'The Metro'

The Metro in Kyiv, Ukraine is fast, efficient and low-cost, with trains

running in each direction every two to three minutes at peak and

usually no more than five minute during any open time on any line.

Stations, trains, elevators and even uniforms appear modeled and in

some case are the exact same as those of the famed Moscow Metro,

though some stations are scaled down from Moscow's chandeliered

best; still some are wonderful, though built at enormous human cost.

Your ratings, critiques and observations are invited and most

welcome for this Metro scene, taken during a midday slow period. If

you rate harshly, very critically or just wish to make a remark, please

submit a helpful and constructive comment; please share your

photographic knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks!

Enjoy! John

The colorfully dressed woman in uniform, left is a train platform conductor, charged with helping the driver, front of train, ensure the doors are all closed properly by displaying for him a moderately sized signal sign which she holds in her hand as doors close at especially crowded times.

There are no door closing on-train attendants as on New York subways -- Here, just as on the Moscow Metro, the driver uses side mirrors to check the doors, then drives the train, all singlehandedly. 

At rush hour or most times when traffic is heavy (almost all the time) the platforms are enormously crowded, especially in downtown stops or major crossroad stops, and riders pour out of coaches and then other riders jam into them, all in a pretty orderly manner with minimal pushing and shoving and almost never any cursing or disorderly conduct.  The trains are heavily used, run almost uniformly on time, and extraordinarily frequently, with breakdowns almost unheard of.

john

John (Crosley)

I do not remember such a photo from you recently.

It's dynamism strikes me, I see such a powerful motion in the people leaving or entering the train. Then the eye moves to the left and the scene becomes more static, but not too static.

And then you show us the "frozen" woman supervising the platform.

Compelling photo!

L.

Luca A.R.

If one looks at the ratings for this photo (4.09 right now) this photo is very pedestrian, yet I look at it as one of my very best; I'm surprised by the low ratings - perhaps because it's hard to analyze.

It's been said a successful photo is one on which the eye is drawn into -- one that one is compelled to enter into the photo and examine it, as opposed to a 'snapshot' in which one views the photo as a 'photo' and nothing more.

As you have aptly explained, this photo (to me also), works on the right with its dynamism, as passengers load/unload, and one reason it got posted was the conductor woman, left, suddenly showed herself partly from behind a pillar (then quickly ducked away, but not before I had captured her frozen face, which I think is fabulous.)

I like your criticism, and I like this photo, low ratings or not.  Also, if you're interested in what one Metro station in Kyiv looks like, this is a very good exemplar (this is a connecting station so it has a low ceiling, another line goes overhead, limiting ceiling space, otherwise, some ceilings are of very great height).

Note the timer in red lights blurred at the end which times when the last train went (2:24 minutes previously) and the time of day in the 24-hour (military) clock, common to much of Europe.  Service is super, and vandalism almost nonexistent.  People would not stand for it; they're good citizens in most circumstances (and hold Americans in high esteem - many have relatives in Canada and some good number have relatives in America.)

Best to you, Luca; great, well thought out critique.

john

John (Crosley)

Luca, I've not been posting color in some time, and in the last two months have about 200 new postable photos - many in color. I've posted eight in the last 48 or so hours, 3 in color. 

People may think of me as the 'black and white guy' but for two to four years here when I first joined I was thought of here I think as the 'color guy' and my main color folder still has far more hits than my showcase Black and White folder.

People who are newer members might be surprised, but they should take a tour through my main color folder.

I am sure you know that, since you seem to know my portfolio well.

john

John (Crosley)

A suggestion: why don't you try to make a selection under the title: "The World Through the Eye of John Crosley"? It could be made of 100 to 200 photos. You could also "specialise" it, focusing on the eastern European world, which you know so well.

Even if it is hard to have it published, you could do it through something like blurb.com.

My only suggestion would be that the selection needs to be done on paper prints. A PC screen is a difficult means for photo editing.

At least in my opinion.

Cheers,

L.

Interesting thought.

A prominent artist, a member here who was a famous painter who quit and became a graphic artist, hears what he sees and actually sent me an MP3 which he composed of the sounds he hears when he 'sees' my photos; he named the work with almost exactly the same name as you propose for my suggested book title.

I have plenty of work not just from Eastern Europe but also from the USA, Thailand, Hong Kong, Argentina and Europe, as well.  I like Eastern Europe because with housing crowding and no automobiles people live much of their lives on the street where I can photograph.

I'm working on a book of my early work, which is decidedly in the same vein but more graphic generally than what I do now.  Also I was not so prolific (see start of this folder).

I think I'll ask for a Kickstarter.com grant for funds to get photos from other sources (magazines, wire services) that have them for which I have no copies and ask them for expenses.

Go to their site and have a look if you don't know them, would you?  It's a pretty amazing place, maybe someday to extend beyond the USA, where it's confined because of PayPal considerations.

I love your idea and constantly already am working on such a thing.  The World Cup football championship is here this summer as a marketing boost if there are sales to be made.

People from worldwide will be buying souvenirs. 

Might as well be mine.

Thanks Luca.

Best to you.

john

John (Crosley)

Luca,

If the woman train conductor/starter were not there with her unusual expression, left and her interesting face (pretty but frozen) to balance the photo, this photo NEVER would have been seen; it would be resident on a hard drive and entombed there forever.

You correctly understood why this photo was posted.

john

John (Crosley)

An interesting and realistic scene!

Merry Christmas and best wishes for your happiness in the coming year.

Thank you for Christmas Greetings.

I had thought this was theatralna, but it may be Universitat; am I wrong?

Let me know.

Yes, it is very true to life; one of the best depictions I could make, and the woman, left, who never would agree to being depicted but walked into the scene I was about to capture unexpectly 'made' the scene and 'elevated' it.

That's why it's here and not stored as mooser (garbage) on my winchester (hard drive).

Thanks so much, and same for you and loved ones too (at least one will know whom I mean.)

john

John (Crosley)