Untitled

Your picture is really great. The composition, the bw colours, the old man, the snow fits togetther in a fine way. Your technique is sublime.This is photografic art, at its very best. Thanks for sharing.

Tommy

As Tommy notes, an excellent image... Mike

Wonderful shot!

With regards

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A nice classical sort of image with that old world setting that seems exotic to many of us and so removed from our own lives. Overall, I think it is a nice image, however, as I looked at it I thought how just a couple of seemingly minor modifications could change the whole nature of this image.

Now these changes aren't really minor except possibly in the physical look of the image. The first one is the choice of the framing. Placing this individual in the near center of the image diminishes the dynamics that could result had the individual been placed more to the right of the image--either through a crop or a reframing in camera. This decision places our attention firmly on this approaching person as the unmistakable primary subject. I have to consider this decision to be pretty much deliberate as I don't find much added by what is on the right and don't think it would be missed if it were eliminated in some measure.

The second decision, to present an image where the individual appears to be confronting the camera, works in a similar way as the placement of this subject. Again, we are keenly aware of what we are engaging here. In a sense, all mystery is removed by this simple connection, as to what might be going on here. I believe that these two things, the placement and eye contact, work together to minimize the rest of the image into context rather than as an active participant in the viewing. We are somewhat driven to accept this image as about this person, even though at this size it is difficult to fully engage.

My thought was how different this image would be had the individual been placed more to the right (crop or reframing) and been absorbed in his walking rather than engaging the camera/viewer. The result would have been an image with a more allegorical feeling and something a bit more dynamic as an image IMO. This isn't a criticism as I believe, based on the fact that this image resides in a "Portrait" set of work, that this image was created with the intent of being more of a portrait than a story or evocation. If I find anything problematic in that, it is only that this seems more like "being caught" making the image rather than having this person as a willing participant (based on the weather, age and condition of this person in this setting along with his continued walking--it seems more like he had purpose to his stroll than to have his photo made).

Finally, as a portrait, and maybe otherwise as well, my only real thought about the technical aspects of this is that I do feel this person could have been lightened, dodged, just a bit to help separate and clarify him from the background. Certainly not to any unreality, but my own little test bore out my thoughts here and I believe such a modification would help strengthen this image quite a bit.

Overall, it is nicely done.

Not a particularly strong photo yet not without some charms.  The snow streaks in the air add a nice texture to the scene as does the dusting of snow on the rooftop.  The elderly gentleman walking in the slush with his cane offers some opportunity to connect with the image and the man's struggle. Unfortunately I find  the man staring straight into the camera gives rise  to the feeling that his greatest concern is with the photographer  across the road from himself and that sort of spoils the mood for me.
I enjoy the myriad small details in the scene and the fact that the obfuscation by the weather requires that I peer intently into this world to get into the nooks and crannies.  What looks to be a solar hot water heater on the roof seems oddly out of place in the snow and as such adds interest and arouses curiosity.
The greatest shortcoming for me with this photo is the composition, which feels uncomfortable. The position of the man in relation to his direction of gaze and his apparent direction of travel seem all wrong.  If he was walking up the road and his gaze was foreward  there would be some harmony to his position.
 
The B&W is handle OK but again very middle of the road, nothing special. The snow on the ground is gray, the blacks lack detail and the building has a rather uniform drabness to the tones.  The snow on the bush on the left is too bright. The snow on the roof has lots of detail which is good however the upper areas lack contrast and seems flat. The entire image could use some selective tonal adjustments  and basic dodging and burning to give the photo more life.
 
 
I've enjoyed browsing Orhan's portfolio. His images bring back fond memories of a summer in my youth spent traveling around Turkey.  I particularly like his  Charcoal Workers folder which contains some wonderful and quite powerful images.

In my previous post ,I forgot to mention while on the subject of dodging and burning, that burning in  or otherwise selectively darkening and perhaps boosting contrast in the area of the wall on the lower right side where a water spot on the lens  or a snow flake very close to the front of the lens lightened the tones would seem to be in order.

I like this a lot, especially when viewed at the larger setting.

I won't get into all the little technical nitpicks about tinkering with the exposure on this one...it's the overall atmosphere that makes this one work for me. The slight grayness of the snow gives this shot a feel of the bleakness of winter for me, as opposed to all those other snow scenes where the snow is this perfect pure white that makes the viewer think of bright, cheerful, and crisp winter days.

I like the fact that the man is looking at the camera, because it's real to me. If I'm walking down the road and see someone pointing a camera at me, I'm going to look at that person and the camera. It's a natural reaction.

I like the little detail of the cane...part of it appears to be carved in a spiral, or the wood it was made from actually grew that way, which does happen sometime. I think the shot is well composed and full of detail...like the cracks and chipped wall of the house, and the way the snow overhangs one of the lower windows.

I'll mention my one little bugaboo...the sharpening artifacts around the man. It's not that evident elsewhere in the photo, so I'm sort of puzzled why it's so visible on the man. But I'll overlook that in favor of the look of the photograph as a whole.

Lo principal en una fotografía es, las sensaciones que transmite, y enta foto lo consigue plenamente. Por eso es una Gran Foto. Felicitaciones.

I feel some powerful sense of sadness and nostalgia, which show the power of the image so live and talking. Black and white mood is very fit here with artful contrast management. Also nice arrangement of picture elements and angle of shot are very optimal. Overall, a very powerful shot, in my eye.
Hamid.

Really very good composition and shot.Great monochrome work...congrats

For everything Jim Adams wrote, I'd say I simply agree with him. That's going to save me some writing...:-) Besides that, I'll just add that the man being slightly off center but "almost" in the center is not a problem at all for me, because I don't see the right side as "useless" space : I'd rather say that this empty wall area at right helps us feel the greyness of the weather and the length and difficulty of this man's journey a little better. Finally, yes : I too like some of the charcoal folder's pictures a lot ! Overall quite a nice portfolio, with lots of images that actually stear some emotions in me. Congrats, Orhan, keep up the good work !

Fantastic photo!

Great image.

If the bent house room top been there in compelete , it would have given this image stronger diminssion and a better composition, the man position in the image should also not been centred , otherwise the atmosphere of this image is very unique.

There is always a kind of charm in viewing another person battling harsh weather in what can be interpreted as lesser industrialized locale.

It reminds me of the photography in "A Day in the Life of the Soviet Union." I rather enjoy this photograph.

I think the composition could benefit by shifting the gentleman to the right of the frame. I think lightening him would help as well. Some

detail is lost in the darks. Maybe the snow on the ground could use some lightening, but I like how it isn't as luminous as the snow on the

roof.

I understand why others say they like that the gentleman is looking at the camera and I agree that that makes the picture want to be a potrait.

I think this was supposed to be a street photo though and would have been stronger with the subject not acknowldging the camera.

All in all, I rather like this photograph.

6/6
Good shot, well done!

A very good old world type documentary PJ shot. I do find the man a bit too centered & thought of cropping. If the left is cropped, you lose the interesting top of the building. Cropping the right would not leave him "Room to walk into" & would also lose some of the snow tracks which I feel are necessary. I guess leave him centered. I'll just shut up. Hell, it's a good shot. I Like it

I made a couple of quick adjustments to try and illustrate my original comment.

I did nothing to address the halo around the man in the original image as it would take more time than I wanted to commit.

I agree that some small changes could be made to technically alter the image thereby making it better, and they have already been mentioned. However the photo works for me in its mood inducing appearance. Maybe its the B&W aspect or as someone stated earlier its simplicity but IMO its a fine photograph.

i just love the texture of this photo, created by the falling snow and the cracked walls. works perfectly in monochrome.. congratulations