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DON'T WANDER
DON'T WANDER
HighNooner


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Spinning (Basic Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi
Lens: Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Location: Old downtown, Amman - Jordan
Date: Mar 22, 2007
Aperture: 4.5
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/20
Date Uploaded: Mar 22, 2007

 This guy is not a model, in the sense; he is a real knife and scissors sharpener who runs his own very small shop in old downtown Amman – Jordan. The street where the shop is, is very narrow - some 6 meters wide about 20 feet for some of you - with four story high buildings on both sides making it near impossible to get adequate sunlight at any time of the day, and especially an hour before sunset when I took this shoot; so I had to take the picture; while standing outside in the narrow street, with a shutter speed of 1/20 and aperture of 4.5 thinking to myself if this is going to be out of focus or blurred.
He demanded I pay him money; so we agreed I pay him five Jordan dinars (4 Euros), and bring back at my convenience, five knifes for him to sharpen for me.
I only noticed the burns on his right hand after I looked at the photo on the computer monitor.
I did general color correction and levels, some rotation and cropping.
The sparks emitted by the spinning wheel touching the knife really lit the small shop and reflected on the guys glasses and gave his face the reddish tone.
There was one more neon light at the ceiling that lit his left shoulder and the messy background.
One more thing; I noticed this guy really focuses when he spins the wheel and handles the blades.
I like the photo and I hope people will.

Statistics
Place: 68 out of 156
Avg (all users): 5.4120
Avg (commenters): 6.5000
Avg (participants): 5.3509
Avg (non-participants): 5.4340
Views since voting: 820
Views during voting: 285
Votes: 216
Comments: 5
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 04/18/2007 03:31:18 PM
As an American and photographer I am always interested in both your photography and your outlook as a Jordanian from the Middle East because of the current political suituation betweeen Christian Americans and Moslem Jordanians. I find it interesting that your subject demanded both pay and additionl work from you to take the picture. I've paid homeless people in the USA to take their photographs before to and understand. :)

Positives:
Overall the image is good, particularly your capture of sparks. Your image and capture well displays what you are trying to convey regarding your subject. You relate to your subject and that comes out in the composition.

Technicals:
Your subject is slightly oversharpened as shown in the digital 'hash' marks in his glasses on MY monitor. Your main subject's face looks underexposed and and red color casted to me. :(

The Challenge:
Your image meets the challenge. Technical photographic issues affected this image and it's score negatively moreso than anything else.

Suggestions:
Adjust for the red color cast, specifically as related to your subject's face. Overall your image is slightly underexposed and that should be corrected. These small details can make all the difference in the world in how a DPC image is scored.

Message edited by author 2007-04-18 15:32:42.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
04/02/2007 10:31:43 PM
i like the idea,it is very in focus, and i like the orange sparks!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/02/2007 11:29:37 AM
This frightens me, but I love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/30/2007 12:24:58 AM
great shot, awesome sparks! maybe try it in black in white? stuff in background a little distracting
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/28/2007 07:19:08 PM
How terrifying...
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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