'Two Views of Winter's Cold'

It is often said 'one man's meat is another man's poison' or the same

about a treasure. Ambiguity about things and circumstances abound --

the glass is 'half full' or 'half empty'. Here are two views about the cold

of winter, illustrated. Your ratings, critiques and remarks are invited and

most welcome. If you rate harshly, very critically, or just wish to remark,

please submit a helpful and constructive comment; thank you in

advance for sharing your photographic knowledge to help improve my

photography. Enjoy! John

Excellent title for an excellent shot, John ... great mood in this one. Regards

Believe it or not, even a brief statement about the 'mood' and the captioning is VERY HELPFUL.

I marked your comment as 'helpful', and if anyone looks at this, I want them to know why - I do not congratulate attaboys, but your brief comment is valuable feedback to me about both the photo's content AND the captioning (title).

Thank you.

john

John (Crosley)

This elusive photo sat in my files the longest time.

I remember spotting this woman, and having to walk by three or four times, or more times as there were interfering pedestrians around, then suspicious police.

I was not doing anything wrong or forbidden but who wants to explain 'street photography' to very, very young policemen with elder cops trying to 'show them the ropes' meaning they will be EXTREMELY THOROUGH, as in almost all training situations.

I have learned to stay away from training situations in any profession when seeking to do all but the most basic thing, as supervisors will go through EVERY STEP and never show any leniency for any deviation from 'the book' or 'their customary, safest and most cautious' handling of your matter.  And if your matter happens to be the least bit unusual and calls for supervisory discretion, then you won't get it when they're showing a trainee -- it would give the wrong message.

So there were more elder cops and younger cops being shown nearby 'how it's done' and I kept clear of them, not out of guilt but despairing of having to 'prove' my bona fides both to the supervisors and their trainees, and knowing they would be "MOST THOROUGH' with me . . . . and I don't speak their language except a few words, phrases and an odd sentence.  (I can find a restaurant and a toilet and even the airport, but after that, it's sign language and pidgin speech.)

And while I would be explaining they'd be asking to see my photos, maybe asking for deletions and the situation would disappear, and my photo would be lost. In this country there is no one to complain to about such behavior, but most cops are too busy to interfere -- except late at night when their suspicions about everyone are heightened.

So, I made many attempts to take this, all failed attempts because of the light, or someone was near her, or she moved.

I finally came by after going around a circuit almost a block in each direction just to approach her from the proper direction to get this photo, late at night, and when cops weren't around there were others to become possibly 'protective' who might have interfered, so I had to wait for them to go also.

In the deserted night just couldn't 'hang around' but had to keep walking (and around that long circuit again).

My legs, back and knees are bad and that was extremely painful to me, so you can image how much I valued the promise of taking a good to outstanding photo, and how lucky I was it stayed where I wished it to stay (actually she moved closer!) during what seemed an extremely long time. 

I am not sure I could walk the next day, for all the pain and swelling from long walking.

It's like that many days, but I often can rest, s I move about, but late at night, it's 'be careful' if one takes a breather, or you'll be seen as a 'victim', especially if you wear a serious and expensive camera and lens, lens and they're exposed to potential thieves.

Ukraine is a pretty peaceful place, especially in Kyiv, but people drink a lot, then lose inhibitions and best advice is to keep distance, unless you're in pairs or more.  Even then, be careful; fights are not common, but I've seen them.

Who ever knows who in a group of drunks will be suddenly hostile? 

The late, Late Night US TV star, chat show host Johnny Carson was famous for being cool, except when he drank then even he said he became often unnecessarily hostile . . . and he was the man tens of millions invited into their homes ever night before bed, because they 'KNEW' and 'SENSED' he was a decent guy. 

He actually was Jekyll/Hyde and he admitted it.

I saw him once at Rockefeller Center, NYC, after taping of his TV show, when he ran out suddenly from door, which kept swinging, then  down the hallway, cutting harshly through a group on tour and he seemed VERY BRUSQUE, but then who wants to give 50 autographs on your way EVERY DAY to your office after the main part of your work is done?

