Balloon Man II

This young man sells balloons to a holiday/weekend crowd deep

underground. Capture at very high ISO with very wide angle lens under

poorest lighting conditions. Your good faith ratings, critiques and

remarks are invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly, very

critically, or wish to make an observation, please submit a helpful and

constructive comment; please share your photographic knowledge to

help improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

Well composed, tightly cropped, and the high angle approach makes the balloon man's head one with his trade. Maybe a slightly lower angle would have got his head more "in line" with his balloons, but you would have lost the fullness of some balloons.

Did you crack a joke? The person at the background seems amused. Regards.

This balloon vendor and I have traded jests and anecdotes across our difficult language barrier for about eight months, and he's in a new place, not expecting me.

I snuck up on him while he was selling, and came in through his balloons snapping away, most out of focus or with bad subject motion/camera motion with only two out of five captures any good.

But coming through his balloons like that while he was making a transaction surprised him (and the nearby man, seated) and amused both, but this guy's got great good humor, likes my photography, and helps me when he can with other vendors, etc.,

I burst through the balloons, took several snaps, shook his hand, gave him a small embrace (here he recognizes it's me) and went quickly on my way after showing him one good one out of the give).  He still was in the middle of a sale.

Passersby were amused, at my sudden, seemingly outragous action, not possisble with someone not friendly or well known.

Notice how his head repeats the shape of the balloons.  Color ain't bad, but this is an ISO 3200 shot, which is above acceptable limits for me and the camera I used. (though the color ain't bad, considering it's 'street'.

Thanks for the comment/questions.

john

John (Crosley)

Are you sure that you are not beginning to repeat yourself photographically?

You know that I am following you since several years.

Cheers,

L.

Did you look at today's 'The Fugitive?'?

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=992367

Or perhaps Yevgenia II?

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=960262

Maybe this one?

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=12546573

Perhaps this one?

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=12177670

So, when I read your comment, I wasn't sure if you were joshing me, or if you missed a few.

Of course, there is repetition; sometimes a similar photo 'takes off' when seen by viewers, so I show a lot of things that are not cherry-picked and may remind a frequent viewer of other, previous photos.

All the above were posted since Jan. 1.

I'm interested in your view now, after having seen this comment.

Having a 'style' and being 'repetitious' involves things 'looking alike' sometimes, especially within one genre.  Your comments are always welcome.

I always enjoy your visits, Luca; you are always welcome here.

john

John (Crosley)

I was referring specifically to this one and to those which are similar to this (and which come to my mind, i must admit).

The photos you showed are different, for sure, I will have a look.

My main recall was your "typical" street scene in Dnepropetrovsk [:-)].

For myself, I restructured my portfolio, deleted quite a few and already identified candidates for further deletion.

Cheers,

Luca

If I truly get stale, I'll just quit.

I'm constantly re-inventing.

(See above).

There are 'variations on a theme' in every pursuit.

It's how you find and do fresh stuff.

;~))

john

John (Crosley)

I noticed that you have to increase the ISO in many of your photos recently.

How comes?

L.

It's increase the ISO or no photo, simple as that.

Some cameras are useless at night or underground or just leave blurs.  (some can be very interesting blurs, but they are by nature unpredictable).

Some later cameras can handle it.  Other's can't.  Anything from a D300 and later can handle ISO 2500 and give OK results for 'street'.

A D7000 or its equivalent is next on my list; this was shot at ISO 3200, but could have been shot at 2,500 which would have yielded much better results, but when I saw my 'friend' here, I had no time to adjust to lower from what it had been set for. 

A D7000, or maybe the next generation after the D300, probably a D400 probably would handle up to D6400 OK.

That's all.

Just lack of time to reset, while being hustled along in a crowd and no chance to double back.  

You do what you have to do with what you have, or you don't take the photo.

For instance, a D2x, a D2Xs or a D200 would have been pretty much useless because of excessive noise, or the noise would have been so severe its 'art' characteristics would have dominated the photo -- changing its entire nature.

See:  http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=11509850

That is a photo with a D2X or a D2Xs completely dominated by digital noise, that was transformed into 'art', according to viewers (who thronged to it).

Thanks for noticing; sharp eye!

john

John (Crosley)