gino_qualbender

I like the fact that here expression is not simply happy and carefree as a first impression

might suggest. Her right eye partially hidden by her hair has an intense and mysterious

quality (perhaps it's just because she is dividing her attention between the camera and the

violin) different from her left eye.

 

I do agree with some of the others that I'd like to see some more music and passion in the

photo. Instead what we have is a portrait of a young woman who appears confident and in

control of herself and her instrument. I think it's tough to pull off the posed, but real

portrait that you're going for. Trying to have your cake and eat it too.

 

One other thing: the cropping. I think it might be either too tight (around the top of her

head, for instance) or not tight enough. Also, the large disembodied hand bothers me a

bit. Might be nice if it were blurred a bit more or something. I just find it a bit distracting.

 

Nitpicking aside, it is a magnetic and striking photograph.

Just to clarify, I realize there probably wasn't anything that Robert

could have done to have helped. I'm not saying that he should

have -- though, understand, that the photograph makes the

viewer feel a bit guilty for not lending a hand (which is part of the

image's power). I'm just curious as to how people approach

such situations and what motivates them. This photo makes me

wonder if I would have the guts to get down in the thick of it, raise

my camera and shoot (using fill flash would make me feel even

more intrusive). Would it be easier or harder if I'd interacted with

the people previously? I'm a bit self-conscious about shooting

people without asking for permission -- especially when

travelling in a foreign country. From looking at Robert's portfolio, I

feel that he is able to connect with people and to tap into

situations and tell a story with his camera.

 

Plus, I'm trying to drum up an interesting discussion about travel

photography!

Robert, perhaps you could tell us a little more about your

experience here. Did you spend any time with these people or

did you have a chance to chat with the herdsman? Before the

river incident? After? Or were you just passing through when this

spectacle came to pass?

 

I ask because it's interesting to examine the relationship

between photographer and subject in terms of travel

photography where surely the photographer in a case like this a

bit of a surreal element to the herdsman. Is the herdsman's

expression actually one of: who are you, and why don't you help

me? Or is it, "Robert, look at my poor camel, we must save it"?

 

Can you image how surreal it would seem to this man that he an

his camel are now the subject of viewing and discussion for

people around the world via a technology that's most likely totally

alien to him? I wonder what his response would be.

 

The quintessential photojournalist's (though you were just a

traveller, no? -- or do you set out to get images that you can sell

or use?) predicament: Did you lend a hand?

 

Also, do you have any other photos of these people outside of

the river incident? If so, I'd love to see them.

Robert, congratulations on the well-deserved POW. I doubt

there'll be much discussion regarding it though -- maybe a few

people saying "gee, how could you just stand there taking

pictures when this guys obviously needs help!". I also really like

#584420 which is full of motion and tells us more about the

situation (this was not just one man and his drowning camel).

 

Great portfolio. I sense that you have great respect for the people

you photograph. There's a playfulness and compassion that

comes through in many of your shots. Good use of color vs b/w

too. Thanks for the journey.

Reminds me of Miles Davis -- late period with shiny clothes and

fly sunglasses. ;-)

 

Beautiful photo, Mark!

Looked at it again. Scratch the bit about openness and space.

That's not it. Somehow, I'm just not picking up the poetry and

atmosphere that I feel should be there. Is it the open quality of

the light? Maybe it's simply that the strong lines give it more of a

graphic quality. It's definitely a beautiful postcard, but I want more

from it somehow.

This really is a special image, but I have to agree that it does

look a bit artificial. It looks crisp to the point of lacking a feeling of

openness and space if that makes any sense. I suppose the

crispness goes with the spiked splashes, but still I'm not sure.

Did you sharpen the image in PS at all? I suppose most

scanners sharpen a bit anyway. I'd love to see the 4x5

tranparency, which I'm sure must be truly stunning!

 

Congrats!

I like it, Carl, but this sort of thing cries out for a larger format to

get all the little details and tones. One thing that bothers me a

little is the glare on the dark wood a little right of center -- it takes

away from the overall richness of the image. A makeshift gobo or

a bit of diffusion might do the trick to knock it down a bit -- or

perhaps just a very slight change in the camera angle.

 

Congratulations on the POW!

Well, I have to agree with other posters that the elves have gotten a bit carried away with their interpretation. I suppose Jan's title invites it, but, for that matter, I think I'd leave the title ("Not Defeated") out. The place and date would be sufficient. Still, I like the image for it's simplicity and positive energy, and the window with it's wear and textures is interesting.

Hmm... I think Tom may be right about the green cast. In his

revision, the scene feels a little more natural, more real (and

more depth?). Then again, if you're going for surreal, maybe you

want the green. Also, though I like the overall colors, I'd be

curious to see a desaturated version of the same scene.

