The Progression of Age--© John Crosley, 2007, All Rights Reserved

Youth doesn't understand the world's elder citizens, and they

instinctively laugh, as in this juxtaposition, caught in Ukraine in a

city center. 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

photographic knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks!

Enjoy! John

The 'aspect ratio' should give away that this is a crop, but it's not much, actually, and mainly to take away detracting parts of other posters with similar theme, to 'focus' the viewers' attention and keep the composition more simple.

 

The 'large', uncropped photo is pretty darn good too.

 

This guy was walking by and I hit 'C' drive after swiftly walking ahead, knowing what he was going to walk past.

 

It basically is what I was looking for

 

(Adan W., see discussion of how this was done posted yesterday . . . as part of our colloquy)

 

John (Crosley)

Very sad, but wonderfully captured. Nice work, well done!! All the best....roger

Very good for seeing this, and capturing it. Very creative, I think - and a perfect example of a picture being worth a thousand words. This one really gets me thinking.

Thanks,

 

It was my second choice for posting from yesterday's captures. The other one was humorous. (It's just previous in this folder).

 

Humor is in far too short supply on Photo.net, but life is gritty too.

 

I try to capture both, and both occurred within blocks of each other.

 

Thanks for taking the effort to comment.

 

John (Crosley)

I 'previsualized' this, and raced ahead of the guy to capture this with camera on 'C' (continuous) drive -- what used to be called 'motor drive' when we used film, now it's 'continuous servo'.

 

I had a lengthy discussion yesterday in comments under another photo with a member about this particular photo, with emphasis on the subject of 'previsualization' -- in essence, seeing what you're going to capture before it 'happens' and then 'making it happen' and doing so in the speed of a guy walking down the street at a pretty good clip, with one chance to capture 'the photo'.

 

If you're sad about this, look in this portfolio at the photo next to it -- it's full of humor, I think, and just blocks away and less than an hour separates the two.

 

Thanks for the comment.

 

John (Crosley)

This guy was walking down the street, and I was behind him and knew what he would be passing. I just raced ahead for my one chance.

 

John (Crosley)

Excellent catch John. This is what street photography is all about for me. Spontaneous, impacting and sometimes absurdly humorous. Maybe the girls are into "mature" gentlemen and the guy looks at you saying "See, I still got it". I admire your intuitive skills.

Adan W.,

 

I don't think this guy has anything, but Ukraine IS a place where a May-September romance (like neighboring Russia) is not looked at askance. My Russian wife was half my age almost to the hour when we met, and her father was my biggest supporter; she was 26 then, and since has been victim of brain cancer. My current beautiful model girlfriend (who chose me) is about that same age, so anything is possible (and, no, my girlfriend does not ever want a green card').

 

But this guy has 'had it' I think, and beards are incredibly unpopular with Ukrainian women.

 

A famous marriage agency fills my in e-mail box with 'letters' from Russian/Ukranian women, and they're all twice the age of my girlfriend and cannot be as whip smart, and none is near as attractive.

 

I wrote you about this photo's etiology yesterday . . . remember?

 

Thanks for the high compliment.

 

John (Crosley)

Of course I remember. It was under "My Whimsy" and you were talking about happenstance. That alone was a lesson worth in gold. Thanks for sharing your advice and thoughts. You are quite a teacher. Congratulations on your romantic life. Talk about romance, your rendezvous with Paris is coming up soon - the 18th of this month, right?. Have a great trip and good luck

I absolutely love the portrait of the old chap. I think it would stand as a wonderfull photo with or without the poster. Theme seems a tiny bit forced for me but I understand what you are going for and I think it works well. In either case it is portrait that really makes this photo.

Very well done in all respects.

A photo with a lasting impact and different interpretations. Thanks for sharing. Karl

Strong composition and an image with a sense of humour

Yes, the 'portrait' aspect is very strong.

 

And as to its being 'forced' -- that's the way of almost every 'poster' juxtaposition shot. They all are a little 'forced' if you're sensitive to that sort of thing, but if you relax a litle, there are lessons to be learned about life from looking at such a shot when you take your 'critic's hat' off, I think.

