'Poetry in Color, Underground'

When it's -15 Celsius outside or simply FRIGID in Fahrenheit, the

Metro is a warmer place to go in Kyiv, and more so when scenes

like this are seen occasionally (giant fire extinguisher and two

pedestrians, one in motion). Your ratings, critiques and

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

very critically or 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

This photo started out as a symmetrical photo, with her sandwiched at either end by giant fire extinguishers, however the passerby at 1/6th of a second, according to the many citizens I encountered who voluntarily reviewed my captures as often happens in shooting street digitally, said this was far, far better, for reasons they could not clearly explain (the other was pretty good), so posting was natural.

For me it's a happy circumstance; something good enough turned out in my view to be better. 

john

John (Crosley)

Because of tone range this also makes a good BW. Matter of preferred mood. I like the out of focus effect.

As important as the 'like' or 'don't like' is the explanation, which here is clear and concise.

Some of my finest photos have had blurry parts or were blurry in their entirety, and almost to a one they were in color.

The colors in this one are overwhelmingly good and dominate, so I made it a color capture, though as you point out, like almost all my work, it works well as a black and white too.

(look at that giant fire extinguisher; there's another hidden behind the blurry man's legs, pointing the other direction.

The basic setup I was aiming for (and actually got but it was a good but lesser photo) was the woman, standing and framed by equidistant red fire extinguishers backed by this colored billboard.  It sure looked good in person, and also on film.  It was a photo based on symmetry and color and would itself have been good enough to post, but then this man walked by in the same instant, and viewers.

I often ask viewers to critique photos on the street; e.g. while sitting in a restaurant or next to someone on  bus, and overwhelmingly they chose this above ALL the others taken that day -- OVERWHELMINGLY.  This apparently is a photo with blurs (which usually detract) with unusual and unexpected appeal to the ordinary man on the street, I concluded, as well as to me.  I like it a lot.

I didn't have to 'boost' anything here such as color or saturation, either, although the man had to be made more 'clear' which allowed him to appear to match his blurriness on the camera back and in the thumbnail; as you blow it up he becomes less distinct and the photo harder to 'see' from close up, I think.

I'm glad this one pleased you AND that you took the time to tell me why. 

Thank you again.

(poor rates and bad reviews are also acceptable; I try not to praise for the high or low rates, but more for the process of critiquing the photo so it adds to my understanding of why or why not a photo works (or doesn't). 

That I find very helpful, especially from a man with credentials such as yours who has taught me much especially about tonalities and grayscale.

john

John (Crosley)

Some viewers here don't understand, like or appreciate photos with blurs, I've found, even though some of my most artful work has been very blurry, some of it even filled with digital artifacting from color noise from having been taking well beyond a sensor's 'range' but came out looking terrific (in my eyes).

And in a valuable critic's eyes, as well.

One of my favorite photos, that garnered last page on a book of photos I did (200 photos, 100 pages) is a photo entirely blurred, that was highly praised by more than one outside critic,and told belonged in an 'art' gallery of high caliber rather than in any photo gallery.

Other photos were chosen too, at the time that I was told to shop to art galleries as a collection when I enter the field, if I did, and these critics had impeccable, world class credentials.

But some members here want their photos to be crystal sharp or they feel they're not done properly; I disagree, and I'm very pleased to find that you place 'appeal' over sharpness, score one for your good taste (not for liking this particular photo so much but for having an open mind about what a good photo consists of -- not all good photos are sharp in every aspect.).

I'd be that ratings here range from a 2 to a 7 or at least 3s to 6s; for some a blur means just plain 'bad', others are more open-minded.

I just look for the overall effect, myself.

john

John (Crosley)

I like the blur because the blur here makes me feel as if things are flying through a wind tunnel including the sign in the background. When do I consider "blur" acceptable? Depends on the photo.

Best regards John!

PDE

Meir,

Your newest comment supplies excellent imagery re: the wind tunnel; I shall never view this photo quite the same again.  It's 'right on' and not seen or imagined by me.  I can't imagine that I ever would have seen my photo that way without your help.

Thank you very much.

john

John (Crosley)

Thank you so much; your taste always was impeccable.

john

John (Crosley)