The Man Who Came In Through the Bushes

I visited and joined the Photographic Museum at San Diego's Balboa

Park and this man tumbled in from the bushes as I exited on closing -

- a bum, whose face represented the worse of life, but who was

nevertheless very intelligent and perspicacious, despite his

horrible, bloody and scabby shape. He was happy to have his photo

taken, and then moved on. He is a former Navy or merchant marine

officer, now a bum. (I tested him with a few questions and his

mentality was extremely alert and aware -- he was nobody's fool,

despite his condition. Your ratings and critiques are invited and

most welcome. If you rate harshly or very critically, please submit

a helpful and constructive comment/Please share your superior

knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

i like this. very solid framing etc... i would tweak the whites of his yes for impact, but thats just my thing. very solid image.

John a great thanks for having shared this photo. We need more of this type of photos on PN which show reality of life. Too many photos we are crossing try to sell a view of the world as illustrated magazines presently would like to see it. Where is he great tradition of for example Life magazine - it seems totally to have been lost.Your photo of the man who came in through the bushes deserve a (for once!) serious discussion as POW.

 

The quality of this photo is in my view the general well mastered composition and especially the eye contact you managed to fix. You cannot look away.

 

Anders

 

 

I visited (and joined) the Museum of Photographic Arts) at Balboa Park (I may have the name wrong) in San Diego and they've featured last session the work of Jeff Bridges and this time the work of musician Graham Nash which makes one wonder if these guys are subsidizing their own exhibitions -- both have some stunning works mixed with mediocre works made interesting by the mix of photos of the entertainment industry figures and 'insiders' -- not bad photographers, especially Jeff Bridges, but one just wonders.

 

So, in any case, I exited, and almost bumped into this guy in the late afternoon as he worked his way through the bushes on the long, covered walkway that separates those Spanish Mission style park buildings -- all so chi chi. But he was smart, despite the blood on his nose, the scabs on his forehead, the blackheads in every pore, the dirt in his ears and the caked dirt in the folds of the skin on his neck (blow this up and you'll see or view 'large').

 

I took several with good framing -- I may post them here later.

 

But I also like this more 'gritty' one, showing him with a scrap of bread which ignores his more 'noble' surroundings and ignores the 'contrast'. It's an 'artist's choice' and one that was a close call.

 

Watch my lesser folders in future times (or the attachments to these comments later).

 

Thanks for the comment.

 

I'm afraid if I lightened his eyes, they'd be 'yellow' which is a sign of liver disease --hepatis from alcoholism. The liver bile backs up into the bloodstream and yellows the whites of the eyes -- I had it once from a backed up gall bladder; it's pretty strange looking to have yellow eyes.

 

He was actually pretty cogent and didn't ask for money, but was so cooperative, I gave him a few bucks, (which I seldom do and told him to tell no one, as I don't want a reputation as a 'soft touch'.

 

John (Crosley)

I bought a camera, my first, when I was 22, and within two months sold photos to Time/Life and Time/Life syndications, but they've mostly gone (and I took a hiatus of over 30 years.

 

I just bump into people like this for a few minutes, burst six or seven frames and then never see them again.

 

I like the idea maybe of having photo of the week, although this is a lesser work of mine (see some of my early work in B&W, especially 'Balloon Man' or some of my other work, but if you want it as POW, you have to rate it and rate it highly, and for 'street photos' to rate highly unless heavily Photoshopped is very, very hard (and I think the rules still say POW must be 6/6 rated or higher).

 

I long ago gave up any pretense for POW and high rates so I could shoot unhindered by need for rates, and just post what I will. I posted one last night that got less than an average 4.5, but I love it, and Bruno Trematore, who is a fine street shooter came along and criticized it heavily and said it 'wasn't my best work', but at the end, he came back and seemed to say, after I defended it as a fun photo' that he saw my point and enjoyed it, and I like that!

 

An engaging comment from Bruno is more than a 6/6 or 7/6 from others.

