Five Generations

This stylized woman represents the late 1800s or early 1900s, and the

young man, right, represents the early 2000s, the middle man

represents the middle 1990s. All in all, nearly five generations are

represented here; maybe more.

 

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

I like the idea behind the photo.

Thank you so much.

 

John (Crosley)

 

(and what about the execution? . . . there's something unsaid . . . .)

 

 

That's an alternative caption for this photo.

 

The mother hubbard, turn of the century, stylized San Jose resident depicted, looks over the man who is in his '50s to '70s, while (through compression of a telephoto lens that man seems to overlook the youth lounging on his skateboard (a device which was invented when the older man was in his youth, about the same age as the younger, lounging man).

 

So, the generations here, if viewed through telephoto compression, are seen in descending order of time, each overlooking their descendant.

 

John (Crosley)

 

Great interpretation as usual John. For me there is a bit of humour in this capture. The lady seems to be looking at us as if confiding a thought like "Can you believe this? Things used to be better during my times". I like the bottle of wine that is seen through the window at the end of this "line". It somehow ends this with a cheerful note.

Also a great interpretation, especially with the woman's asking look 'can you believe this?'

 

Once again your analysis adds to a photo of mine.

 

Thank you.

 

John (Crosley)

Small framing point -( I think seeing the front characters feet would have been preferable to the area at the top) but I fully understand that when taking such an image its more important to get what you see rather than take too long to compose and miss the moment.

Yes I like your idea too......youv'e spotted and captured it well. The decending order/level of the three characters can also be said to emphasise the often 'perceived' general decline in 'standards' over the generations.

 

I also had an 'issue' with the feet, but could not swing my camera to vertical orientation quickly enough, as the guy was moving and I was too close to zoom out to include them then crop to include feet.

 

Thanks for the observations about the 'story' -- it seems to have struck a chord with many, after many photos which technically were good but didn't seem to have that 'something'.

 

Thanks again.

 

John (Crosley)

 

It has that somthing John.... a good sense of humour , well composed despite losing his legs, but the timing is very nice to include all the 3 of them together,If you wrote 5 generation , from 1800- 1900 there are more than that.....;-))Nice composition.

I 'saw' something in this one.

 

I worked with this composition awhile, both before and after, and this actually was one of the first ones. Funny, it's often one of the first ones or maybe the last one.

 

But occasionally I'll take something like 43 shots and a middle one will have the je ne sais quoi expression or combination of expression and composition or whatever.

 

You just never know and sometimes you shoot all day or even a week or so and get nothing but experience has taught me that even in barrenness I can get something sometimes.

 

And getting the feet in would have ruined its triangularity, wouldn't it have now?

 

It was actually fortunate that the feet are cut off, from a compositional standpoint, I think, though you can't actually see it, but if the feet were in it, I think it wouldn't have the impact you have commented on and felt.

 

Thanks so much for critiquing this unusual photo.

 

And about the generations; who knows?

 

I just had to guess.

 

John (Crosley)