edswinden

I like this, with the excellent positioning of the gondolas, but it would be even better if there were a little detail in the band of buildings - a flashing window pane or the glow from a window/door. Best wishes.

Having looked at the other images in the folder I am more impressed with this image, and think it works very well in the context of the others... it probably would be a good cover shot - showing the positive caring/human side of the story rather than scaring sensitive people off with a more disturbing image. If I could withdraw my low rating I would. Very good work.

I think this is a good reportage photograph which would work as part of an article discussing the issues made plain in the caption, but as a photograph in itself I'm not bowled-over. For a reportage photo to really impress me I have to understand more of the issue from the image itself, without need for a caption... though I may be missing some detail that isn't clear on my screen. This shot would not be out of place in a national paper or magazine, but I wouldn't make it the cover shot of that paper/mag...which is how I think of Photo of the Week. However, on reflection, I think I have rated this image overharshly because of its position as PoW - if I had found it by chance I would probably have given it a 5/5 or higher. I haven't looked at the rest of the portfolio yet as I don't want to be swayed on this pic by the quality of the others... but I expect to find other impressive images there. Best wishes.

The text spoils this...

I like the colours in this and the 'looming' object in the foreground... but that kayak - and more importantly the wake of ripples coming from it - look just grafted on using a Photoshop layer burn or suchlike. It looks totally unreal to me, and not in an eerie or surreal way.

I like digital manipulation, and use it myself, but to create an effect that either enhances reality, or creates some unreality that makes us think again about what is real and what isn't. Here, it seems to be purely a painting-by-numbers way of composing the picture. It's striking for an instant, but only an instant... in my view. But then I am notoriously hard to please and can see why many others love this picture! Congrats on the PoW.

Interesting...painterly. I like it.

Others may totally disagre but I think this would work better without the right third of the image. I think the other 2/3 are 6/6...with that third...5/6. Best wishes.

Personally I would crop this tight so you can't see the people at the right and the 4x4 at the left. It might be more dramatic...

Nice concept, but it looks a bit too obviously posed, and the expression unconvincing. A more dramatic angle - perhaps a wider lens close-up and lower might be more interesting, in my personal opinion. Nice textures though. Best wishes.

Really nice photo. The reflection, the colours, the expression. All top notch!

Well captured moment.

I like the saturation. The contrast between red/orange and green/blue works well, and the head/arm is in just the right position to make the foreground figure interesting/defined. Best wishes.

The backlighting works really well on this shot. Timed to perfection too, regarding expression and finger-position. Nice one.

If I saw this at 'full' size on a gallery wall I think I'd be blown away by the great tones and subtleties of the composition, but at this size it looks simply 'very good', not excellent. I love the curves of the sand and the detail in the sea - it is a technically great shot... but in my opinion it is lacking in the more obvious drama that smaller images need to have a 'wow' factor. And I agree about the lack of 'human' interest mentioned before. At full size in a gallery space I might feel a sense of delicious solitude...but in my cluttered room, staring into a CRT I am not transported away... Still, it's a shot I'd be incredibly proud of if I'd shot it myself ;-)

Love the expression, tones, and the way you've captured the smoke. I would have given it a 5/6, but the bus looks like it's coming out of his head. I'd suggest blurring it out, but it is important to have something to point to his location. Actually, on closer inspection, have you merged two pictures? If so, I might feel a bit 'cheated', but I still like the composition... and, on the plus side, you could move the bus a bit in the background... Anyway, nice one. Best wishes.

If this looks as sharp in print as it does on screen, then I'm really impressed. Even if not, I am still impressed. I love the mosaic effect of the windows, sandwiched between floor and ceiling. It's like a hangar door opening from a drab grim real world into a futuristic fantasy land. Nice one.

I like the technique and the use of blacks, reds and greens, but the righthand image just isn't quite right in my opinion....I'm not sure why, I think it's something to do with the upper half of the frame. But I'd like to see more like this. Best wishes.