In any case, the 'street photographer' should remember always that alcohol (especially in former Soviet countries) is the drug of choice but that in other countries, like the US, other drugs or combinations of them may be in use, and except for marijuana which cools most down,  many of those drugs can make an ordinary person 'lethal' to anybody sticking out of a crowd -- e.g., the 'street photographer' taking a photo of something, anything, without obvious protection and maybe so the drunk/inebriate can try to 'impress' a group.

Many times such loudmouths and dangerous people's tendencies are known by friends who will hold them back.  What will happen when friends do not?  Or the friends are similarly hostile.  One has to think of that always when taking 'street' especially in deserted tunnels late at night.

john

John (Crosley)

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You loaded a wonderful street ph. again. Just I would ask how you get the consent of people to capture. I read your  advanturous story of capturing. I dont know that I should ask that Q. still.

Hasan 

I once was told by a bystander in a German Airport that to take a photo of a large group of seats where one man was sleeping in an interesting way, that I MUST awaken the sleeping man, ask his permission to photograph him, then if he gave his consent, then I could take a photograph.

Of course there would be no photo left to take.

I told him that he was wrong about Germany law, and he was an idiot. I took the photo desite his attempts to block me, then threaten to call police.  I had every right to take that photo.

I don't know about laws where you live, so I cannot advise you about laws or legality, but when a person is resting and/or sleeping as this person, you do not disturb them.

You take every effort not to.

She is in a public place, heavily trafficked, and anybody can see this. Where this was taken, she had no 'right to privacy' as she would in a private bedroom or house.

You do NOT wake her, you do not ask her permission, you quietly approach, quickly take your shot, and just go away.

At some future time you share the photo if it's good enough, and it's good enough you can show why it was important to take that time to make the capture.  It is NOT exploitation of bums or homeless.

There is a story here, however inadvertent on the part of one of the two subjects.  But she chose to rest all bundled up next to a sign that suggested that winter was FUN.

So, I took the photo.

I didn't ask.

To do so and wake her would have been an abomination -- an interference with her decision to rest.

You take such a photo and walk away . . . . for you it's pursuit of your art, and you have succeeded if it causes others to wonder or pause on a good photo.

Sometimes you succeed, others not.

But your heart is pure.

Good question.

john

John (Crosley)

i can quite see why you took so much effort to get this timeless photograph... it's a powerful statement with or without a caption... no matter the face is hidden in the cowls... perhaps that adds force to the statement the photograph makes, communicating the intensity of the cold as one imagines the living person under the coverings hunkering inside to try and ward of the chill... i have only one critical observation: i find the whites of the cowl and cuff (of the destitute woman) too bright... i see it as a shade of gray (a brighter gray because of the light, yes, but not sparling white)... but the bowl on the ground should remain as it is

It really is a strong contrast between two lives

You have done an excellent analysis of this photo -- I have several such but this is one that stands on its own. 

Is a prize, though a sorry prize, because of what it depicts, and you correctly understand that I HAD TO TAKE IT and for the reasons I did not to be exploiting but to tell the story of these contrasts and her condition.

You are right about the whites in her cowl being too bright; in subsequent workups I will try to tone them down just a bit.  A little burn at 1% might be just the trick, or a swipe of the burn tool, so it's less than 1% might be all that's needed.

You are also right about the whiteness of the bowl - it's an important symbol and should remain white.

Thank you for a wonderful analysis.  (flattery is nice too, but the analysis is the thing) and the great help to improve this image.  I accept that criticism and will incorporate it into the next workup

john

John (Crosley)

The contrast between two of anything helps define the 'subject' being contrasted. 

If you show a woman huddled against the wall  against the cold, that is one photo.

Show her against a smiling photo model obviously having a great time with a warm drink in the middle of snow, and that's an entirely different and much stronger photo.

I come by it naturally.  I don't know why.

Thank you Svetlana,

john

John (Crosley)