'Beg A Little More, Now'

The Mating Game, involves all sorts of playful activity; here a young

woman teases her boyfriend with a spoonful of ice cream, and he

responds in kind, reminiscent of heavily televised documentaries

featuring 'bird mating activity', in which one bird does an outrageous

maneuver, and a potential mate does likewise -- a 'call and response'

designed to weed out the weak, weak-willed, and insincere. Your

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

rate harshly, very critically, or just wish to make an observation, please

share your photographic experience to help improve my photography.

Thanks! Enjoy! John

Having read your comment and rating advisor I hope you accept when I tell you that I like this kind of candids - conversion work and title included. Compliments!

Wonderful and touching! Nice work!

Dear Porte-Bonheur

 

I wrote you a VERY LENGTHY response, but it was so long, it really left no room for others to discuss.

 

So, I am copying it and e-mailing it to you, instead.

 

Later, I may copy it back here and post it, but not until everyone else has had a turn.

 

I thank you greatly for the kind vote of confidence and the very, very kind compliment, all the more valuable considering the very able source of both.

 

John (Crosley)

 

El Porte-Bonheur.

 

I could not find an e-mail link in member directory.

 

Could you forward me one, so I can send you the comment, if not posted before you see this. It may never be posted, so if you have interest (and it's nice), an e-mail address would be helpful, but be sure to include a 'subject' line that gives your name and the subject matter that I will connect with you (I don't open 'spam' or things from unfamiliar e-mail addresses, unless I recognize the subject line, as viruses sometimes are contained therein, and at least, it also confirms my address is a 'good one' and triggers an avalanche of more e-mail to the spammers.

 

My e-mail is on my bio page, just be sure to insert the @ sign where appropriate and take away extra spaces.

 

Tnx,

 

john

 

John (Crosley)

I'll keep it brief.

 

Thank you so very much (and special thanks to the pair featured, at first unknowingly) in this photo, whom I now know as Nikita and Viki.

 

There are a lot of photos equally as good, and it was an interesting job to choose one for first dibs.

 

Best to you Alan, and thanks for letting me know your thoughts.

 

John (Crosley)

A wonderful story with no words....this is well captured.

 

One moment sooner or later the impact of this image may have been lost.

 

McD's should use this in their advertising (Assuming you'd sell it to them) ;)

 

Nothing really to critique here....From an Artistic standpoint I'd like to see a little separation in tones between her and the background but that is being nit picky.

 

I apologize for not getting back to the image we discussed the cropping...I actually did it..but didn't post the results do to the fact it was not what I thought......your version was better. ;) However I appreciate you letting me do a bit of editing on your work...I will in the future if I see something....I may even have a go at this.

 

Two years ago or so, a famous critic took me to his boss, a printing house owner of the fanciest photo printing house perhaps in the US -- maybe the world -- to show him my work (I had walked in the door).

 

Both agreed, much to my surprise "each photo tells a story", and I was a little dumbfounded. I thought my writing did that,but there were two pretty substantial guys in the industry agreeing that's what my photos were doing (unaided by my text or oral explanations -- in fact my escort shusshed me, saying his 'boss' would 'get' my photos, and indeed he did . . . to my delight --- he 'got' them all).

 

Well, after two years of mulling it over, I CONFESS!

 

It's TRUE for the most part for many of my photos that they do tell stories, though some (of the less popular) are attempts at say, abstraction, etc., and others are portraits which do not lend themselves so much to storytelling.

 

I do have one famously overlooked photo (e.g., not so popular photo) which tells a man's ENTIRE LIFE STORY if only you know how to read it.

 

Only one man I have met has known how to do it (beside myself. This man, who works at the lobby of the main building to which the Annenberg Space for Photography is attached, and he work(ed) as a guard supervisor (or did last Spring), a younger black man, just looked at that photo and said 'this man is XXXXX' and that's why he's XXXX., and of course, that described the reason he'd had a certain personality his entire life, which was self-evident from the photo's four corners, and stunningly so, but only if you were open, receptive, and very, very smart at 'looking' and 'seeing the truth of things' which he was.

 

You don't have to be a photo critic to be a stunningly good critic, he showed me -- just be able to 'see' and 'be smart'.

 

So, this one 'tells a story'. I hadn't thought of it until I wrote the request for critique and thought of mating birds and their unusual behavior, but lo and behold . . . . .