I like this one best.... nice light, muted colour and texture, interesting diagonals. Best wishes.

I like it, but wish his right hand was not cropped off.

I like this one a lot. I wouldn't straighten it - it needs an element of 'off kilter' to work. Nice one.

Just to clarify my comments regarding the possible derogatory nature (and I stress possible - I am merely expressing a personal feeling coloured by my own sensibilities) of the photograph, I was particularly referring to the caption, which may suggest that this person has only a "flea-market budget" - in other words she is a stereotypical 'poor old woman'. While I personally would not find being labelled poor a negative thing, this lady might find it embarrassing to be labelled as such - especially if she remembers the Depression and is, in fact, a rich pensioner who just enjoys a bit of bargain-hunting. Probably, she would not mind - I have no way of knowing - but just maybe she does. Or her husband. Or her son....

 

It is good to exhibit photos of recognisable strangers as documentary (with full and careful captioning), to preserve a slice of life and explain it to future generations, or even to express a universal poetic or philosophical concept - but not just as a 'quirky picture'.

 

Regarding the comment... "I don't see in any way how the dignity is/can be diminished. If you are a dignified person how can a picture take away your dignity?"... my answer is that it is all too easy to rob someone of their dignity either deliberately or acidentally through a photograph. How many times have you seen a photo of a celeb looking drunk? How many times is this simply because the photographer deliberately selected a shot of them in mid-blink? Instantly people assume the worst. Sadly in a world where first impressions last, exaggerating someone's features with a wideangle lens to make them look 'more eccentric' or 'characterful' (and I'm not saying this was the case here) can make people who do not know the subject imagine them in a certain way. The reverse is also true... the careful airbrushing and lighting of musicians, politicians, actors, etc. in commissioned portraiture can lend a gravitas or aura they may not possess. I am not saying this is a bad or good thing - it can be both. In art I would say it is almost always necessary. But documentary should try to reflect only truth, if possible, without distortion.

 

Please don't take my comments the wrong way. I am certainly no 'anti-street photographer' - as a glance at my portfolio will show, and in truth I doubt this photo would offend anybody - it has a warmth to it. But I think the points raised by Joseph and Douglas are worth exploring. If we don't bear these things in mind, it makes it easier for people to say we shouldn't take photos in public at all.

 

Apologies for the length of this post!

I'd like to say at the outset that I've seen other pieces of this photographer's work and he has shot some lovely images. That said, much as I am a fan of street photography, this shot doesn't really work for me. I find the shot a bit messy. The 'junk' next to the lady's face is a bit neither here nor there, and the leg to the right of the pic is a distraction. This is an okay shot - but I don't really think it is one that I would pick as my 'shot of the week'. In my humble opinion Marc has much better shots in his portfolio. Also, if it is a picture of a STRANGER then I am inclined to add my agreement (to some extent) with the point about the danger of diminishing the dignity of a CLEARLY RECOGNISABLE person who isn't putting themself in the public eye (like a celebrity) - particularly as the caption could perhaps be interpreted in a negative way by some. But maybe I'm being oversensitive. It's a question of personal judgement at the publishing stage. I probably would have taken the shot, but I don' think I would have put it online unless I knew the person and had their okay. But maybe I would... not expecting it to become a photo of the week! It's never easy to make a judgement on such a subjective matter. Best wishes.

I stopped by your portfolio because you asked me to take a look at the picture of a lamppost in water, which is nice enough... but I much prefer this image. It is less 'showy' yet far more interesting, enigmatic, and powerful (in my humble opinion). Best wishes.

I like it, but the reflections in the water look a bit unnatural?

I like the idea. Could I suggest using a mild gradient on the 'swoosh' so as to get a range of subtle red/orange/fuscia tones? I think the single colour makes it look a bit flat, rather than fluid, which I think is what you want.... Also, maybe stylise the floor beneath the dancer's feet a touch, as it clashe a bit with the painterly upper section. Don't get me wrong though, it's still a nice image as it stands! Best wishes.