thing.

If you know that several hours of your own time are involved to bring your pictures to the table, then maybe the aspiring Photographer would 'think' before pressing the button.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't say that I dislike black and white and maybe it was a little harsh to say that it is almost a photographic simplification. I love the stuff! I don't want to bash Black and White and certainly did not of Ian's image. It's just the almost constant "FINALLY"'s that seem to emerge as of late. I find black and white to be as a whole alot easier to work with in terms of subject matter and tonal range control. Color can be too easy too, it's just a matter of subject versus medium and the approach used.........I did say that my own favorite of my images is a black and white now didn't I?

 

db

and in black and white. at least from our perspective. may i remember you that our eyes have different sensor cells for colour vision and light intensity vision? just go outside on a full moon and try to tell the grass color...

Congratulations Ian!! Beautiful Image! Like all of your work, it's the story behind every image that makes the difference between taking pictures and art.This image leaves you wondering so many things. Like reading a good book that you can't put down, I think your images leave the viewer looking for more; maybe wanting to know the whole story that you just tease with in each photo. This, most definitely is a well deserved POW!!

Just wondering what it takes to become known as a B&W photographer around here. Tony Dummett was listed in the catogory, and his portfolio contains 26 B&W but 36 colour photos (I just counted). In fact, his POW is in colour!

 

Is the underlying assumption 'good photographer = B&W photographer' showing through in some of the posts above?

 

Just me pouring oil into the fire ;-)

 

Wonderful shot by Ian. This is not your usual eye catcher. I suppose that's easier to achieve in colour, but can be done in B&W also, as eg. Chris Battey's photos 'Trish, Saturday Night' and 'Hawkeye's Portrait' show. Ian's work is much more quiet.

 

'Children in Wales' gets better the longer you look at it. Many thanks to the Elves for bringing it to our attention.

 

The last two POWs have really been a revelation for me regarding composition. I think the short take home message is 'tight cropping is not everything', but of course it is much more complex than that. I am just hoping that with lots of practice I can incorporate at least some of this technique in my own work.