'Eve of the Resurrection'

Easter in Christianity and Passover in Judaism mark the height of the

highest of the holiest days of the religious calendar, and for celebration,

many fast, dress in their finest and try to show great respect as required

by their religion. This is one scene as natives of one Eastern European

country celebrate the 'Eve of the Resurrection's' anniversary this year.

Your ratings, critiques and remarks are invited and most welcome. If

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

please submit a helpful and constructive comment; please share your

photographic knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks!

Enjoy! (or at least share what I've captured) john

This capture was at ISO 3200, somewhat beyond the acceptable range for the camera used, as I consider that camera 'topped out' for acceptable use in low light street captures at ISO 2500. 

However, I found the scene 'unique' and 'real' and decided to present it rather than keep it to myself.

This has been treated with anti-noise filters, and more work remains to be done --  probably by others -- professionally.

john

John (Crosley)

But I am sure that the noise couldn't be as harmful as these "auras" around the edges of each person on the photo!

Warm regards John!

PDE

I spent some hours on this, and ended up with 'out of memory' errors when I got near fixing it to my specifications and that caused my image editor to shut down numerous times.

It's still a work in progress.

But the composition -- for me -- is to dream for, with so many things happening, so many actors, and 'action' from front to rear. 

This is not a 'happy, happy photo', but it's certainly one that's true to life -- 100%.  It's not the life I want to live, but as a witness, I'm happy to record it.

Thanks for your feedback.

john

John (Crosley)

This image has been substituted.

Because of excessive artifacts from Photoshopping in the post, calling attention to its having been 'worked on', I took the in-camera JPEG version and 'worked on' it slightly and believe I came up with a better, less intrusive version.

I have posted that here.

If you have viewed the other version, you'll have to clear your browser cache to view the new post, or your browser will feed you the same image and you'll not see any difference of course.  Also, if you did not 'blow up' or 'click the image' try that after the PN servers have updated, which should not take too long.

Hope you like the new version better.

I have only done this less than maybe 10 times in my carreer, here, and only when clearly called for because of a problem in a post.

john

John (Crosley)

Congrats John I think you got it...

"But the comosition -- for me -- is to dream for, with so many things happening, so many actors, and 'action' from front to rear. 

This is not a 'happy, happy photo', but it's certainly one that's true to life -- 100%.  It's not the life I want to live, but as a witness, I'm happy to record it."

A pro photoshopper could spent a very long on it to make it exhibition worthy.

I think in the end it could be exhibited.  If I had shot a D7000, that wouldn't be an issue, or maybe a D3S, the same thing, with no other choices from Nikon for stopping action at very high ISO. 

This was the 'prior generation' camera, good, everb very good in low light but simply 'not there' at ISO 3200, and the answer was to revert to the camera's in-camera JPEG monochrome conversion and go from there.   Perhaps it I had tried a conversion in Nikon's own software from NEF the results might have been different . . . . .?

That's a good argument for shooting 'raw' and 'jpegs' at the same time, something few seem to endorse.  It's a trick I seldom have to resort to, but three or four times I've simply switched to Nikon's jpeg and found it better than hours of my work in Photoshop doing conversions.  Imagine that!

Thanks for the endorsement.

Coming from someone with nine years on this service, your word carries special meaning to me.

john

John (Crosley)

The reason for the title (caption) -- 'Eve of the Resucrrection' [Anniversary]:

This was taken just before Russian Orthodox Easter when nearly everyone dresses up for Easter in their most conservative and best clothing.  People's behavior also becomes very conservative in general, though there are exceptions.

I understand that Easter in the West is in another week and this in the West would have been 'Eve of Palm Sunday', not nearly so compelling a caption.

While I would have liked to have taken this entire photo at ISO 1600 to 2000 or less, the action, rear, would have ended up blurred, as the tradeoff for much better tonality throughout would have been the action would have not been stopped as the shutter speed would have been lengthened, and the entire theme of the photo (somewhat disreputatable characters and action, front to back) I feel would have been destroyed.

As set up to take the photo of the accordionist and his small audience, the rear action of young man and girl occurred, so I did as I almost always do when there's action, I kept pressing the shutter. 

Although the main part was pre-planned in a second or three, the rear action occurred and was photographed within a split second.

In my view, it's a good way to get impromptu, fuller, richer, and more interesting photos.  

Agree or disagree?

john

John (Crosley)

This is one of few photos I've ever taken in which each person of a substantial number, I think is equally important to the final composition.

Moreover, each individual is of different apparent size, and I think also of different absolute size. 

