Waiting at the Crosswalk

Glad you're back, Jack, nice to see your pictures! Wonderful scene, POV, frame, striped dominant ... Bravo! Sincerely, Tatiana

Jack..Without seeing her face,one gets the feeling she's straining her eyes to make sure the light is right to go!I am sure l am not the only one happy to see you back with this trademark post.Salutations-Laurent

What immediately grabbed my attention was the woman's posture. It's as if she is trying to look around the next corner or trying to follow the pedestrian in the BG. She also serves to provide a diagonal in the FG. It adds a bit of tension with the linear crosswalk markings. An auspicious return, Jack!

Hi Jack,

 

I wrote in my reaction to a comment of yours that I hoped you were still photographing and it's pretty obvious you are. The crosswalk is the connecting element between fore- and background that makes this image all too credible, but there's something odd about it, and I believe it's a purely photographic aspect. The buildings in the background seem very small, almost toy-like, in comparison to the girl, giving it an Alice-in-Wonderland feel. The strange lighting from above and her odd posture complete this strange scene, where practically speaking almost nothing is happening. Kind regards, Vincent

I knew it was yours right away!

Tatiana - Thanks for the nice welcome back. I missed the people here though not so much the site itself.

Laurent - Thanks for the comment. She reminded me of a racehorse champing at the bit, waiting for the gate to open - although you'd never consider her either sleek or swift. I just had seconds to fish out my little Sony (I was on my bicycle) and snap off a picture. A moment later the light changed and she was off.

Vincent - Thanks for the comment; it's nice to be missed. Once again your appraisal of the picture is right on the money. She seemed so odd, with her little bag and colorful attire. The picture was there for the taking. The light that day was strange as well, filtered through high clouds. giving everything a sort of surreal glow. She fit right in and the result, as you noted, is a somewhat Alice in Wonderland feeling.

Steve - So did I. I have various approaches and subjects but somehow they all have a spoor I identify - my own.

Michael - Yeah, she was leaning forward as if anticipating a starter's gun which in this case would be the changing of the light. I had to get my camera out of my pocket and snap the shot before the signal changed. A moment after this, it turned green and she was off.

Jack,

I think this kind of street photos we would like to see more often here on PN....

ZT,

ZT - I completely agree with you. There's not a lot of pure street photography on PN anymore.

What is this pedestrian looking for? The path is clear and clearly marked. Yet she seems confound as if looking for a sign. You have a very special knack ( a special ready capacity that is hard to analyze or teach) for finding excellence and uniqueness. Your image is so full of symbols, meanings and color. You are able to capture the subtle essence of a culture. The way the woman is dressed is not a matter of fashion, but an everyday fact. It is not even a statement, except for what is normal, comfortable"natural" in a culture. Thank you for taking us along this voyage to this marvelous place, and unique situation, so rich and heavy with meaning. I know no other photographer that can do this, and therefore, I feel enriched when I see your photos....nay.... your perspective in your time and place. My best personal regards. DG

Thanks, Daniel, you're much too kind. I always come back to that couplet from Robert Louis Stevenson: "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."