'The Unusual Street Portrait'

I asked this New Year's reveler for his portrait, and he politely complied

by moving, twisting, opening his mouth and staring straight into the

camera -- moves that to many inexperienced photographers might

have been offensive or frightening, but to me were pure delight, as he

escaped the norm for his holiday depiction. Your ratintgs, critiques

and observations are invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly,

very critically or wish to make remark, please submit a helpful and

constructive comment; please share your photographic knowledge to

help improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! (After all, he is!) John

This man was a stranger passing in front of a Metro underground entrance flower shop/kiosk, with poor light and my camera set at about ISO 25000 (not high enough) when I passed him going an opposite direction.  

Sensing opportunity I asked him 'Portrait?'  (same word in Russian as in English but with different accent and quite different pronunciation) showing him my camera.

I told him in Russian I was a skilled portrait photographer (a little lying doesn't always hurt?).

Before my explanation, he already was staring directly into my camera from very close distance and all the time kept moving constantly, despite my using a universal word (STOP!) multiple times.

More than once he threw his head back and opened his mouth widely and then worked his way, writhing, well inside my minimum focusing distance, (and comfort zone) as he challenged me (without speaking one word or uttering one sound) to try to deal with him, the most interesting and challenging close-up and wide angle portrait (photo) subject I have EVER had to deal with on the street -- a man who ostensibly was 'cooperating' with me and at the same time challenging me and testing me.

'Cooperation' was only on his terms, and he had no qualms in putting me through my paces, as he did his writhing, twisting movements, throwing his head back, opening his mouth wide, then later thrusting it and his entire face almost right into the camera lens.

And no, I didn't smell alcohol, though by all reason I felt I should have, and no, he didn't seem like a schizophrenic, but definitely seemed a man who 'marched to his own drummer'.  If schizophrenic, he was 'high functioning' and having some fun with me (and conversely, me with him.)

Total time for the encounter:   about 50 seconds.

I shook his hand for another five, saying 'thank you (subtext 'I guess!'), and we parted.

I'll never see him again, I'm sure.

That's life on the street sometimes.

There was just a split-second chance opportunity, time to react, and that's when all those countless photo opportunities that were practiced come to fruition -- ten or so photos, many very blurry but all very interesting, in 50 seconds, then OVER -- all under the worst lighting conditions.

Sink or swim.

Most photographers would have run, I think, when confronted by such unexpected and strange behavior, but I'm stubborn in my efforts to get 'the photo'.

To bring to YOU, my audience.

john

John (Crosley)

****

P.S.

About the word 'stop' and 'stop' signs.

There are in some Ukrainian road intersection red octagon 'STOP' signs with the English word 'STOP' on them written in Latin alphabet (not Cryllic, which is native to Ukrainian and Russian speaking Ukraine), and each such sign could pass muster in any US city for shape, size and height -- in other words, they are standard, uniform 'stop' signs.

Ukrainians know the word 'stop' generally even if it's not Russian or Ukrainian and even if they haven't a clue about Latin alphabet lettering sounds, they know the word because the sign by now is universal.

In some places the same sign may have the same word, same swhape, same color and even same pronunciation, but it is written in Cryllic, making driving an adventure for non Russian/Ukrainian drivers. 

In fact, driving in Ukraine is an adventure, but around Kyiv, the drivers are ultra-safe and ultra careful, driven that way because of insurance that doesn't pay despite clear promises (reputedly), police (mlitia) whose ethics (and need to feed families) are widely feared once they stop anyone for anything, because a great many Ukrainians drivers (despite contrary laws) don't have insurance, and because courts that might sort things out i the end are -- according to the newspapers --  engaged often in dispensing judgments for a price -- which does not always concord with justice.  (I have no personal knowledge of such, but it is widely reported in the Ukrainian press, so no secrets exposed).

I am a phographer, however, not a political commentater or reporter, and have no political or other agenda.

jc

where are his (you know the word) teeth? Is he saying "look mom no cavities".

Is that photo criticism?  How?

john

John (Crosley)

Not really.  humor.

You see it was so obvious to me his teeth were hidden by his gums that  his teeth as a subject (zubae) never entered my mind as a subject.

I darkened his mouth a little, but all that is visible in the color version is the redness of his upper palate - gums hide his teeth, and the fullness of gums suggest he has them. 

People who are down and out in Ukraine often have poor teeth, as do many good citizens, not like meth (crank) addicts in the USA who have so many holes and missing teeth that they are obviously deep in debt to the devil methamphetamine.

Also, surprisingly to me, since he was SOOOOO close to me with his breath, is that his breath did not stink from booze or bad breath.

'Whew!' was all I could say to myself after that encounter.

And thanks, because it was fun in a sort of perverse 'street' way.

john

John (Crosley)

Unusual it is. It's got something raw, animal, primordial.... Like a deep roar of sadness (the eyes, almost closed, give me somehow an impression of sadness, rather than anger, lust or anything else that could evoke a scream like this). Like a wounded animal that saw his kid not survive a day in the wild.

It grabs, in short. An image that comes for you, and hunts you down to look at it.

I just take the images -- and post many non-standard images regardless of how rated.

You UNDERSTAND THEM, at least this one.

And why I persist in posting the oddball ones.

Fine writing and critique.

Thanks!

john

John (Crosley)