'The Travelers'

This pair of travelers, pauses after singing and chanting their prayers

after arrival with a group in a large Eastern European country's capital

city airport, after making a journey from Israel. Your ratings, critiques

and remarks are requested and most welcome. If you rate or critique

harshly or very critically, please submit a helpful and constructive

comment; please share your photographic knowledgic to help improve

my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

Great view and composition.

Best regards

Xavier Corcobado

xcorcobado.blogspot.com

Thank you!

john

John (Crosley)

only.. DOF killed it.

BB

I'm not sure depth of field 'killed it' as it also would have left the more undesirable background and ceiling in much sharper focus if I had kept the Jew twirling his tonsure in sharper focus. 

Would that I could have had it both ways without using Gaussian blur on the background after inverse selecting it, which is not what I do.

I take 'em, do minimal photoshopping, post 'em, then let others critique them, and next time am guided by what I take.  This is the product of over 10,000 critiques, most taken to heart, at least half of which came from others plus numerous self-analytical ones besides.

I think your critique is thought-inspiring, and I give it serious consideration.

john

John (Crosley)

Here's back atcha ;~).

john

John (Crosley)

John, are you in hedges nowadays..?!

I know two things about your writing for sure.

1.  You have a great, lusty sense of humor.

2.  Sometimes that humor, filtered through two languages is a little obscure.

If by 'hedges' you mean this man's shrubbery -- his beard -- then 'yes' I must plead 'guilty as charged' but only with his permission.

He and his comrades in prayer danced in a circle, singing and chanting their prayers in a huge middle Eastern European capitol's airport where their faith is not popular, and there I was in the middle, approaching to take a lot of photos.   This is just one.  Lighting was poor, so the lens was wide open and ISO was set very high.

But these guys didn't reject me, nor did wives or childlren; they were amused, genuinely (see the guy twirling his tonsure!). 

Sometimes in my enthusiasm I just get drawn into things.  I don't think the local workers liked my being in the 'middle of these foreigners' especially those of that faith, so much, as I saw disapproval on their faces,  but what the hell!  It's their prejudice, not mine. 

And I shook hands with these guys who didn't speak but a little English and attempted a little Yiddish (they didn't speak Hebrew amazingly, they said).  I was amazed at the latter, but maybe it was an obscure joke on me.

In any case, it was lots of fun when few were having fun but me and soon then these people, who were expecting to be shunnned, and in part were, but for their part and with their faith were used to being shunned - it's part of the national and diaspora culture.

Me, I'm an equal opportunity photographer -- if it's a good photo, I'll be there to take it, and usually shake hands with willing participants.

You don't have to be one to take a good photo of one, just understand that all people are drawn together by the common bonds of humanity.

Thanks Olaf (and no I don't hide in shubbery, and especially am not a paparazzo!)

john

John (Crosley)

PDE

Thanks.

john

John (Crosley)

As always you have an interesting point of shooting!

'As Always'.

I'm very proud of that.

Thank you so much.

john

John (Crosley)

What in the fuck is a tonsure? I had to look that one up. No where in the scene do I see a christian monk, budda, hindu, scalped white man, or castrated deposed emperor about to be excecuted. Not even a disguised Israeli Mossad Agent on an assination mission.

The word you are looking for is "peyot". Literally "corners".

Somewhere along the line, the word 'tonsure' entered my vocabulary to define any hair kept in a special way in observance of religion; I was wrong as you have pointed out.

Do you like the way the rearmost guy twists his when amused and a little befuddled?

He didn't even know he had this 'nervous habit.  (no reference to nun's attire intended).

john

John (Crosley)