Wilshire Boulevard

This is a Los Angeles resident, photographed on one corner of Wilshire

Boulevard, near the Miracle Mile (or so I understand, since I'm not too

familiar with the area.) one recent cold morning. Your ratings and

critiques for this somewhat surreal 'street' portrait 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.

Ahh! The rewards of going out on a cold morning. Very engaging image. On the whole, I prefer this one to the old man/red blouse women in the other image you posted recently. Cheers, GJ

It was colder than the proverbial witch and her mammary that morning, though the last two have been so warm that they had you sweating and now seem headed back to reasonableness.

 

What I like about this image is its slightly surrreal nature: why does he have his hand up and why does it seem to be superimposed over the crosswalk paint?

 

I always take special note when you've been here, and wish you'd stop by more often.

 

John (Crosley)

Hi John;

 

You have a strong graphic ' abstract' image , extant with only the background structures. The curve of the sidewalk and the geometric divisions imposed by the road lines, results in a pleasing set of shapes and textures which could easily support a fine photo on their own.

 

And then we have this curious gentleman replete with fuzzy beer stein hat and quizzical expression. He looks to be halting traffic yet he is already safely on the sidewalk and is facing the wrong direction ?

 

The pure magic of this image for me is how the arc of the guys upraised arm and shoulder echoes the curve in the sidewalk as it goes around the corner, thus joining these two elements seamlessly into a singularly bizarre photograph.

Somehow you have done a 'Vulcan mind-meld'.

 

I endorse everything you have written, and you have done so better than I could have done myself, had I chosen to do so.

 

I hereby appoint you (also) a master interpreter of John's photos (see who else has attained that status -- a master artist in London if you do your research, I think you will find, as well as Giuseppe Pasquali of Rome, who knows as much as anybody else and just prefers mostly to keep quiet--- silent in the knowledge of being a true expert in my photography -- and truly a great photographer in his own right -- as are you).

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to think about this photo and share your thoughts.

 

You have earned your status well.

 

john

 

John (Crosley)

 

;~))

John, does that appointment come with any perks? ... like maybe a fuzzy beer stein hat ?

You are not only entitled to wear a fuzzy beer stein hat, but you are required to find one on the street, clean it, and wear it while critiquing my photos, and not just to wear it, but to wear it proudly, as this man does his, to get in the mood for communing with my unique view of the world.

 

;~))

 

John (Crosley)

John, I'm not making any promises but I'll see what I can do. I will report back. No problem with wearing the hat proudly however it may take a spell to track one down. We Canadians are more into toques than beer steins in terms of head gear :-)

The traditional 'toque' of the French derivation, such as the tall, white French chef's hat, may be somewhat more analogous to this man's beer stein hat (it of course is yellow, naturally, in keeping with the stein's contents).

 

But in Canadian usage, the 'toque' as a round, knit cap or hat, just is not something that has any analogy at all (except possibly as 'headgear' to this man's outstanding and traffic stopping choice of hats.)

 

I know he is very proud of his choice of headgear, and in keeping with the spirit of critiquing my more unusual photos, and in the general spirit of surrealness that surrounds the whole critique process, one should really don some sort of extraordinary headgear, such as this man has.

 

I know for a fact, since I asked him, that he has NO aluminum foil to protect him from voices or to prevent others from hearing his thoughts, so that is not something you must take into consideration. I cannot vouch for his bedroom, but then I think from our conversation that he does not indeed have a bedroom, or even a home of any sort, though I think he may be taken in by kind people from time to time -- even continually.

 

He's a gentle soul, full of stories, names, doctor's appointments kept and scheduled, and wouldn't harm a fly. I enjoyed my rather considerable time with him, and do not intend to denigrate him in any way; but rather to share his uniqueness with you and the rest of the world.

 

In fact,I celebrate that uniqueness.

 

Now, Gordon,I think you can share in that, but putting out the word - if anybody has a tall, beer stein hat, they should pass it on to you to use in your new rank in your critiquing duties.

 

;~))

 

john

 

John (Crosley)