Free Sweets
I started this blog, at the prompting of Cheryl Crumm, as a way of disciplining myself to take and submit at least one photo per day this summer to improve my photography skills. I know I have a long way to go, and today I didn't have much time to concentrate on shooting - the opportunities were there, I just rushed it. So I could either look back some old stuff and post something from the archives, or do the best I could with what I have and learn from it.
Obviously I chose the latter, so tell me how this opportunity could have turned out better if I had taken the time to do it right. I have some ideas, but I want to hear it from you.
Hey Mike, Im not sure what is wrong with the picture if anything is wrong. To me Street photography is 80% luck and 20% being prepared. I love your images, you have an eye for photography which is something that really can not be taught. I think the fact that you are going out with limited time, and wanting to post a recent photo on your blog is a testament to your dedication to the craft. I have a lot more time to devote to photography and there are days that I come home with no good image to show for my efforts. What can't be seen is that you go out and learn something new every day and when the day comes that a photo is presented to you, you put all those lessons into a fraction of a second and make that one good image.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gerry. Its possible to go out and spend a whole day shooting street images, and finding just one or two great images out of a hundred shots. So for you to get this one image in a limited time is commendable. Your image is full of information, and describes a situation, as it happened. Money changing hands in exchange for sweets, and a queue of patient hungry public. Photographing human activity is very important (in a documenting kind of way).
ReplyDeleteThat all said, there isn't much wrong anyway. Highlights are controlled, contrast is nice, B&W tones are good.
Keep it up!
Thanks guys! I really appreciate the encouragement, very kind and generous of you to take the time to comment.
ReplyDeleteI guess because I have the image in my head of what the scene looked like and what it might look like if I were to shoot it over again, that leaves the image lacking in my mind. I thought the first thing that would be noticeably "wrong" was the missing context - where is it, what's taking place here, why did I think this was worthy of being photographed, etc.
Or perhaps it is sometimes better to leave that information out, and allow the viewer to supply the context, as Bill did in describing the transaction?
Here's a wider view from a different angle, in original color, a lot more information:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgatton/6035232354/
There's a snow-making machine on top of the truck, and you can see the snowflakes flying around if you look carefully. (It's on 42nd street, so I felt more comfortable about the people shots, everyone's walking around with cameras there...)
ahhhh.. a snow machine, I did wonder. :)
ReplyDeleteI can see how you may have thought something was missing from the shot... but in my opinion you did a good job ... maybe a caption saying what was going on. I like to sometimes leave my viewers to there own imagination. =)
ReplyDelete