'I Smell A Rat'

Dennis the Rat, front and center, dominates this rush hour scene in

front of the most crowded Metro entrance in a major Eastern European

city, in this detail-rich photo. To the left, an artist and his client work on

details of a portrait. To the right, commuters crush one another to get

to the Metro entrance. In the distant rear, a militiaman (policeman)

observes the scene featuring our more than slightly inebriated costumed

man, and probably consults with higher ups on what to do, walkie talkie

to ear, expecially given the very crowded scene and the fact no one is

getting hurt. Your ratings, comments and observations are invited and

most welcome. If you rate or comment harshly or very critically, or just

wish to post a remark, please submit a helpful and constructive

comment; please share your photographic knowledge to help improve

my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

Good tonal range on this one.

Meir, you have taught me a lot about 'tonal range' through a few simple examples, as I think my referring one member who needed some help in that regard must have told you.

Credit where credit is due.

I had really no good, clear idea of how to creats/recognize such a tonal range before I received your examples; now I search for such a range every time, and if I achieve it, I feel that's one part of possible success.

john

John (Crosley)

Very good view and composition

Best regards

Xavier Corcobado

xcorcobado.blogspot.com

The rush of the commuters though spoils the technical perfection of the left side! As Meir said it has among else also a great tonal range!

PDE

It was awfully 'crowded' to fit all this into a frame, but somehow I managed to fit it all in and still make it 'acceptable'. 

It is harder to make out in thumbnail, and thus attract potential viewers, but it's rewarding once they click, I think.

Thank you for kind words.

john

John (Crosley)

Meir helpd guide me through finding and exhibiting the greatest tonal range -- as I said above, credit where credit is due. 

I like to think the blur of the commuters, right, is their own 'perfection' in that it tells well the story of their own rush.  I don't regard 'sharpness' always, however much my eye likes it, as 'technical perfection', unless it also helps  tell the story.  Here the blur, I think, best tells the story . . . . though I agree it is artistically less pleasing.

john

John (Crosley)

I apologize for misspelling your name above.  Keyboarding error and caught too late from new 'edit window'.  Sorry.

john

John (Crosley)

I see this as a collection of many scenes.  There's a lot going on from the scene to the left of the artist to the "rat" and the police to the rush on the right.  I am amazed that this frame can capture all the subtle aspects of all those things going on and keep true to them.  I don't think things have to be razor sharp everywhere, because the blur does tell a story.  I like the fact that the scene picks up some steam as you mve from left to right.  It starts out slow and methodical, the rat breaks things up and then on the right there's motion.  The rat makes me think of a scene from an old Benny Hill show when the chase was on.  Don't know why but it kind of jumps right out at me.

Yes, a collection of many scenes.

It started out with a photo of the artist making his portrait copying a photo, then Dennis the Rat showed up, more than slightly inebriated, cop in the distant background, but noticeable, and I set out to capture it all, and then rush Dennis to safety.   He has wanted to be photographed for one or two years, and I've said 'when your time has come' and now it has come, which accounts for his voluntary and unsought pose.

I like your accouts not only of the progression of the photo from left to right, but also the personal aspects as you see it.

Thank you for a most intelligent analysis.

john

John (Crosley)

Recognizable scene!

Do you mean you've seen Dennis the Rat pose in front of artists drawing portraits in front of Maidan Metro before?

Or just you've been to this particular place before.

I think the latter; I'd be surprised totally if the latter.

;~))

Thanks for the comment.

john

John (Crosley)

'I think the latter; I'd be surprised if the former."  (correcting my mistake)

Best wishes.

john

John (Crosley)