Wisdom

I've so far gotten 6's and 3's as ratings for this photo - I'm

interested to find out from all of you about what this picture evokes

in you...comments?

...are in my opinion a damn good sign...:-) I you get even more 3s, maybe you could conclude that the picture was really great...? :-))

Now what I truly think about this shot is that it's appeal is essentially based on stunningly beautiful words written on this yellow wall, and these really great T-shirt. Strictly photographically speaking - meaning if I don't look at all these words -, then it's an ok shot, but a little fill-in flash on this face was welcome. Maybe the person could have stood OUT of the words as well... Maybe the angle could have been more dynamic and interesting as well... But at the end of the day, this picture is about a shock of 2 sets of great words, and as such, it just works great for me. 3s...? They must be joking... or maybe it's some people's way to tell you that the picture was so good that they couldn't refrain themselves from rating it...:-) Cheers.

this is a great capture. I knew that "technically" people would want to use fill flash on the woman's face. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I think I prefer it this way. There's more emotion in the shadowed face--you don't really see the expression in the eyes--so she could be sad, cynical, compassionate, etc. The mystery makes the picture. GREAT JOB

This is fantastic. Don't worry about the 3s... it happens all the time with street photography. Some people are incapable of appreciating anything but golden sunsets and flowers. (Not that there's anything wrong with those things, of course!)

 

When I first opened this I thought it was a fairly average idea. You know, a simple juxtaposition with an obvious message that you see all the time in street photography. A poor-person-in-front-of-glamorous-fashion-billboard sort of thing. (Hey, I do it all the time, so I know!)

 

But that was wrong! This is great. Sure, you notice the writing on the wall first, but then you see the "God is so good" shirt and the facial expression. And then there's the way she's standing there with that gormless look and the defenceless, open position of her body. Yes, I think that's it... defenceless, vulnerable.

 

At first glance it seems cynical. But curiously, it doesn't invite pity. I see hope and dignity, albeit tinted with the sadness of the human condition. Oddly enough, I think that MAY be due to the presence of the shopping bag. What I mean by that is: Life is tough, but we've got to make the best of it. She's going about her daily routine even though things aren't easy. (Well, maybe I'm starting to 'over-think' this a bit.)

 

No need for fill flash, in my view. That would destroy the ambiguous nature of her expression.

 

Sorry to be such a windbag, but it's thought-provoking and one of the best street photos I've seen for awhile. I can't pay a higher compliment than that.

Thanks for the comments - and there's no such thing as windbag on this site...!

 

It's always a fine line to walk when photographing poverty. On the one hand, there is nothing wrong in documenting things as they are. But in choosing to display a specific photo, a specific part of a photo, and in even choosing to take a particular photo, you can reveal quite a bit about yourself.

In this particular case, I read hope and defiance. The wrinkles on her face suggest that she's had a long journey, and thus the message of hope and defiance carries even more weight.

 

Here's another question, though: in life, we do see hope and defiance, but there also is misery, wretchedness, greed and powerlessness. Does one show these qualities in photography? If so, how (without appearing exploitative of others' frailties)?

Rajesh: Good question. That's always a real danger. I think the main thing in avoiding the appearance of exploitation is context. If you upload a one-off photo to this site, your intent might be misconstrued. Photos like that probably need to be seen in the context of a greater overall project whose goal is to highlight the difficulties faced by the poor and oppressed.

 

There's no such danger with this shot, though. As I said before, I see hope.

I happen to live in Asia, Rajesh, where powerty is still not really a rare thing... All I can tell you is this: there is no REAL, TOTAL misery on Earth. Those who have nothing have inherited fom their situation the courage to face it with strength and dignity.

I never MANAGED to shoot ABSOLUTE misery, ever. Even in the slums in Bangkok, I saw smiles and beautiful faces, strong people with loads of things to teach me. That's what they were, so that's all I could possibly photograph...

Blows me away... words and images in a composition to make CB proud. Great work.

beautiful

I like it, but i wish there were a way not to block the words (i Think there is a missing 'to')

I saw this wall on 125th Street in Harlem -- is that right? Great capture.

Yes, you're right, this was 125th Street...

The person is a little dark; perhaps some selective dodging would have helped.

Three levels at which one can read the photo, two are text, the remaining one is the graphic impact of the person and the colors. I would really try to lighten up the face in PS.

Great shot. Great message.

Great shot! I took a similar one last year -- around September:

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1253980

As a parent, the photo speaks to me. The person standing does evoke the impression of person who has struggles in life he hasnt overcome, but is carrying on regardless. He has unshakeable faith (God is Good)!

 

 

Cartier Bresson with a digilux probably couldn't have done much better. Keep it up. Thanks to Mark G. too, now I can reinterpret the 1,2,3s that I've been getting. I agree, strength is more noticeable in poverty, It's a lot when a poor person fights for a life, than when a rich man tries to become richer -- it's relative and depends on the viewer too. The bright colors of this picture inspire a lot. Can't help saying this but I know some graphology, and the way it's written goes against the idea of the quote (look how the 'h' and 'm' go straight down). Makes the picture even more powerful. A great picture and one of the few street photos I've seen where color is essential. There's a forum discussion going on about articulating aesthetics, this beautiful photo would be an ideal subject to think about that.