'Rite of Spring'

Spring has come to Ukraine, couples have come out of winter

hibernation or from manning the barricades in some cases, and it

has become the time for couples to choose their mates, as we see

here in a major Metro station. Your ratings, critiques, and

observations are invited and most welcome. If you rate or critique

harshly, 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

I wish.

I met this couple on the next train and showed them this.

They were delighted.

In fact, I processed 'in camera' the 'raw' version from NEF to JPEG just for them, sharpening and adjusting contrast.  They were all smiles.

Best to you, my Denver friend.

Thanks.

john

John (Crosley)

I don't do 'selfies'; I'm no treat to look at, but most agree, I'm 'interesting', and seldom does anyone connect the 'me' they encounter with the 'age' of the 'me they enounter' -- it just doesn't click with them.

I hear the words 'you're cool' frequently, or similar.

In spite of my age and whatever, I've been surrounded in latest days by absolutely beautiful women, better described as 'girls' -- just fabulous young women, anxious to share a table with me in exchange for being photographed and sharing my company (and I've got fabulous photos -- and phone numbers -- to show for it).

I may post some of the photos when they're worked up, and invite some of the young women for modeling -- some are pros working for an agency or another, and at least one not modeling surely MUST not only work for a modeling agency soon (as she's quite young), but since she absolutely lights up the room with her beauty, her demeanor, her personality and her smile, I suggest that if she has the qualities to control those attributes someday, if the opportunity knocks -- she might have the makings of a star actress. 

I've only seen these qualities in one other person, not nearly so fabulously beautiful, and that young women went on to (at my behest) become involved in a television serial and (much to her surprise) be a success in university, as she thought herself 'dumb' but was not.  She was photogenic and had a personality that projected, but this young women has a far, far greater ability to project (and is many times prettier).

I am thinking of sending my captures of her to John Peri for evaluation with an eye toward contacting her. 

As I said 'she lights up a room' with her personality and smile (and I have nothing to gain at this moment other than the joy of spotting someone who has 'something special' and maybe promoting it).

I'd want her to be advised by a parent or adult -- or someone she trusts -- and have nothing but best intentions -- I don't chase women at all -- I gave that up in the late '80s and only allow myself to 'get caught' to the point where I don't even initiate phone calls and only wait to get called if I give out my number.

That way I know I'm not trying to 'gin up interest' where none exists, or letting someone 'settle' for what otherwise might be a 'slow day' - 'let's see John, nothing else is happening' sort of thing. 

That's not possible with me.

If someone is going to be with me, they gotta be true, motivated and sincerely interested enough to pick up that phone.

Several years ago, one early 20 something Ukrainian woman in Dnipropetrovsk, saw where I passed frequently, and 'just happened' to be there one day to strike up a conversation (in English) as I passed, which she later revealed was prearranged to meet me after we became friends.

Women in Ukraine are not shy. 

Keeps the men from being too aggressive!

A man starts to get aggressive, and his girl reins him in with a kiss, a hand touching his neck or his ear, a whisper and off they go to do you know what . . . . ,and he stays out of jail, getting his nose broken, or whatever.

heh heh heh.

Not dumb, if you get my point.

Russians are different somewhat (some of them -- I've lived in both countries long enough to have major first hand experience.)

john

John (Crosley)

Truly great image John.

Thanks Paul!

It's one of my finer ones, for sure, and the couple who saw it put their stamp of approval on it.

I have enough of such great images to make a book!

Hhmmmmmm . . . . . . that's an idea!

Kyiv in Spring is truly magical!

Thanks again.

john

John (Crosley)

Maybe he just fainted and needed air :-)

Tommy

I'll have to try that -- looking faint and gasping for air next time I see a pretty young girl!  (Oh well, I do that anyway oftentimes, truth be told, though I try to disguise it.)

Wish me luck!

Thanks for making me smile.

john

John (Crosley)

Love this shot. It echoes for me the iconic photograph of the sailor kissing the girl on a New York street after World War II ended. Only in the sense that it shows real and honest passion between a couple without worrying about who sees them. It's also nice that the girl seems to be the one in control here. Great black and white tones, but that's to be expected in your images.

I know the image you're writing of -- the source of controversy when it was later said to be 'posed' and not exactly 'impromptu'.  You'll see it in almost every Denney's restaurant, along with other iconic photographs, one good think about Denney's restaurants.

