Caution: Children (and Dolphins) at Play

This is a 'three--second photo' taken while stopped in traffic as traffic

began moving ahead, one frame possible, and with no do-overs

possible. 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 improvve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

This photo is a jpeg and other than in-camera sharpening and other than sharpening to the boy passerby, the rest of the photo has not been sharpened, contrary to appearances. The texture of the mural/wall is its original texture and the paint of the mural, rather than any sharpening artifacts.

John (Crosley)

John,

A great capture and fast reaction time. I hope you were not the driver:)

I took just one photo in one month's time, due to passing a kidney stone and an operation for a 'stent' which caused me so much pain I could barely drive, but sometimes drive I must.

I was on my way to the hospital as a driver undergoing excruciating pain, one day, preparatory to a possible admission for pain, saw this underpass with its artwork and the boy moving along fast, grabbed my camera with one arm (on the right front seat always and with the other pushed the window roll-down button).

I raised my camera, always set for the proper exposure whenever I move anywhere no matter the amount of pain, raised it, framed this photo, figured I nailed it, and then put down the camera as traffic was already moving from stopped, all ahead of me, but I did not inconvenience drivers behind me.

I am sure enough of my driving skills that it I were unsafe, I would not even have attempted to drive to the hospital - I would have taken an ambulance -- after all, I want to live and not make things worse by getting tied up (or injured) in a traffic accident.

Total time from seeing this image impending to snapping the shutter, three seconds.

I guess it shows you how devoted I am to this craft/this art. I had been in bed before and after, one entire month and mostly still now, though powerful drugs are eating away at the intense pain so I can now do more.

I'm editing now my past captures, and I know I've got some never posted treasures, so watch my portfolio (at least they're treasures in my own mind!!!!).

No accounting for the taste of others -- at this time this photo you regard so highly, has a 3.50 average with just two raters - a 3/3/ and a 4/4. It's one of my better photos in my opinion - a true example of my color work at its best, but apparently others do not see it that way. Ah,well, yours have truly been encouraging words.

Thanks.

John (Crosley)

John, I love this shot, the colours, the horizontal separation betwen colour and grey, the vertical separation and the placing of the guy by the join in the wall, on the thirds. You have hit the nail on the head regarding ratings. I too have had poor ratings for shots which in my mind rank among ''my best''. Yet have been given a host of 6-6s.for shots which I have never been totally happy with. Winston Churchill said '' You can please some of the people some of the time, but, you cannot please all of the people all of the time.'' Seems it applies to photograophy ratings aptly. One thing puzzles me with this shot. You have captured the movement in the guys body and foot suggesting to me a shutter speed of say < 20th second. Yet the background is pretty sharp. A great result from a hand held shot from a vehicle?

Regards

Tony

You have hit the nail on the head in all respects and regards. When I posted this I stood back and awaited a flood of 5/6s and 6/6s and just awaited and . . . nothing, just as you said.

Well, I've received over 10,000 ratings, and every once in a while I misjudge my audience, and here I've done just that. It doesn't matter so much the ratings as my misjudging.

The ratings, it turns out, are a great judge of popularity, though not always of 'worth' of a photo. I judge this a 'worthy' photo -- among my better photos, but the raters are telling me that is not ever going to be a 'popular' photo.

So, when I move it to its permanent folder, wherever that may be, after six months or a year, we'll see if it gets more or fewer ratings than the photos around it. I would expect it would get fewer, but there are sometimes 'sneaker' photos.

You are absolutely correct about the shutter speed, at about 1/20th of a second to 1/30th of a second, and judging by his rear shoe, and the traces it left, it moved some considerable distance during exposure, and I was in the driver's seat, in considerable pain, just concentrating on 'getting my last shot' for a long time.

I am known (and am) generally a very steady holder, from my youth to present, thank God, and you again hit the nail on the head.

Thanks for helpful and informed critique and an uplifting one - that sees the essence both of me as photographer and this photo which I assumed few if anyone would get.

Thanks again.

John (Crosley)