That is they are different sizes in the photo taking into account perspective, point of view, etc., and also if one were to measure each individual, I think they'd each be a different height, circumference and weight, which is most unusual -- there are no real 'groupings' of lookalikes likes in this photo other than most of the indiduals all have an interesting and perhaps foreboding 'aura' as Pierre Dumas noted, above. ;~))

Thanks Pierre, for your most colorful phrase which says so much.

john

John (Crosley)

I didn't see an earlier version, just this one.  I like all the actions taking place in the scene.  Not sure I get a reference to the holiday, there seems to be a certain tension going on especially with the couple near the stairs.

I'm glad you saw the re-worked version of this -- it's now being served from the Photo.net servers.  The original version I desaturated from 'raw' had been 'smoothed' far too much and showed visible signs of having been worked on in an image editor -- in this case Photoshop, then with a plug-in for smoothing and sharpness -- all to the worse, I think.

This was taken on the eve of Easter (The Resurrection), at least Russian Orthodox Easter (Palm Sunday in the West, I understand), and thus the caption 'Eve of the Resurrection (its anniversary). 

Not everyone dresses up and behaves wonderfully at Easter, though for the Sunday-Monday holiday Ukrainians are VERY straightlaced in general -- markets and bazaars are closed, everybody walks around in their most fancy clothes -- relatives and neighbors visit and the nation comes to a standstill, even on the Monday following Easter Sunday -- as Easter is a two-day affair/holiday in Ukraine.

The couple, rear, is indeed involved in something -- the man ran ahead and this is the first of two girls to run to him and he stops her.  They almost surely were more than a ittle inebriated, which is normal for the late hour, and since no cars were involved, no real harm could come. 

It also speaks greatly for the national culture, as probably EVERYBODY in this scene (except me the photographer) had been indulging in more than a little alcohol. 

I don't drink, especially if I'm carrying cameras or photographing for personal and equipment safety reason and also for reasons of carefully doing my 'art', but then I don't NEED drink, or particularly enjoy it . . . taking a good photo is all the high I need.

This does show so much better now in the worked up in-camera jpeg version, attacked with Photoshop and plug-ins a little.  I think if this were from a D3s of a D7000, it could be show quality without further processing at all.  Tant Pis.  (So much the worse).

Thanks for your comment.  I appreciate the feedback.  Despite initial and obvious drawbacks from a very high ISO capture, this is a phot I immediately turned to because of what I perceived as 'inherent street quality', and I believe in. 

In a way, to me this looks like detail from a Breughel painting . . . . is that too far a stretch?

john

John (Crosley)

This is a really interesting shot and a "unique" moment!

I agree.

This is not Kyiv's 'high society', for sure.

But it's representative of one sort of scene you might find on the 'street' and I'm an artist of 'all' the street.  But the composition, for sure, is 'unique' as you have noted.

I'd shoot high society if I were attending their events too.

Maybe I'll get my chance, now that weather's warmer.

I'm not just a photographer of bum's, street people, and the down and out.  I'm an equal opportunity opportunist with a camera.

;~))

john

John (Crosley)

I don't think it's much of a strech at all.  In fact, I truely enjoy your street photography.  It's very real and the fact that you tend show your street at an up close and personal POV.  I find that amazing and without the support of any colors.  I like the B&W because the color (in most cases like this) doesn't add to the story and can indeed distract from it.  The other element that you seem to bring that I appreciate is the participation of the photographer in the scene.  I can see it here with the greeting from the man closest.  He seems to be very friendly towards you (maybe the alcohol) and inviting.  Many street shots can be voyeuristic but instead of silently observing the scene you become part of it and bring in the viewer.

Best Regards,

Bob

It's sleepy time now; I woke up to find your wonderful comment.

I'll rest on it and perhaps have more to add later.

In the meantime for understanding this photo and how I sometimes work with a wide angle, I recommend reading your excellent comment - it shows a thorough understanding of what I do.

Thanks (and good dreams for me now, especially since this photo started off VERY slowly, and has slowly gained steam . . . . in part I think because I BELIEVED in it).

john

John (Crosley)

This style is partly a result of shooting with a very wide angle lens, though this particular lens was not set at its widest.

You might see the work of Frederic Pascual, a Photo.net great, who no longer posts any or much work here, but whose collected works still are in the Photo.net inventory, for some really stunning 'in your face' wide angle work.

You may notice some similarity in styles between his work and this particular work of mine - but not with all my work, as my work varies greatly while his is mostly limited to film and very wide angle work, and with stunning reproduction values and really great scenes with great sharpness I think from Leica optics.

Frederic is a particular hero of mine (and I am pretty sure he likes my work too).  I am pretty sure he has moved onto other endeavours than just one-off street shooting, however, after a long time posting on Photo.net he remains a premier shooter with talent -- one of the most talented members of Photo.net's membership, or for that matter, anywhere that I know of.

john

John (Crosley)

Excellent work! (6)

Thank you.

I spoiled it at first by uploading an inferior worked up copy.

Now that I've replaced it, it can shine a little.

