The Advantage of Being Human

'The Advantage of Being Human' is a photo that is purely color

dependant, with reds and greens taking center stage. It also is a

study in contrasts, human vs. machine, red vs green and maybe

contradictory meanings or symbolism. 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

Sometimes one takes a photo just because 'it's there' and later examines it, and finds that the couple have red and green tops/sweaters, and they're standing next to two parking meters, one having a 'red' flag up (indicating 'overtime parking' for those who are unfamiliar with American parking controls) and the one on the right has a green flag, indicating that money has been paid and the space it refers to is lawfully parked in.

 

Of course, red and green have two other meanings in traffic: stop and go, but in this case, one might want to ask, does color mean anything, and does it suggest a theme, a story or something deeper about the meaning of things.

 

I'm interested in your views.

 

John (Crosley)

The romantic in me thinks that love has no expiration and lasts forever. ;) Many interpretations can be derived from this capture, but I will stick to the above one. Great catch John. The affection between these two is palpable and effectively captured next to the meters.

I have to say I really agree with your take on this. The red and green combo actually work in favor of the photo here instead of against each other. Especially when you take the parking meters in with the whole scene.

 

I would have to say I also agree that desaturating this image would take away from the meaning.

 

Very nice.

Adan W.

 

This is one of those 'interesting' photos that was based on composition -- the friends hugging, having met on the street, and the two parking meters (two and two, get it?).

 

Then as I opened it up, I saw the red and green of the flags on the meter.

 

I selected them and emphasized them just a little, since they were obscured a little behind reflective meter glass, and also brought out the red and green of the couple's outfit, (no substituting colors, though), as they were captured rather dark -- the (camera exposure) meter had read the background and given it a little too much emphasis, so I lightened.

 

I had seen the 'theme' and wanted to show it so it actually could be 'seen', since it was not so obvious in the 'raw' version.

 

This is the result, and I think the whole capture is unexpectedly wonderful. It's one of those captures that sneak up on you, you look at it, and say to yourself 'that's fabulous' - how unusual and serendipitous, since I captured far more in the colors than I had 'seen'.

 

Life's like that sometime for the photographer. You take a lot of photos in which things just don't work out that might have, and they're wasted, then you take a 'chance' shot, while stopped at the curb and just before pulling out, and then it turns out to have far more possible meaning and/or significance than ever 'seen'.

 

It helps to take those 'chance' photos and also to try for interesting composition, then have one work out better than planned.

 

Thanks for your analysis and for taking the time to rate this; it's not one of those that jumps off the screen; it takes a little more than usual vision to 'see' its possible significance.

 

John (Crosley)

The point of this photo, if there ever had been one, was to capture the couple embracing, but also to make it environmental, and luckily in addition to two people there were two meters (get it, two people hugging, next to two machines standing upright which never will embrace?) only I didn't figure it all out exactly like that then when I took it.

 

I just grabbed it and instinct told me to try to make it more possibly significant by adding in the two meters -- God knows why.

 

I couldn't have been more surprised when I downloaded this image and saw the synchronicity of green and red, not only once, but twice - side by side with possibilities for interpretation.

 

And, of course, it became another Crosley 'ironic juxtaposition', or it can be that if you look at it right.

 

I do, and I like it very much.

 

It proves a point, if you have partially worthy capture; look at it long and hard.

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

John (Crosley)

Interestingly, contrasting colors, red and green, seem not to prevent this couple who met on the street from a close embrace.

 

In comparison, the two parking meters, with their red and green flags showing, stand at attention next to each other, neither 'acknowledging' the other; as paired, they are separate in their togetherness - is that related to their having contradictory flag colors (green -- parking is paid for and allowed; red, parking is no longer paid and if parked in the space, it's an infraction. - explanation for non-US residents or visitors)?

 

John (Crosley)

serendipity or not, it's a great find. Nothing serendipitous about this composition though but I do think you should desaturate somewhat. Looking only at his face makes that obvious because it's way too red.

And thank you for a very constructive comment; it's what I always hope for from critics; whether they really like something or not, it's Ok to say that, but also to say 'why' and then, if the thing can be improved, to say that also.

 

I do that whenever I critique, and very often I critique some of the worst stuff on the service, so invariably the photo isn't really so good, and then, in the spirit of the service and politeness I deconstruct the person's photo, then tell them why it doesn't succeed for me, and maybe why from a compositional standpoint also using some measure that is not just personal (usually) or if it's personal I mark it as such.

 

Often then I am rather elaborate in my critiques, for the persons who receive them often are neophytes who are not familiar with all the terms, abbreviations, rules or would-be rules or conventions, and often unclear of why their photo isn't a top-rated photo, but often are aware that it isn't.

 

I have received numerous thanks for doing just that; tearing apart someone's 'best' photo that they're proud enough to have posted for critique, but doing it in such a way that if they can't improve that photo (compositional opportunity lost or some such), then they can maybe 'see' how to take that next one or a subsequent one.

 

It's surprising often to get an e-mail of thanks after going to such effort to point out to someone why their photo didn't work for me, and it continues to surprise, but I guess it shouldn't. People actually often do hope to get honest critiques on this service, and the standard low rate, 3/3, translated into a critique can cause all sorts of ill-will, which is why I always write that my critique comes from a good-hearted place and was meant only to improve, and also to make sure that I note I didn't rate (I seldom rate, except in a certain genre or two), so they don't think they got a double-barreled blast -- a harsh critique (albeit worded in a friendly and helpful manner, plus thinking that one or another 3/3 or 3/4 etc., might have come from me.

 

Freshmen posters' egos can be somewhat fragile, and veteran posters, also, as you know now.

 

Thanks for the helpful comment. The image probably will be re-worked before several days pass to meet your able suggestion.

 

John (Crosley)