'The Hook' (Color Ed.)

This woman kisser has a firm grip with her lower leg on her lover to

ensure he does not get away in this photo from Kyiv, Ukraine. Your

ratings, critiques and observations are invited and most welcome. If

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

please submit a helpful and constructive comment; please share

your photographic knowledge to help improve my photography.

Thanks! Enjoy! john

Apt title/caption... applies to the subject and the photo. The (at least this) viewer is 'hooked' immediately by the graphics from both colour and brightness contrasts. Once in the image, all the stories an subplots develop, and they are all rewards of their own, and you as the photographer have choreographed them to work together to support each other and the whole.

I wondered (a little at first) about the bright yellow at the LHS, thinking it to be distractive, and could be cropped with matching crop to inside of highlight on RHS to keep balance, but held blocks up to my screen and think they are necessary for context and colour balance. (I'm really talking over my depth here, but it's fun to try and articulate sometimes)

Congratulations.

I wrote above she hooked him 'to ensure he doesn't get away' but that was literary license.

More than likely, she has her man hooked to ensure the closest of close contact, according to my memory and understanding of such encounters when a woman is completely engaged. 

Obviously this woman doesn't care much about what passersby think (ultimately he carried her away cave-man style, -- fittingly and possibly fulfilling a female fantasy?) 

Again, that's a literary flourish, as I am not a female, never have been one, and I can only guess what goes on in the minds of females, though I do have some basic understandings, based on long history and experience. ;~))))

john

John (Crosley)

We covered each other I think.

Thanks for the positive feedback and the endeavor to offer constructive criticism.

The figure at the left I felt was absolutely necessary for context and for composition.  The power of three subjects or 'three things to draw the eye' into the photograph I think far outweighs any distraction from the yellowish nature of the far left hand side.  I included it for a reason, and I think when you blocked it out, you found out why.

This works well in black and white, but a problem in black and white makes the embracing man (left) look 'blown out' though he's not, on his right shoulder/upper back and I can't find any way to rescue it easily using tools in Photoshop I know well enough to commit to a final print/exposition.

I have a 'Presentation' on 'Threes in My Photography' from long ago, and when I can endeavor to compose for three for various reasons, as it is a minimum number for a more complex photo and adds depth to an otherwise shallow photo.

Best wishes and thanks.

john

John (Crosley)

P.S.  Wayne, notice the yellow, left, is slightly balanced by more yellow behind the gated entry and windows, more rightward.

js

Enjoyable capture; makes me smile! I particularly love the mannequin in the window standing alone; her pose, or body language, (if human) would suggest she is closely paying attention to these couples on the street but trying to appear as if she isn't! Nicely done. Thank you for sharing. :)

I had a 'long' zoom lens to its shortest millimeter setting when I saw this beginning to unfold and had to cover much territory to get into place to capture 'the kiss only', and in the meantime the 'young miss' with her leg hooked it around the 'young mister' thusly just as I raised my camera. 

I had time for a couple of shots and opted for a long shutter speed and maximum depth of field to get the second couple and mannequin acceptably clear in this photo to demonstrate the scene in context.

In moments the scene disintegrated, and 'young mister' dragged 'young miss' away over his shoulder cave man style.   Go figure!

I'm so glad the mannequin's hands were pointed to our right, not left, as otherwise it would have spoiled the composition, don't you agree?

Sometimes, every once in a while, things just work out.

Thanks for the helpful analysis; glad you enjoyed.

john

John (Crosley)

better than Love ?

It's outcome, for sure.

Love is marvelous.

Touching creation.

I find the right couple a little bit disturbing the the passion on the left. But just a little bit :)

Congrats John !

Thanks so much for the critique.

You work with what's nearby or focus closely.

Too often I focus too closely and don't include the background, so when I get a chance I try to incorporate the background if I can try to make it meaningful.  I tried my best here.

Thanks again for the critique.

john

John (Crosley)

...and you succeeded !

Once or twice in a lifetime you might see such a scene, and in this case I had a 'long' lens on my camera, so I had to circle and back up and didn't want just to take a photo of the couple embracing and as they embraced her leg went around for the longest time.

Later, he carried her away (photo taken of course).

I see what others see but don't commit to memory and cannot recount for lack of proper word and/or story-telling skills which is why I think my photos are so 'interesting' in many cases and thus view-worthy.

We all see memorable things, but I commit them to images for posterity in I hope an 'artful manner'.

Best wishes to you.

john

John (Crosley)