Sidewalk Supervisors II (I Love Work: I Can Watch It All Day)

Three young Thai men in Bangkok, survey work on a broken metered

taxi on one of Bangkok's clogged arteries. Your rating and

critiques are most welcome. (If you rate harshly or very

negatively, please submit a helpful and constructive critique/Please

share your superior knowledge to help improve my photography)

Thanks! Enjoy! John ;~))

This is a companion photo to a different work: Sidewalk Supervisors I, A photo of men on the outskirts of San Francisco's Chinatown, watching workmen doing street construction, also in the Early Black & White Portfolio. John

I like it, John, great atmospheric capture imo.

 

I like where you've placed the 'Taxi' sign - right between their heads - interesting and clever.

 

It's funny how two of them appear slouched/relaxed while the other (left) seems quite alert - as if he's about to get up.

 

Pleasing composition, and b/w works wonders. I particularly enjoy the bottle (bottom right), the sign, and the engine.

 

Only one suggestion: I feel less space is needed on the right-hand side - cropping of that tall grey object would make a significant improvement imo - I think it will place the viewers attention more towards the centre of the image (where the men are) rather than pulling attention away as it does now.

 

Well done, regards,

I, too, like this image, especially the different stances of the three observers. The guy on the left seems to be anticipating the next move in the cab's repair process. I also like the fact that the repairman--or woman--is not in the picture. A bit of cropping from the right might enhance the image, but it's a minor point. On the whole, very nicely done. 6/6

As usual, you have taken well your several points.

 

I wanted to post this before deciding whether to 'trim' the right side, as I cringe when cropping my original B&W work, but you have taken your point well (and the half cat also detracts -- did you see that--I didn't).

 

It's funny, that when you 'visualize' something through the viewfinder, it's important in taking the image that it convey a message and cut off 'type' such as names detracts so much, so I waited until the middle guy slouched or I wouldn't have taken the photo at all -- the taxi- meter sign had to be visible or it would have destroyed the photo. Fortunately he slouched almost all the time.

 

I just might go back to a 55 mm lens and B&W some time, just to show that I can still do it, and maybe find some Tri-X, too. This photo is from the mid-90s, during one of those rare times I resurrected my cameras "to show I could still do it".

 

More to come.

 

John

Thanks for your comment and for showing your rating; you may be aware I was opposed to anonymous ratings -- although I fully acknowledge there were good reasons for instituting them, and support Brian's decision to do so. And also, thanks for the high rating. I see you concur about cropping the pole (and the half-cat) at right. I think I agree, much as I hate to admit that cropping is called for (although certainly not much).

 

But as to the 'missing' taxi repairman who's not in the frame -- that you got 'dead wrong'.

 

The 'missing' taxi repairman is not missing at all, but right in front of you -- all three of them.

 

In fact, the three men were busy fixing the taxi and just stopped. Maybe this story will help you understand this photo and what I was trying to depict.

 

A former father in law whom I respected greatly hired a heavy equipment operator to install a 800' water line near where I live and where he owned property. He paid in advance.

 

The heavy equipment operator did not bring a trencher and do the job in the required two hours. Instead, he brought a huge backhoe from his employer, 11 friends and four cases of beer. There was much BS, much grab-a*s, and after a full weekend of horsing around, beer drinking, etc., the job was finally done.

 

The job was merely an excuse for the beer drinking, getting away froom the spouses and kids, and for getting together with the guys under the hot sun on a weekend.

 

Notice the three or so beer bottles at the left bottom of the frame, above. Now, do you see?

 

John

There's the printed name of a well-known high quality camera in this image, but it's a little 'obscured' (with one letter -- the last -- missing). Can you name the camera, post it and state where to find the name in the frame? Does that make it a camera name partially obscura? ;~)) John. (Where's Waldo?, too)

I have mixed feelings about the cropping of the half bored cat. If you had move a fraction to the left, the taxi sign would have been more center between the heads and the points were each of the "mechanics" is looking would have been more obvious and more hilarious. Two are looking to the engine and the one in the right is looking at something else. The Pentax name is located on, lets call it the working bench. I had a nice time analyzing you photo very educating. I thought the one with the cap and the cigarettes was the taxi driver.

 

Greetings B. B.

Beautiful shot, John. I like especially the pose of the guy closest to the viewer. He loves engines for sure and is almost inside this one. Today they're selling hats with pockets on them. I see this idea is not a new one. The boy has found a nice place for his pack of cigarettes. :-)Regards. Blago

A prize for you B.B. (Gold Star)

 

This was the best I could do for their looks before they changed their positions completely and the setup was destroyed. It wasn't a 'fleeting' moment, but things change . . .

 

I think you are right -- the leftmost man on the sawhorse is the taxi driver, but like truck drivers in the U.S. who also are expected to work on their trucks and do, he also is participating in the work on his motor.

 

And he's a smoker -- cool (or is that KOOL) place for a pack of cigarettes. Can you imagine in the sweltering heat of Bangkok, wearing a knit hat, just so you could hold a pack of cigarettes in it and get some relief from the sun -- especially since the sun often never penetrates through the thick, thick clouds and just the heat and extremely high humidity remain (except, say in March--April) as the sun passes overhead and it is clear -- which is when Thai people celebrate the hot, more dry heat and sunlight by going around with squirtguns dousing each other having some great fun).

 

John

 

Think this was just an excuse for getting away from the wives and kids, drinking some beers and just hanging out with the guys. (See my story, above?). Others, also? John

I sincerely hope that you took my above comment in the smiling spirit in which it was meant and not in any derogatory or real chiding sense at all. My comments section is meant to be a place of fun and high spirits, and sometimes I get carried away -- so if I seemed to get too carried away, it was with a HUGE smile on my face, because it gave me an opportunity to tell a wonderful story about how this image came about (subliminally).

 

Everything comes from somewhere, (even if subconsciously) and this image began 35 years ago with its predecessor image (Sidewalk Supervisors I, already posted) and with the addition of the beer, lower left and the buddies together, it got a boost by the wonderful story I recounted above about the 800-foot water line, 18 years prior to its taking.

 

I keep forgetting that the written word does not always convey a sense of fun intended, and that sometimes it can 'sting' where only the best of 'humour' is intended.

 

Your comments are highly valued (in fact I coincidentally had been reviewing some of them attached to favorite images last night -- comments you made months ago -- I wasn't following any 'index' or 'hyperlink', and your comments were right on, and influenced me greatly. Keep 'em coming. ;~)) John

but John, did you see the street photographer on the other side looking at you taking a picture of the three men not looking at you who were busy posing for the man who is actually looking at you. The cat of course was well aware of the situation and as any self respecting cat would do-turned just so he would become distracting to further human viewers. I would even be so bold as to suggest the cat swatted the empty bottle to point in it's general direction.

What HAVE you been smoking . . . . . . ?

If not commented on above. Threes again.