 

It was just like those documentaries we see of one bird twisting and shaking its neck, then its potential mate doing the same: call and response .(Apologies to former Representative Larrry Craig, R-Idaho, for you did the same thing, experts say, who was involved in the tapping under the restroom stall in the Minneapolis Airport . . . which has been called a classic 'call and response' episode' involving male-male behavior.

 

This was a hoot to record.

 

I e-mailed a link a little while ago to this couple, and maybe more to follow somewhere -- here or Photocritiq.com in the future, as there are lots of good to great ones, or just save some great ones for a book, to have something that never has been exhibited.

 

What a wonderful way to spend a half hour!

 

As to 'image editing. You are free under the rules to use others' ideas -- no shame or compunction about that, and I do from time to time and thankfully so.

 

It is not unworthy, stealing, or breaking PN rules, so if you choose to make a stricture against that, it is your strictur not others'.

 

The stricture is against others doing your image editing . . . . not borrowing or using others' IDEAS, which is the reason for this whole exercise -- we're supposed to do that, silly!

 

Of course, suit yourself, but this just to clarify the rule, in case you were not so conversant (unless they changed it without telling me).

 

As to 'working up' my work, have at it; it's a very high form of flattery when someone tries to improve a posting (especially if they achieve their goal, as one poster did on a photo of 'Recycling; a photo from Vienna of a woman putting trash in a dumpster's side and an old man taking trash out the other, and reading a newspaper from trash.

 

That member taught me about the use of the blue channel's predominance in 'cement/concrete/steel, etc., and the commentary discussion brought kudos from other members.

 

Not only did he teach me something, not only did he help me improve my photo by allowing me to rework it incorporating his ideas, but we got a following for his instructions and tutelage to me!!!

 

That's a triple play!

 

So, Ken, have at it.

 

Any way you want.

 

Enjoy!

 

And thanks!

 

John (Crosley)

This is a separate thought,hence a separate post.

 

This was an unfortunate seating placement for this pair.

 

I rue it.

 

It should have been reversed.

 

The platinum blond young woman should have been left in front of the dark panel and dark glass.

 

The young man with sweater and dark hair should have been in front of the somewhat fanciful and very whitish mural.

 

In that regard, each would have been very well contrasted, and the aesthetics of the photo improved greatly.

 

Shadow/highlight filter was used on her hair, then her, then inverted for the rest of the photo (also contrast to her hair, but 'less' contrast' and finally after a sharpness/smoothing filter, THEN some contrast/brightness (I know, sharpness comes last, but then break the rules all the time and it worked perfectly for me and I'd do it again and again and even teach it as a technique. I don't give a flying fig about convention unless it also 'works' for my circumstance instead of as a 'general rule of thumb'.

 

Hope my language is not to NA Oh, for you.

 

And I hope you understand, that having worked this photo up myself (natch) that I know what it took to make it work as it is, otherwise the hair would have been 'blown out' and without detail anywhere, for starters, and the woman's face, also (lowered highlights on both and separately)

 

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

 

So, go ahead and apply those sliders even more than I did and show me up.

 

 

I won't feel a bit envious.

 

When I first wrote news for a living for Associated Press, a newsman there yelled at me (over a beer) THE EDITOR ONLY MAKES YOU LOOK BETTER, KID, DON'T GET UPSET WHEN YOU'RE EDITED -- HE'S GOT DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN WRITING THESE THINGS AND YOU'VE GOT ONLY A FEW DAYS. LIGHTEN UP AND SETTLE DOWN!!!!!

 

And I did.

 

For the rest of my life about being edited (sanely)

 

So, Ken, go to it.

 

John (Crosley)

nice shot. some cropping to the left can be considered to match with the forward bending move of the girl. cheers, orkun

You say 'some cropping to the left' and I do not understand how that 'matches' the forward bending movement of the girl.

 

If anything the forward movement of the girl leaves room on the right, (not left) but because the booths (seats) are symmetrical, I use them more or less as an anchor and the table should (in my view) more or less, be anchored with the supporting pole be roughly in the center.

 

This is not just a photo about two people and keeping them only in mind, but the whole scene, and the scene is a booth in a restaurant which has two sides, a middle and two people seated on opposing sides.

 

One disregards that symmetry at one's peril, especially to 'pull to one side or another', without changing angle or completely or mostly cropping out one side, as the scene invites a symmetrical approach.

