'The Break' (View Large Please)

'The Break' is a photo where the subject -- what you can see of him - is

in the distant background, but (in my opinion) worth the effort of viewing

him within the context of the alleyway in which he rests. You will be

required to use your imagination to fill out part of the photo - a device I

have seldom used. 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

(This would not be a proper photograph to evaluate from 'thumbnail', I

think - john)

very suggestive. like it.

This photo, as much as I really do 'love it', had several 'strikes against it' (in American baseball vernacular') for Photo.net Request for Critique exposition:

 

1. The subject is only half there; we must fill in the other half. While to my mind, that's a 'plus' -- to the casual viewer, it may be 'too much trouble'.

 

2. The 'subject' is not instantly viewable. Because of small size in thumbnail -- who will even open this thumbnail to have a look?

 

3. This photo competes with hundreds and thousands which are easy to view in 'thumbnail' -- with subjects that are easy to comprehend, and do not require the mind to be challenged -- many of those photos will survive on the basis of wonderful aesthetics, which often are apparent from the outset. This photo, on the other hand, requires some mental exercise to appreciate, if one is going to appreciate it. (I do, but will others?)

 

I am glad you have enjoyed this. Let's see how many others do.

 

Thanks for letting me know your feelings; I happen to like this one very, very much, in part because of its subtlety; your remark suggests you do too.

 

I wonder if others will . . . .

 

John (Crosley)

Intresting image ,let me imagine the other half . regards .

Of course, I have telephoto shots of this guy more up close, face still hidden, but not very good in my opinion, and also shots in which he is looking with most of his face showing, directly at me, but where's the fun in that?

 

The fun in this photo, I think is in imagining -- no - in 'knowing' almost for a certainty, almost exactly what this fellow looks like without ever having seen his face.

 

And I can tell you if you have a 'picture' in your mind of his face, it probably matches that 'picture' exactly.

 

So, why show it?

 

Why not let your mind's eye place the face there for you?

 

I may be wrong about what you imagine, but I doubt it -- he's a classic.

 

He'd be a great 'portrait' subject, but I didn't want to go bother him -- he genuinely seemed to be resting.

 

Maybe someday I'll go back - I remember exactly where it is, and take some photos of him -- he does have a great, expressive face.

 

You can only imagine . . . .

 

;~)))

 

When I go looking through downloads, I often forget about ones like this, where I labored to get 'just the right look', and had many chances, then on review find one like this that just 'jumps out at me' as this one did. It justifies all my uncertainty and the variety of shots I took there on the street, I think.

 

Sometimes I take a photo in 'one or two seconds, and other times I labor - I often keep going until I 'get it' or move on'. I'm pretty stubborn if I see a good subject, and will keep trying, so long as the subject remains there and I'm not in the middle of traffic.

 

Thanks for the nice comment, Aivar.

 

John (Crosley)

Very nice..I was thinking about a chef and maybe he was smoking there.

i think he's napping in between meals... his thumb and forefinger seem in calm repose indicating the former... the latter conjecture just seems appropriate

I don't know about smoking, but the apron gives him away.

 

He's a chef for certain.

 

But whether he 's puffing on coffin nails, I coudn't see.

 

Thanks for the comment.

 

John (Crosley)

He may have wanted to be napping, and he certainly is relaxing, but there were others who interrupted him, so he could not be napping at this particular moment.

 

He was just too aware, even having looked down the alleyway at me, a while before, then settled into repose. People came to him, then left, leaving him to relax, but not enough time to sleep while I was there briefly.

 

Thanks for the effort, and the good try.

 

John (Crosley)

 

i wouldn't know about others interrupting him, would i? no evidence in the photograph.

Rajat,

 

Of course, you're right.

 

Judging from the 'four corners' of the photograph, your comment appears well supported.

 

I just happened to be there, so I could add my two cents worth from personal observation.

 

In no way is it a rebuke or even a criticism - just an observation, so do NOT be sensitive at all.

 

If I had seen this photo, and not been there, I might also had supposed he had been sleeping, or trying to.

 

But, being there, he was interrupted, and also more than a little restless. I think that a chef's job is a very busy one, and that true relaxation is something that chefs never get a chance to do while near their restaurant.

 

In fact, I understand it's one of the most hectic jobs there is - it's always something, even if you have able sous chefs.

 

And if you're not cooking yourself, you're expected to deal with management or even the customers. It's a job where you're always 'ON'.

 

Even in the back alley, trying to grab some rest, as here.

 

Please do NOT let anything I said above be considered a criticism in any way, as there was no such intent, OK?

 

John (Crosley)

Good eye...It appears as if he is leaning towards the door, which I would guess to be open...Possibly having a conversation with someone else...For some reason the spray paint on the dumpster is a huge distraction for me...Understanding that it is not relevant to what the image intends it still bothers me... I think you have done a great job in making me wonder what is going on here. Fine work as always.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were an open door there to his left, and he indeed was having a conversation; I never went down there to find out. This is a 'tele' shot, though at the wider end of the 'tele' -- maybe 75 mm.

 

That is NOT spray paint on the dumpster -- it's just reflection and an indication of the waning hour -- part of the sky, if you will. It's part of 'street': you take what you get. Perhaps now it won't distract you so much when you know it isn't spray paint. It may also be part of some changing in the color of the underlying paint and paint properties, as it seemed ill cared for - I can't specifically remember, but it definitely is NOT graffiti, and I worked it up last night.

 

I'm happy to mystify you a little with this capture.

 

Photos don't always have to be 'explicit' now do they? I had some serious worries that this one would be easily overlooked.

 

One of my very best early captures (two men and a mannequin's head in rear of a San Francisco thrift shop) were mostly overlooked, because the 'subjects' were in the rear, and few had the patience to look carefully; it's one of my favorites from my 'early period' - in fact what I'd call an 'overlooked standout' and also one of my 'busiest' photos ever.

 

Thanks for your comment and the nice compliment.

 

John (Crosley)