This was NOT posed.  See above, but I showed it to them for their approval and 'thumbs up'.

When I was his age, I dated in New York City and favorite sport of New York university women was turning guys down at mixers (dances) for sport, just to hurt the guys' egos, and to boost their own -- a serious form of cruelty.

I admire Kyiv and Ukrainian women (Russian too, as they're from similar stock and have similar attributes in mating) for their willingness to say 'I want that man!', and to take steps to accomplish their goal.

Best to you, Mark.

john

John (Crosley)

Engaging candid shot! Added to my favorites! Cheers!

Thanks Yannis.

Kind of hard to 'see' in thumbnail, but when one opens it up, it's clear!

It's one of my recent favorites too -- maybe an all-time favorite.

I showed it around to others in my day-to-day meanderings that day as an example of my best shooting to get others' permission to shoot them, and it 'opened doors' (helped me get permission from otherwise recalcitrant subjects who could then see I was seriously skilled, not just some touristy type).  I do that often.

Best to you, and thanks.

john

John (Crosley)

As you have already learned; those "fabulous girls" are looking for green cards to America.:-)

I dated Russian women for a fairly long time, and it soon became obvious which ones were out for a 'green card' (now pink or multi-colored), and which ones would just prefer to stay with their friends or have a good husband who didn't drink, didn't order beers to drink with his buddies as he watched sports on the television all day long, neglected the kids and his wife, and eventually would get in a fatal traffic accident or fall drunk into a river and drown.  It's amazing the number of men in Ukraine who have left widows after 'drowning' --- which means they were dead drunk and fell in while either alone or with a bunch of drunk buddies and probably no life jackets.

I had several 'Russian' girlfriends, including two who visited America and two who 'went back' as unsuitable, including one who owned a penthouse in Moscow's 'inner ring' who was nice, intelligent, attractive, but lacked certain character qualities that might have been desirable for a long term marriage, and the Mafia was trying to get her probably million dollar apartment from her, so she went back to Russia to 'save it' (I've seen it, and I can guarantee the location alone was worth the price).

Things aren't all they're set out to be in the common mind.  Sure there are green card scammers, and I married a women, but only after three years of companionship with me living in Russia, and a regional city half time and also with her and her child in Thailand, so I could determine if she loved me or a green card.

Eventually, her child told me the truth not so long ago -- there was real love and revealed secrets.  She's the one who got brain cancer (and skip please the snide remark you're probably thinking of, it was diagnosed in front of me in a US hospital emergency room, surprised the doctors too, and sent her in to a tailspin from which she did not recover, and our marriage did not recover as she formed the irreversible opinion 'I caused the cancer' which she still holds to this day. 

Her now adult daughter has told me she loved me, and from time to time, she has told me the same, with absolutely nothing to gain . . . . but the time has gone and three new children (great kids that I saw once) will prevent any future possibilities I've told her, and I think she agrees and holds some fond memories (and some not so fond ones, as she was severely stressed by the brain cancer and facing mortality and the certainty "I caused it' with once a diagnosis of 100% death from her rare cancer.

'We're friends now', and don't see each other; her allegiance should be solely to her three new young wonderful boys and her 'newfound' (and old) religion - the same one you apparently grew up with, but she did not, having inherited it through the maternal parentella.

Once a Jewish mother/grandmother, she was a Jew, though she never knew it.

If she had known, she could have emigrated to Israel.

If it weren't for the brain cancer, we were fabulously 'in love' and getting closer the day the brain cancer was found.  She obviously had the growing brain cancer all the years I knew her, and it affected the emotional/judgment part of the brain, worse until after our marriage ended when she got radiation treatment.

I meet Ukrainian women, and there's no chance they're going to get a 'green card' through me; but no one does any prying that suggests that they're interested in one.

It's enough I don't drink, smoke, keep appointments, don't watch sports, and am a skillful conversationalist -- and can get along with young people (but somehow the grandmothers aren't interested, though there're often younger than I; just as in the states.)

Go figure.

I just refuse to act old.

Most of the time.

But I don't deny my wisdom or my knowledge.

Some of the smarter ones are drawn to that; as I'm sure you also know.

john

John (Crosley)