'Unexpected Charity'

This homeless 'street person' right, had camped out as dark approached

at his 'home' at a freeway underpass in Los Angeles recently, when the

man, left, walked by, handed him a soda, then walked on. Your

ratings,critiques and observations are invited and most welcome. If you

rate harshly or very critically, please submit a helpful and constructive

comment; please share your photographic knowledge to help improve

my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

Great capture. John ... an excellent documentary shot. Regards.

I was surprised at the poor reception of this shot. I had high hopes for it, but it has had a poor reception.

 

I guess I shall have to have my PN antenna rechromed, except of course for knowing about your reception.

 

Thanks so much for the comment.

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

Effective indeed! Great use of low key. Kind Regards

This lone homeless man was in his sleeping blankets, preparing for dark, sewing or something, I was parked a very long way away for a global shot of him within the very large underpass of Interstate 405, a huge highway, and experimenting with his placement within the frame and the use of blacks and whites (and tonal variations in color and black and white.

 

Along came bicyclists, for partial blurs as I was using a longer shutter speed plus a 200 mm max zoom lens on a APS-C size sensor (FX equivalent 300 mm) then a 1.4 power teleconverter for the first time this regalement purpose. Total mm for FX equivalent 420 mm., or a very long throw.

 

Suddenly this man approached with his hand out, and out when the homeless man's hand (notice I don't say bum, lots are homeless these days without being bums)., An exchange is made.

 

Later the giver walks past the car, and I signaled him over and thank him for his generosity then ask what he gave to the obviously hungry man.

 

Answer:: Diet Soda.

 

'It was all that I had'.

 

A brief touch of the surreal.

 

Not every good story has a storybook ending, even if one of great generosity.

 

Anyway, fluid replacement is important.

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

"I was surprised at the poor reception of this shot. " Me too!! I have just seen this photo and am very surprised to see that only a few commented on it or rated it. In my opinion, this is a very original & hard shot and telling a very nice story. If photos should tell some stories, I cannot think much better ways of story-telling than this photo. Very good capture really. Thanks for sharing.

This shot was not so easy to capture, but I sat there almost a block away with my 70~200 mm f 2.8 at full extension wide open with a 1.4 x teleconverter attached also for the final 'reach' needed to get the whole scene.

 

People walked by.

 

Bicyclists rode by.

 

This man seemed to be sewing.

 

I moved him around in the frame and adjusted the lighting to brighten and darken the tunnel/underpass and make him more/less contrasty.

 

Then this man came along and unbidden just reached out and handed this man a drink (a container of diet soda). I caught everything including the part where the homeless man reached out, but it was just a trifle blurry, so I passed over on it.

 

I settled on this one.

 

A photo does NOT have to 'tell a story' but some of my better ones which are 'street' and/or documentary do 'tell stories' or tell them very well, I am told, and that is my goal in taking such a photo AS WELL AS making a pleasing composition. In fact this started as an effort to make a pleasing composition, was in the process of finalizing and at the end with the composition in place, the man with the drink happened by.

 

(He continued on, I rolled down my car window, thanked him and asked him pertinent questions, and he was thankful he had been seen but didn't want recognition (he gave for himself and not for recognition which is the proper way to give - to give for the goodness of giving, not to get something back (other than the joy of giving.)

 

Much as why I post my captures here.

 

Thank you so much Gultekin.

 

I am indebted to you for your comment.

 

John (Crosley)