 

I appreciate what you wrote, and if it's as I understand, then I must regretfully say I cannot see if for this photo, but another idea, for another photo may just work out wonderfully, so don't let this stop you from another suggestion.

 

With thanks.

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

Interesting lovely moments well captured. Regards ifti

Bravo! Goes to my favorites!

I had so many 'great moments' this session, as a bystander, it was hard to choose. It was one of those rare moments in street photography when the 'Mountain comes to Muhammad' almost . . . . . if that does not offend and you understand the phrase, but still this is entirely candid.

 

I'm glad to have made a choice that pleased you.

 

Thanks.

 

John (Crosley)

 

'Favorites!' Wow!

 

I'm gratified.

 

Thank you for such nice praise.

 

John (Crosley)

"Here Comes the Choo Choo! Woo Woooooo, Chug Chug Chug, Woo! Wooooooo!

 

(Just A Little Bite for Mommy, OK?)

 

Now, considering that, whom did you ASSUME was doing the begging?

 

Were YOU being sexist?

 

John (Crosley)

 

You can make up your own caption, if you have offense at mine, but allow me my whimsy; this couple does -- they're entirely whimsical, delightful and wonderful; in fact, as a street photographer I place them as front runners for subjects of the year!!!!

 

jc

Excellent work!!!

Better title: A fool for love?

Thank you so much.

 

It was wonderful photographing this couple: subjects of the year!

 

John (Crosley)

The woman's (girl's) hair was flat out platinum, and some effort has been made here to suppress it, as it tended almost to 'blow out' in this and other photos and be indistinguishable from the background.

 

A subsequent, exhibition quality workup is being made of this particular photo, in which great care is being given to her hair and the background (with manipulation) so there is somewhat greater contrast, and in that I'll also take some care with the eating utensil (I think it's a spoon,and assuredly white).

 

I lamented as I took this and several times in a rather long series adjusted the Easy Exposure on my camera from +1 to -1 in 1/3 increments. to try to get the proper exposure, only to find that it was easy to 'blow her out' against the white background with her platinum hair, if one tried to get detail with him and his dark green sweater and dark hair against the dark separator panel and seat which surrounds him.

 

That also is being given some consideration in the 'final' version.

 

Your points, thus, are excellent', and you spotted them well. They are being given full attention by the expert photoshopper who is assisting me, but this is MY workup not that person,as I adhere to the rules and post my own photoshopped versions, not those of others who may assist me from time to time who may do super work . .. .this forum is for ME, as a members, and although on my honor, I adhere to the rules.

 

Also, even though I could, keeping involved in the Photoshopping process, makes sure I know what is possible and what not . . . . as I have a big fund of knowledge about effects that can be obtained with minimal contrast/brightness changes and just shadow/highlight filter I think that are not widely known by many people who are addicted to vectors, masking, layers, using burn and dodge a lot, and it can be unnerving to such an individual to watch how simply and deeply I can work up a photo without any real 'manipulation' (those aren't manipulations under the rules) leaving only smaller areas for manipulation.

 

And, what I do, I have gotten very fast at, but I consider Photoshpping VERY BORING if necessary to understanding how to bring out the best in my photography.

 

Two nights ago, I looked at ONE download from a year ago for 'hidden gems' and found ten of them worth posting, simply through various simple adjustments, which were not then evident and then were beyond my skills, and they Photoshopped very well.

 

I have come to the conclusion that far more than I ever guessed, what I thought was minimal Photoshopping by me (with my minimal range of skills) was greatly influenced by my 'artistic vision' which is not always evident to even a skilled photoshopper, and without guidance such a person can easily 'ruin' a good street capture rather than help it, by failing to 'get the point.'

 

Hans-Peter, your comment was right on the money, but with some 'manipulation, the issues you mention, are solvable. I just post my own work, and I am not going to make a specialty of digital darkroom work, as I wish to reserve my limited time available for shooting, and digital darkroom can take long, long times and much patience (which I can be short of).

 

John (Crosley)

Thats a great shot and perfect tittle. Love the expression on the young ladies face.

Thank you so much.

 

Turned out when I spoke to them later, she is a thespian, even though barely 'of age'.

 

I think she'll make it, probably in comedy.

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

This is a great photo indeed! Bravo!

This is just one of numerous wonderful photos, all from choosing to sit near them because they appeared 'interesting'.  When they finally spied me and my camera, it didn't bother them at all, they just continued.

Nice people, both of them.  I hope they see this, and I hope I see them again.

john

John (Crosley)