 

Classic composition, pleasing colors, great light. Maybe next

time, once you get your shot, you should put your camera on

timer-release and run down the path and position yourself (if

possible) as a figure emerging from the fog. It may be tricky to

pull off, and you may prefer the original, but it'd be worth a try.

It's interesting to read Tony's remarks and Doug's response

regarding the framing (cropping) of this image. I agree that one

needs to make decisions regarding the composition/framing

beforehand, but I don't see why one can't have doubts later and

ask for others' opinions or change one's mind later -- AA certainly

revised his work. Doug originally print this image as a horizontal.

Now he's presenting it as a square. Why not, if, in the end, Doug

prefers it to his original presentation. He's unsure about it -- fine.

Bring out the cropping arms and let's have a look at the

possibilities and discuss them. What photographer has not

learned a thing or two by doing so? That's what was happening

above, thanks to photo.net. I personally like the square best, and

I think, despite his doubts, Doug does too.

 

Still, I know what Tony's talking about, and I agree with it for the

most part. I suppose, Doug, that as photographers we have to

commit to our work and make the tough decisions if we are to

move forward and evolve.

 

Here's a little except from HCB that may or may not be of interest:

 

"I believe that, through the act of living, the discovery of oneself is

made concurrently with the discovery of the world around us

which can mould us. A balance must be established between

these two worlds."

 

I think, Doug, that this image demonstrates that sort of balance. I

think the questions you have now about cropping stems from

what HCB says now:

 

"But this takes care only of the content of the picture. For me

content cannot be separated from form. By form, I mean a

rigorous organization of the interplay of surfaces, lines and

values. It is in this organisation alone that our conceptions and

emotions become concrete and communicable."

 

Through constantly experimenting with cropping, it seems to me,

Doug, that you are searching for that ideal organisation. In my

opinion, the version here is very fine and, by Cartier-Bresson's

standards stated above, a very formidable image. Touching and

beautiful.

I like the effect of the blurred edges, but I do find the dark blurry

branches in the top right a little distracting. I suppose they help

balance the darkness of the pedestrian and the left corner, but it

pulls on my eyes a bit. Still, I wouldn't crop it. Personally, I'm a big

fan of the square format and think it works well for this image.

 

Might be nice to see a little more detail in the pedestrian.

 

Incidentally, why the red filter? Looks like a pretty high contrast

scene already, and the sky certainly doesn't appear darkened.

 

Beautiful shot, by the way. Gives me a chill!

I'm guessing that Sugimoto stages the lighting of his wax

models though, no?

I hasten to add that I'm sure Chris could go back to this subject

and technically improve upon the image, as well, if he chose to.

Well, this has certainly been an amusing POW. What I find

interesting is the way many people see a suffering man in what,

upon close inspection, is not a particularly convincing model.

The neck is all wrong, he has no ear canal, the eyes are totally

lifeless, he's missing an arm, the hair is like straw, he's bent

over in some strange position with water showering from above

him, his jacket is from another century, etc., etc. (However, I'm

not saying that people should feel silly for taking it for real, --

though the elves did put their collective foot in their mouth!)

 

I'm guessing that Chris is right in his estimation of this figure as

a not particularly well made one. I'm also guessing that many of

us passing by this figure, would probably not feel compelled to

stop and stare. Chris' photograph has made us stop and look.

And this is, afterall, one of the reasons we appreciate art. Seeing

things out of context challenges our senses and provokes a

unique emotional response. That said, I don't think this is great

art (especially since I think many of us could easily replicate it or

improve upon it if we knew where it was), but I do like it, and

Chris had the eye to see it's potential.

Yes, William, I agree. But, providing the time and place of a photo

(as Tony does with this image) is generally sufficient if the image

is to fall into the category of "fine art", which I feel it does. How

many artists in this or other mediums provide a detailed

description (anything more than a short caption, such as

"Speaker's Corner, London, 1975", for instance) of what is being

portrayed, and therefore, how the viewer should interpret it? It

seems to me that the artist almost always leaves that to the

critics. Misinterpretation is inevitable. But, that's partially what art

is about: the potential for a wide range of interpretations and

emotional responses. In addition, having read Tony's

recollection of the events surrounding this image, I still come

back to the image and appreciate it on it's own terms (with

perhaps the added awareness of a powerful stink). Again, I

maintain that it's interesting to read what Tony recalls of the

situation, but, initially, at least, I'd rather be able to look at the

image and respond to it directly, using my own personal

experiences and emotions as a guide.

Once again, Marc, you've hit the nail on the head. If there were an

award for the most dedicated and clear-headed photo.net

contributor, you'd have to be a top candidate. It's always a

pleasure reading your insightful -- and seemingly ubiquitous --

comments.

Sheri raises an interesting question. Tony answers it with a

suitable answer: the image was never meant to be journalistic.