 

I get thousands (literally) of comments partly because I am willing to post almost anything and don't post the same old photo every day (look around my folders and see for yourself --- I post in a variety of genres (except heavily Photoshopped and manipulated) I even shoot nudes, but don't post them -- maybe someday, but until then (and even after, John Peri has nothing to worry about.)

 

I have a way of being able to look people in the eye; partly because I think I practiced law and people's BS doesn't get by me or scare me, and I'm also sympathetic. I just look at my subject and invite them to look at me back but encourage them to be themselves and either wear them out or annoy them enough so the real 'them' comes out.

 

That's my 'secret' -- just be patient or anmnoying enough (or both combined) until the real subject comes out. Then snap that shutter (or keep snapping it) and post the last photos.

 

John (Crosley)

John, going through your many photos is a great privilege and like being together with a very generous personality. I deeply admirer your work. You have managed to get a kaleidoscope of what daily life of millions is like, far away from the clean image of very ?aesthetical? but highly artificial representations of reality we are surrounded by.

 

As you might see from my few modest photos, I?m somewhat playing another ballgame than you, also because I would be unable to do anything near of what you manage with street scenes.

 

For me photographical work, whether it is a question of catching scenes and compositions around me, taking photos or a question of working on photoshop, is a means of expression in a broad sense. I use photographing as others would play music, write poems, paint or make sculptures. I therefore go less for registering life scenes although such type of photos, like yours, I would believe, very often communicate more strongly with the viewers. The question for me is always how you by a photo catch the essence of a feeling, a mood, a city, a season. I try (and often fail) to do it by colour tones, forms, textures, lines, perspectives ? you do it most often (and mostly successfully) by taking photos of people you meet.

 

It might look fairly pretentious for me to compare my modest photos with yours - you are certainly a very much better photographer than I am - but I see a very great difference in what each of us uses as means of expression, so I could not prevent myself from trying out the comparison.

 

I have to contradict you concerning the photo of the old man Who Came In Through the Bushes. For me it is one of the best you have shared, because of the strong direct and undeniable communication it presents so I have given it a 6/7 score.

 

Anders

 

 

 

Sometimes men of my age are accused, when they admire a young woman in America (only) of being a 'dirty old man', but this guy certainly takes the cake (in an entirely filthy sense -- meaning crusty, dirty, dirt, simply oozing from every pore. Yet he had a certain bearing, intelligence and elegance to him that was undeniable. And he was able correctly within months to estimate my age -- something most people cannot do at all, which means he was entirely 'plugged in' despite his sleeping in the dirt.

 

Maybe he's really a millionaire with a private mansion (or series of mansions) who simply goes on the 'skids' for the fun of it and has a pocket full of American Express Titanium Cards . . . .

 

I still don't think this is a 6/7 photo . . . others are far more worthy . . . but if it is to you, then it is to you and I can't argue with that . . . I have my own predelictions of my posted photos but then I can't score my own, and that is left to other viewers like yours.

 

I can't presently troll your portfolio for a few days, but you can rest assured I will do so.

 

Thanks for the return visit. I always write before I view rates, unless they're in the comment.

 

John (Crosley)

 

oh, I am so sad now dear John. and what a pietiful and miserable life it is! Oh, so sad life stories around us! Poor man!

We have to be lucky as to have a roof above our head!

I have to be more thankfull to this Life !

 

I thank you dear John for this Life Lesson :( :)

 

Biliana

I think this man has chosen his life. He is smart, quick, focused and appears to have everything necessary to succeed. He may have severe personality disorders or a weakness for the bottle or drugs/and undoubtedly sleeps in the dirt (see his pores). Maybe he's just a fetishest who is drawn to dirt.

 

It was in everything about him, which is unusual for many US bums of his intelligence.

 

Common, however among severe alcoholics who have been on 'benders'.

 

But alcoholics usually have severaly damaged brains at his age (50s, I think) and he showed great mental acuity, as I questioned him briefly), so one might guess he is a binge user who goes on benders-- pure speculation of course, or he is just a wanderer who from time to time has good paying jobs (he described a former job to me and it was quite responsible.

 

John (Crosley)

look! moment

Visit. Nice. Thanks.

 

John (Crosley)