Thank you again -- it's as good a composition, front to back I think as I can do -- even if the people aren't so attractive.  These aren't the 'beautiful people' after all.

john

John (Crosley)

I had been set up to photograph the accordionist and his small audience -- and I almost was stutter stepping (to use a basketball term) to do so.  I barely had stopped in other words, and intended to keep on going as fast as I could -- it was a late hour and no sense in calling attention to one's self with cameras around one's neck in such a place with tunnels, etc., late at night.  Best to be able to move on, and quickly.

The man, top rear, was accompanied by two young woman, both chasing after him.

This woman, shown, I think is the first of the two chasing women - they are 'playing chase' a little bit and also roughhousing some, I think.  The second woman arrived immediately thereafter.  (she is not shown, of course).

I had three (maybe four) shots of them in various variations, but this was the most enigmatic one and the clearest one -- the one in which the distance between figures was most 'artistic' when one considers the 'whole'.  Here also, the action in the background drives the viewer's eyes to the background, yet leaves the question which drives the eyes there, pretty much unresolved.

You don't know, as a viewer, what the figures are doing in the background -- are they fighting?  Are they roughhousing?  Is he chasing the girl?  Robbing her?  Assaulting her?

It's an unresolved question for the girl, though the accordionist and other figures are obviously not distracted by screams for help -- at least not at the moment the shutter here was released.

This photo poses an unanswered question; I may answer it in comments, but if you just view it, there's no answer at all, as far as the background is concerned.  If exhibited, it would be without comment.

john

John (Crosley)

Hy John

Really nice shot, as you said... could have being one of mine... Thanks for your words. I don't post any more here, but yes, time to time I update my ouwn web site. fredericpascual.com

My last serie is about Morroco Casablanca Steet shots, with a lot of 21mm shots. I am preparing a new one, about Spanish Procesion... this last one will be 100% wide angle serie.

I will come back times to time here, but, as you know you type write too fast for me....

Best regards

Frederic Pascual of Barcelona.

A Photo.net member who helped bring some acceptance to 'street' photography here with his wonderful work, which is still displayed, though he posts no more.

For 'street' he is my living ideel.

I carry on his work with 'street' here at PN.

Missing only is 'street great' Giuseppe Pasquali who disappeared in Feb last year not to be heard of since.  Anyone learn of his whereabouts or circumstances, please notify me.

Thanks!

john

John (Crosley)

I suppose any ISO is "acceptable" if one's job depends on getting the "shot". Attaching image at actual pixels. Nikon D700, ISO 3200, F4, 1/124. The grain per se does not throw me so much but; the blacks "blocked out" and the lower facial skin tones turned to junk. I'd wager that for this exact image the D3S or D7000 or Hasseblad HD4 would not do any better.

This particular shot was taken with a D90 which equals the D300 (not the D300s) in sensitivity and the D700, the D3s and the D7000, all of which I have shot with, have greater sensitivity in the low-light arena, and I am SURE would have done a better job, despite your assertion.

I would like to have a brace of D7000s, as they are the ideal weight for the street shooter and a crop sensor really is no impediment, plus I'm disabled and the weight (especially with lenses) is important to my pain threshold -- it's always greatly exceeded even without carrying even one camera, but by how much can be important to when I can go out next after an outing.  I hurt and am painful but seldom mention it; my neck was restructured and 'rebuilt' over a decade ago but I have nerve damage leaving me partially paralyzed in my right (major) arm/hand, and also that was made worse by an intervening accident.

I also have severe problems with one leg/kneee.

It makes going out to shoot problematic, but the results I seek bring great pleasure when I get a good one, so it's always a balancing act, and I try to 'have a life' rather than be disabled so I'm 'malingering well' despite everything doctors tell me about how seriously disabled I am (I am very disabled but I fake being well which is what 'malingering well' means).

I fool most people most of the time, until they look closely at how I lead my life, not those few hours or minutes I'm on the street with a camera trying to 'fake it' by trying to conceal my infirmities.

Don't pass it around, though - few will ever read this -- and I know that you have major infirmity with your sight too and life for you is a constant battle with your overwhelming disability(ies), and I do not ask for any sympathy and bow to your much greater and life threatening disability and respect that you have and are leading a sustantial life despite such a theat to your health and your life.

With respect.

john

John (Crosley)

One of my better, more interesting photos.

I only wish my camera had been up to the low-light task better.

It's better to have more low-light sensitivity in the camera than just a big, large-aparture lens, when one wants to show the foreground and the background, as opening up a large f 2.8 zoom would have blurred the most interesting background, and this photo was made for a smaller aperture than the largest from a high-priced f 2.8 zoom opened shot wide open.

Looking backward, I would try to make more photos as successful as I believe this one is, despite its deficiencies.

john

John (Crosley)