HCB preferred not to have captions or titles for photographs. If

I'm not mistaken, he thought any image should stand on its own;

tell it's own story as the viewer witnesses it. It's an interesting

idea that by simply freezing a moment in time within a frame,

Tony telling a misleading story. But, then all street photographs

are photographic lies: temporary relationships within a frame

imposed by the photographer.

 

So, I tend to disagree with Sheri. I think a detailed caption is

interesting in retrospect, but not necessarily before you have a

chance to apply your own interpretation. However, would the

people in this photo feel misrepresented? Scarred by an image

that may lead some (but, certainly not all) people to think them

cruel? This is an issue for Tony to consider, but I think it's

unlikely that Tony was out to do anything more than capture a

poignant and compelling moment in time.

Tony, thanks so much for the response to my questions

regarding your approach and so on. You've single-handedly

gotten me motivated to take to the streets again -- to try to get

tuned into humanity, camera in hand. And, if I ever get a single

image half as good as this one, I'll be very happy.

Out of curiousity, Tony, when you took this photograph, did you

consciously make the decision to find this sort of scene, or did

you simply happen across it, Leica in hand, and allow your

instincts to take over? I find street photography very difficult for a

number of reasons. One dilemma I've faced in the times I've

gone out looking for shots is: is it best to walk around as a

hunter of images, or do you simply find a place and wait for the

image you want to come to you? I gather from Cartier-Bresson's

writings that he just strolled around with his Leica in his hand

looking for decisive moments. What do you think? Any advice to

the struggling street shooter?

To me, this is what street photography is all about.

Cartier-Bresson is the master of this sort of image, but yours

could sit proudly along side his classics. You've captured the

look and feel of the 70's, while also capturing the timeless

tragedy that is wealth and poverty. Decadence transcending

brotherhood, or something like that. A very decisive moment,

brilliantly composed, and loaded with emotion, irony, and poetry.

 

Tony, another of your images was of a "bum" (for lack of a better

word), whom you later felt guilty for having photographed. I was

never sure how to feel about it, as it did seem mildly predatory,

but was nevertheless a powerful image. The Speaker's Corner

image here makes amends for any question about the other.

You have shown your humanity and compassion in this image.

I'm not particularly religious, but this photo makes me think of

Christ carrying the cross or something similar from one of those

masterful old paintings of Titian or his contemporaries.

 

This is the first POW in some weeks where I suspect there will

be little, if no disagreement over it's merit.

 

Thanks, Tony.

Well, people may be dancing in the background, and this may

actually be in a club, but who cares if the image doesn't convey it.

And shallow depth of field always conveys a sort of isolation --

but "world-within-a-world"? The IR effect is interesting, but it's not

really adding anything that elevates the image.

 

Incidentally, I don't think anyone should worry about being honest

with their criticism. A kochanowski certainly doesn't pull any

punches in his comments of other photo.net images.

Needless to say, this is well done and aesthetically interesting, but I'm not sure what to make of the various elements mingling in the center. The bright spot in the center could act as sort of a radiating core, but instead it's more of a bright drifting cloud that's a bit distracting and takes away from the general symmetry of the image. Is it intended as a sort of fig leaf? There are other things going on too, but I can't really make them out. A little ambiguity can be good, but my imagination is not taking the reins.

Interpretation? Well, the image is sort of Metropolis meets Da Vinci with a female model, fed through a City of Lost Children filter. Mixing those elements obviously leads to numerous interpretive possibilities, but I'm not sure I feel anything stronger than that it's a nifty image.

That said, Lasse is obviously very talented, and I look forward to seeing more of his creations.

[ moderator edit: we try to keep the discussion focussed on the image itself. Discussion of photo.net policy and other issues is welcome, but this is simply not the right place. So we delete such comments and edit those which are at least partially discussing the image. If anybody is not happy with our edits to his/her comment, he/she is free to remove the comment entirely ]

This is an excellent shot, David. I think the blown out sky adds drama. The reflection of the surfer is interesting: it seems calm in the face of the wave that's sucking it in.

 

One thought I have is to try cropping the left side. Doing so tightly contains the sort of circular motion and drama of the scene. Compositionally, the position of the surfer to the frame gives it a different feel, as well.

 

In the original, the dark blue calm on the left provides a dramatic contrast to the white turbulance on the right. You obviously lose that in the cropped version.

 

What do you think?

 

P.S., I hope you don't mind me altering your image like this. If you do, let me know and I'll remove it.

Rui, I like the "shot you were looking for" that you just posted a link to. More powerful in it's simplicity than the POW. Of course, the kiss gives it more impact, as well. Even the railing from the staircase is better -- not as distractingly white as in this image.

 

Center framing is still debatable, though I think it works in the alternate version. Try cropping it from either side and see if you like the effect.