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01/16/2006 11:38:59 AM |
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost
TECHNIQUE
The first thing I notice, after the guy with the hat and hookah (?) is the awkward perspective and tilt to the photo. This is generally a technical no-no and adds a very distracting element to a picture. Focus and exposure appear to be fine. I can't tell how the scene is lit but since it's apparently outdoors, it must be indirect daylight. Contrast is good but I think the colors could pop a little more.
COMPOSITION
You mention in your notes that you jumped out of your car and shot this so I gathered you must have been hurried and a little off balance. It does have the appearance of a quick snap. Depending on your distance and the resolution of your shot, I would have preferred a closer crop. He looks like a character, and as such, you want to emphasize his humanity. As shot, I can only barely distinguish any facial features. His push-cart also tells a story, but it's almost impossible to make out what he's carrying in there. The trash-can in the background is an unfortunate distraction. All the negative space around the guy subtly detracts from the purpose of the image.
EMOTIONAL IMPACT
I believe this shot had great potential but it went unrealized due to the distance and distracting elements (trash can, unnecessary negative space). Shots of people are some of the highest rated on the site, but to achieve this, you need to get tight on your subject and capture the expressions, emotions, and drama of your subject. This guy obviously has all of these qualities, but they just don't come through in your shot. Your final score of 5.29 is not bad, but probably could have been much higher if you had really captured this guy. Your commenters were all over the place, which indicates that you struck some kind of a nerve with the voters - a good thing even though you pulled an average score. |
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Comments Made During the Challenge  |
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01/10/2006 06:49:08 PM |
| I'm sure he's going down hill but it's so close to the subject that it gives the effect of being of center. |
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01/10/2006 04:38:47 PM |
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01/09/2006 05:29:21 PM |
| Couple guys like this can wipe out whole city clean of cans and bottles. Getting 20c out of each can one dude takes a 2 week vacation every year. |
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01/09/2006 01:03:08 PM |
| Nice photo, colors are very nice, you might get flack about the center composition because there is a lot of dead space on the right of the photo. |
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01/08/2006 09:30:07 PM |
| Strong image, showing citylife challenges.... |
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01/07/2006 10:09:58 PM |
| Wow, that is definately unusual. Nice picture, good coloring.Only improvement I could suggest is to crop the empty space from the right, that would bring the man moving into the picture instead of moving out as it is now. |
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01/07/2006 09:52:46 PM |
| To me, this really says "City Life". . .street people meandering about. This is great. Tack sharp and vibrant contrast in colors. Good luck! I really love it! |
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01/06/2006 02:00:14 PM |
| Interesting portrait, would like to be closer in and reveal more of subject's face; plus environment doesn't reveal very much city here |
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01/06/2006 04:14:08 AM |
This is a sparking good street photograph! As well as the stark composition-in-two-dimensions effect, which I like, there are several fascinating questions to engage the viewer. First, obviously: why that hat? Then there's the thing in his mouth - is it a whistle? Why? And the walking frame - it's in immaculate condition, and is of the type used by infirm or disabled people, yet he doesn't look like that at first glance. But he's not actually walking, is he? He seems instead to be standing still with his legs crossed, which is inexplicable. So who, and what, is he? He's certainly not a homeless person (walker, watch, clothes, grooming, etc - plus he's passing by a big bag containing valuable aluminum cans, without a glance). There are so many ambiguous and bizarre aspects to this subject that the viewer may conclude that the photograph is a deliberately staged absurdity. Yet I don't think that it is!
Is it a "City Life" photograph? Yep; it's got to be. Everything's possible in the big city, even this. |
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01/05/2006 10:15:39 PM |
| hahaah i love these random people shots, it totally sums up city life! in my opinion this would have been better if the subject was not centered but more towards the right of the frame. i like the border you added |
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01/05/2006 07:31:05 PM |
Nice capture. What city would be complete without characters like these :)
Good detail and candid feel to the shot. |
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01/04/2006 11:41:39 PM |
| this scores higher than other good portraits because I can see not only him but his life. |
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01/04/2006 11:13:20 PM |
| Composition is ok. The choice of subject matter is ok. The image quality is a little below average. Could have been a little more creative. - 4 |
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01/04/2006 09:16:40 PM |
| Well, this one looks like a setup. The fancy watch, the MJ Nike shoes, the new walker, the sombrero from Chevy's. The idea was right, but this appears a little to fake for me. Forgive me if I am wrong, but that's just what it seems like. |
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01/04/2006 03:24:13 PM |
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01/04/2006 01:06:48 PM |
| Looks like the camera is tilted -- don't like that! Straightened, it's a really neat picture. |
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01/04/2006 12:43:23 PM |
very interesting.. not sure what to make of this, whether its candid or not. he seems to be pillaging the garbage, yet is pretty well dressed (nice shoes and watch). good shot, made me study it.
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