 

Even if the actual scene didn't say 'we are young ladies laughing at an old man', it stands for that truth, which happened to me on a jitney bus as I rode home that day, but I laughed inward to myself, as I knew things the young women didn't know, and if they truly knew me, they wouldn't have been laughing at me, but with me. But giggly teenage girls will be just that, and it was far from me to deny them their fun; I enjoyed it with them, complete with suppressed snorting amid giggles and efforts to suppress outright regaling laughter.

 

I have knowledge and secrets that they would have respected if they had known, they would have been more respectful, and in fact, maybe their laughter was respect in a certain way. (My fly was NOT open . . . or at least I think it wasn't).

 

Thanks for your comment.

 

John (Crosley)

Thank you for the compliment.

 

This certainly has pleased the critics.

 

Many of my lesser rated photos seem more 'difficult' to me than this, which may account for the ease of rating it: its simplicity.

 

Thanks for commenting; I appreciate it very much.

 

John (Crosley)

 

I try to make my photos actually 'mean something' sometimes and even when I don't, a famous photo figure recently looked at my work with his boss and the boss said, 'this is pretty good, each photo tells a story', and indeed most of them do, though I am not always sure of each story, and they don't always necessarily stand for my feelings.

 

I think 'street' photography is more than catching random people and expressions on the street -- photographing a bunch of guys or women on the street, although that's part of it -- but having some sense of photographic 'art' involved, with maybe, composition and story-telling, and that sure helps a photo succeed.

 

A lot of my other 'street' photos also have stories to tell, and many have what I hope is good composition. This one just worked out exceptionally well.

 

Thanks for the comment.

 

John (Crosley)

Yes, this story has a bit of humour, but it's a little 'ironic' humor, as he doesn't know he's being 'made fun of' or what the juxtaposition is about, or even that it's there.

 

But it's there for all of us older guys, though I hope I look a lot less scary than him or hold my age better.

 

(You'll see the same background photo elsewhere in my photos if you look, but a different poster -- not the exact same one -- just the same photo.)

 

Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

 

John (Crosley)

A great, moving image John , conveys the message intended by you. Age and perceptions of are not always kind. The raised eyebrow is asking questions of us. The stooped pose maybe to avoid your shots , the faint hint of a smile, the eyes that tell of harsh time all add for a compelling and memorabile image . I take time to view your great body of work and I much appreciate also your brilliant political analysis and true history insights. I wish you all the lack in all your travels, spiritual and for the heart. And all the real journeys you undertake. Do keep firing away.

 

But WOW John, one of your best B&W of the last few months. Really love his expression and I know he isn't frowning as he has a slight smile in there.

 

They might look like they are laughing at him but you know he hasn't lived real hard life. He had some happy life in there.

 

Very well captured!

 

 

Great job John!!!

This is really well timed.

 

Hello to Oz, Mario,

 

I am in Paris with a funny keyboard so I cannot say all I want to say, but thank you from my heart for the compliment.

 

I am getting hotter and hotter in my shooting, but may not equal this for a while.

 

Thank you again.

 

John

It is almost lunchtime in Paris and I have already some really memorable shots, including one of my most humerous shots ever.

 

Watch for it and others in about a week, if I can afford to eat. There is a general strike and no hotel rooms. And world cup rugby is in town so it is completely full and taxis are surcharging their already high charges.

 

I like your insight on this photo, especially the man and hint of smile. You always add something special when you stop by.

 

Watch for new stuff in a week or so.

 

John (Crosley)

Thanks for a nice compliment, I am working in France in the middle of a general strike of several days; so wish me luck as everything is difficult.

 

I appreciate all the encouragement I can get.

 

John (Crosley)

 

Make the best of it John. It's the transportation worker's strike, isn't it? The French government is bankrupt after all the generous subsidies and pensions, so now it's time to cut off some of those benefits. Of course, the unions will not yield so easily without a fight.