'What Friends Are For When You Drink'

Sometimes the legs grow wobbly and the horizon seems to be less than

horizontal when one imbibes in a little too much alcohol, so at such times a

steep set of steps to exit the Metro (subway) can be a major impediment,

unless one has close friends who will each give a strong (very strong) hand

and maybe some strong and powerfully lifting legs too. 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

I like what you have done here John, not only in the image but the artists notes.

This is set up nice with the pedestrians movement off to the right, where our subject is moving slow and somewhat steady. Great human interest image

Apparently for some, it's missing something or there's something not very appealing about it, judging by views, number of ratings, and rates themselves, but I think it's among my very true street images.

It has a narrative, it tells a true and almost universal story, especially for Eastern Europe (former Soviet bloc), and it's done artistically (in my opinion).

Sometimes people vote with their clicks against subjects they find unappealing, say smoking and alcoholism, and for those reasons alone, a good or even great photo may get low rates.  

Hummingbird photographers may rate anything else but hummingbird (or bird) photos with a ho hum and thus down rate them, since this site has no real ratings guidelines.

Some raters rate by the 'gestalt' method judging for their rate whether a photo seems to them overall to be good to great, while others take off (in their mind) 'points' or 'demerits' for 'technical deficiencies' they think they see.  Too many 'points off' or 'demerits' and even a good or great photo is a flop -- even if those are meant to 'break the rules'.  Some raters are short-sighted that way.

Those same raters would rate the work of Robert Doisneau abysmally; he was forever cutting things off, and quite frequently and for no apparent artistic reason screwed up his horizon.  When Winogrand messed with the horizon, it was for a clearly articulated reason; not for Doisneau -- he just probably didn't care, but he was a French national institution!  No one or at least few took off 'points' or gave him 'demerits' for such 'inadequacies' -- the photographic community then was quite forgiving; but not Photo.net raters these days.

I tend to be of the 'gestaltist' school, and I like this one overall good enough to post it.  A technical deficiency 'expert' and nit picker may point out that one supporting player has his hand cut off by the frame; I tend to say 'so what?' -- it's the overall photo that counts.  

Those raters can take off so many points from a great photo that breaks rules, the photo barely will rate as a subpar photo even if it's a great photo.

In any case, I post 'em and almost never take 'em down.  Some of my lower rated photos also go on to get huge number of views, too.  One low-rated photo from a year or so ago of 'feet' and 'shoes' has over 12,000 views -- who knew?

I haven't looked for a long time; it may be !5,000 views now, and I can barely figure out whether there are that many foot fetishists out there, or whether for some reason it's just a great photo the point of which I just can't see the point of -- or just barely see the point of, since I did feel good enough to post it.

I feel stronger about this photo.

It has a clear narrative, it tells a clear story and truth about the country -- and neighboring countries as far away as the Pacific Ocean -- in which it was taken:  You get drunk, you need help in navigating home, and friends will help you, since they expect the same from you, and being helpless on the street is highly dangerous.

People take care of people (once called 'comrades' in what once was supposed to be the 'Workers Paradise' - and if they're friends -- even slightly - say because of mutual imbibing, it's like earning the equivalent of  a 'free taxi ride home' in a land where few own cars, and thus on others' arms and strong legs.  See them planted on those Metro steps, literally pulling the drunk guy up the steps, so firmly are those feet and legs of the Good Samaritans planted, even though the Samaritans also may be 'two of three sheets to the wind'.

I took one similar photo about four years ago, but it was poorly exposed and had a wrong shutter speed, so I vowed the next time I'd get it right, and I think this time I did for this every-so-often occurrence.  I think this time I got it right.

These days you see less public drunkenness -- alcohol is expensive.  

A war is going on.

I think some viewers/raters are voting their displeasure and making this photo a plebiscite about drunks who need help rather than my capture -- wanna bet?

It's in the nature of things at Photo.net rating.

I have lived with that for over a decade, and don't shy away from posting photos to which some may turn their noses up at; some images I expected might have received that treatment also have turned out to be my biggest successes.

Who'd ever have guessed?

You post and take your chances.

Thank you for your kind comment; you are always welcome here whether you praise or criticize.

john

John (Crosley)