Nearly another street photo? (C+C)

dazftw

There's a little too much wall though and I could be closer..

Bronica SQ-A
80mm f/2.8 Zenzanon-S
Kodak 400-TX

Fenster

I just don't see it, I am sorry.

kjt

What are you trying to convey with the shot...? It does nothing for me, as in, it brings out no emotion. I don't know where to look. The wall draws my eye down to the woman and child opposed to the older lady (which I'm guessing you're going for here). When I finally do look at the woman I get drawn over to the other woman on the right who's walking away, then theirs also the annoying crutch on the bottom right.

I really don't mean to sound negative Darren but I hate when people say "it does nothing for me" and leave it at that. I wanted you to see where I'm coming from when I say... it does nothing for me

dazftw

When I'm out and have the camera with me I'm always trying to look for interesting people, I saw this woman just as I came around the corner and I just wanted to get her smoking and showing how shes old with the walking stick.

I have a problem I wish I could get past which is actually asking the person for a photograph.. Alot of what i'm trying to achieve is luck I had only a few seconds to get this and I didn't wanna walk infront of her so I stopped and let her walk to me.. There's just too much distraction..

I rather people say it's does nothing for them and give a reason why than say nothing at all though! That's what c+c is there for! If I couldn't take people not liking my photos I wouldn't post at all.

SinisterDexter

Well I agree with too much wall and I think you should have cropped out the other crutch aswell as I find myself wondering was it a line of people with crutches.:p
And just a bit too much distraction in it.

KarmaGarda

For me it is a street photograph, but not a very good one. Reason being is it looks like you weren't committed to the photograph, compositionally it's a little off, and it doesn't say anything to me.

Here's an idea for you. Next time you're on the street try think about what you want to photo. Look around, not just for interesting looking people, but interesting objects, interesting situations, interesting emotions, etc. Maybe even pick a theme for yourself and aim for that. If you don't what you'll just end up with is snapshots of people in a moment in time. Which sometimes works, but more often than not. Take a look at these guys and see their interpretations on street:

http://jsthomasphotography.com/
http://www.mattstuart.com/

Search for Joe Wigfall on youtube too. That'll give you some ideas.

AnCatDubh

I'd think that you'd be able to isolate your subject with a 3x2 portrait crop. The only thing is then it becomes just the subject with very little street. Yes the wall is very overpowering but again, you'd be able to crop some of it perhaps 1/3 -> 1/2.

There is a subtle contrast in the scene, your primary subject representing aging, not exactly the picture of health, smoking, the walking stick (which by the way isn't a criticism of the individual but just as they appear to me in the shot) and on the contrast in the background the perhaps pretty young mother with her daughter or two youthful sisters - heaven knows whether all of that is truth but a photography can only capture the visuals, unless otherwise explained the mind generally will have to make up the missing bits / create the story. So there is the contrast, and a kinda age progression buzz to it if you are to interpret it that way.

For me, it doesn't make something that I would hang on the wall of my house to see every day. But the scene isn't unlike what you will come across in many archives, hence if its purpose is to record at a moment in time then it probably works. If it is to show the passage of age, then it could be working too. If it is to be something that is aesthetically pleasing then to my eye it doesn't really work.

The bit that I find particularly distracting isn't the wall at all (although the wall is overpowering). The bottom right of the frame with whatever it is jutting into it is wreckin me head.

You choose not to do much post processing? Was this intentional? If it were me, I'd be ploughing contrast and shadows, vignettes and highlights in there. But then again, I may be the only one that would get that from such an image. Although that being said, with a 1/3 crop off the wall and a little vignette in there (if that works for you) I think that the wall will become noticeably less overpowering / like the shadows will be able to mask it. Just a thought.

Hope some of that helps (usual disclaimer - only the opinion of a not very well versed individual, don't take any of it to heart ).

Rb

Tbh, and I suffer from the same thing, it conveys your own insecurity or lack of self confidence.

It's obvious you wanted to take a photo of the woman, however it's equally obvious that you were afraid of pointing the camera directly at her.

The way it is composed is very distracting too, the wall takes up far, far too much of the shot and leads you past the subject, instead of to the subject, similarly if the bench draws your eye intially also it leads away from the intended subject and into the background, leaving the actual target of the shot as somewhat of an "extra" in the photo.

The stuff on the bottom right corner is also distracting from the shot and once again leads the beholder away from your intended subject, which doesn't help.

Perhaps get a long lens and stand well back making it look like you're taking a general shot, while actually zoom/focusing in on your intended subject without being noticed?

AnimalRights

I prefer not to ask people, when you do about 90% go to 'say cheese' pose mode.

Let people have a bash with your picture to see what they can do? Be interesting to see the comparisons.

Fajitas!

Rb wrote: »

Tbh, and I suffer from the same thing, it conveys your own insecurity or lack of self confidence.

It's obvious you wanted to take a photo of the woman, however it's equally obvious that you were afraid of pointing the camera directly at her.

The way it is composed is very distracting too, the wall takes up far, far too much of the shot and leads you past the subject, instead of to the subject, similarly if the bench draws your eye intially also it leads away from the intended subject and into the background, leaving the actual target of the shot as somewhat of an "extra" in the photo.

The stuff on the bottom right corner is also distracting from the shot and once again leads the beholder away from your intended subject, which doesn't help.

Perhaps get a long lens and stand well back making it look like you're taking a general shot, while actually zoom/focusing in on your intended subject without being noticed?

This is quite a good run down of the image, especially the first two lines.

I definitely think you should have went up and asked her though, especially as you were using your WLVF, it wouldn't have been half as intrusive. It's a matter of getting the confidence to go up, ask and take the shot though. If you can do that, the majority of people will let you.

I prefer not to ask people, when you do about 90% go to 'say cheese' pose mode.

There's a trick to getting around that.

dazftw

Thanks guys! Any sort of comment is great! Good or bad doesn't bother me aslong as I get an opinion! Opinions are good.

As for cropping.. If this was 35mm I would have no problem cropping but its 6x6 medium format and I simply don't want to crop it. I feel I need to fill the frame perfectly with what im shooting for it to be good. If I ever was to crop it would be have to stay square.

Al your going to have to show me how you do it haha! Im always tempted to ask but chicken out at the last second.. I have some more 120 B&W film coming in the post. I will ask someone next time im out.

Fenster

Fajitas! wrote: »

There's a trick to getting around that.

''You ugly cow!''
''What did you just s...''
*snap*

dazftw

Asked 4 people today got 4 photos :rolleyes:

Might have them up this weekend.. just need to finish the roll.. Its color so I should use it up farily quick.

Fajitas!

dazftw wrote: »

Asked 4 people today got 4 photos :rolleyes:

There you go