samrat

This rather cliche'd photo is borne out of anticipation of the group of people

who decided to enjoy the sunset in their own way. Thanks for your

constructive comment on this photo.

Two old hands taking a break and intermittently calling out for passengers.

Thank you for your constructive comments.

Excellent documentary with brilliant use of available light. What's more, I love the interiors of the house that has come out so well behind the lady. The lady's quizzical expression adds to the overall atmosphere, as she seems perplexed as to why you would actually photograph her. This contrasts well with what you knew and now we, the viewers, know. The texture, light and overall atmosphere; that's why!! Regards.

Excellent photo this, and the other three (so far) in single photo section. You have captured the life in Calcutta's streets so very well. Here's to seeing more of your work in the coming days. Regards.

The abstractness of the rooftop seemed attractive enough to shoot. Thank

you for your constructive comments on this photo.

Now that makes more sense...(I did get the 'tension' bit right, I see), thanks for the explanation. For me, such descriptions help me get into the photo a bit more and opens up new avenues. The tilts to the right and left also 'balance' the photo.

Glad you liked my attempt. I am not too much into the theory of photography but try and fit things in. You are right; I did take several shots (seven, I think) till I got this one.

To start, I think this photo is different compared to the ones you usually post. Not only because it is in colour but also because it is probably not immediately apparent why this photo was taken. Timo above is unsure why he likes it; in all honesty, I'm unsure whether I like it or not...kind of caught at crossroads. I'm not sure I would have paused to take this shot, long exposure or not.

The only thing that catches my eye is the tension in the photo between the person on the left and the people moving in the opposite direction. The slant in the photo perhaps accentuates this, but again, I'm not quite sure. Could you please elaborate on the idea behind the shot?

I have uploaded something similar which you probably have not seen. Taken from my erstwhile first floor kitchen window more than a year ago. Regards.

Very good tones in the b/w version though I must say the coloured one is more to my taste with all the brightness and contrasts. Amazing detail. Regards.

Beautiful photo. I think the b/w version works better with the gritty texture of the rocks outlined well and the patches of light in the background saving that space from being wasted. Regards.

I think this appears better; the cloud seemed like a blob on the sky...I think it had an odd shape. Thanks for considering my point of view.

Very good composition and an element of blur makes this worthwhile. I perhaps like this better than the other one, but perhaps the person in two floors down could have been cloned out. That would produce a lone figure in the maze and increased the effect....your views?

Just wondering, did you take the shot from a moving vehicle?

Both the idea and execution are great but I agree with Alf to an extent. Compositionally, do you think a slightly lower angle and a shift to the left would have worked better?

I wondered at first about the tilt mentioned in the first comment; things became clear as I read on and saw the (original) image you later uploaded.

There is such a lot in this photo. Of what we see and what we cannot. Of course the four characters grab attention at once. The lady on the extreme left seems uninterested in the 'affair' of the young couple; borne out in her facial expression. The interesting person is the lady in the centre. She's visually impaired, perhaps after a cataract operation going by the type of glass she's wearing and carrying a white stick (do you have the different sticks in US for visually challenged, deaf and blind etc?). However, it is possible that she can see and those are just sunglasses. She has a curious look on her face (amused?) and is the one potentially keeping an eye on the couple. The couple can see, of course, but at the moment, they see little but their own world. Hence they are somewhat 'blind' to what is around them at that time.

The two shadows flanking the scene are also of interest. I like their presence, but am not sure how to interprete them best. The 'Optical' sign at the back completes the photo, especially if you, like me, believe that this is a photo about visual elements.

Note: After submitting the review, I looked up and read the bits you mentioned. I see we are in agreement.

There is a sense of bleakness in this photo. The empty foreground goes against many a rule of composition but I think it works here to brig out the atmosphere. I'm not sure if the children in the group to the left are fighting; if so, then it adds to the photo. I am not sure about the grey patch in the sky; it is too indistinct for a cloud. Then there is a similar bit to the left. What happened there?

A very nice bit of composition. The advertisement, pillar and man complement one another as three verticals. I particularly like the timing of the shot as you have captured the person at the perfect moment. I only wish the background was thrown a bit out of focus to avoid attention diverting to the names of the shops. Regards.

Rather interesting photo...one that grabs attention immediately. In large part I feel this has to do with the composition and the placement of the man with the face of the lady jutting out from his shoulder, facing the other way. This "other way" is interesting...with his tanned face, the man holds his own against a number of faces which are all looking in the opposite direction. Maybe at some level it demonstrates an East-West divide (For east is east....Kipling) brought together in a frame (much like the two Germanys now united?). The reflection in the poster...(did the poster show children and air hostess gazing out of the window of a plane?)...I'm not quite sure of its relevance. Maybe the lines have some importance too.

I must say that all of the above are my musings on the photo and how it appears to me. It may or may not relate to what prompted you to shoot in the first place or your "two devices". Regards.

Thanks for your comments. Rajnish, I had the same thoughts when I saw this man...right out of an Asterix comic book!! I had similar feelings about the man in black but leaving him out would mean a poorer frame.

Thanks for your interest in this photo. I tried to follow this up with another as the nun walked into the compound but ran out of memory. By the time I deleted a photo, the moment was gone forever.

@Matthijs: I did crop a bit from the right to eliminate a taxi driver who would have been a distraction. I did wonder if I should crop from the bottom but then left the rest as it was.

Thanks. What attracted me was the man on the left. This is the closest I could get without attracting his attention. His rather confused look is what I wanted to portray.

Participants from a Polish celebration highlighting victory over Turks in the

13th Century, as I was explained by a member of the group. Thank you for

your constructive comments on this photo.

John, I admit I am not quite aware of the compositional aspects of this photo. Your other two recent photos (the one of the railing ultimately leading the eye to the clouds and the one with the lady and her shoe) are more or less self-explanatory in this regard. Could you please elaborate on the composition here? Thanks.

Beautiful contrasts and mood. The only thing is that the rider is left totally in the dark...but that adds an element of uncertainty...is he coming or going?

I admit I did not. Maybe I should have. But I've done this before and I have this feeling that I am "paying" the person to get the photos I want. I find it difficult to dissociate these things.

Thank you both for your interest in this photo. What you have written, Bob, is so very true. I wish I could have captured the boy's facial expression; it would have spoken volumes. But I chose to shoot this from a distance to capture the flavour of the situation and to get a more 'natural' shot.

And no, no coin was dropped by either of the girls...