Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Chris Calohan on October 02, 2012, 12:02:48 pm

Title: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Chris Calohan on October 02, 2012, 12:02:48 pm
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8038/8046014127_d2105925cc_o.jpg)
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: RSL on October 02, 2012, 12:14:55 pm
Okay, Chris, I'll bite. What the hell does that title mean and how does it relate to the picture?
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: amolitor on October 02, 2012, 12:18:25 pm
My guess is that he's pretending to fish while some idiot takes his picture, and neither piece of this situation much pleases him.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Rob C on October 02, 2012, 01:39:24 pm
Okay, Chris, I'll bite. What the hell does that title mean and how does it relate to the picture?

Ringo Starr.

Rob C
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Mjollnir on October 02, 2012, 02:01:19 pm
Ringo Starr.

Rob C

Actually, that line comes from a Buck Owens song, "Act Naturally".
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Richowens on October 02, 2012, 04:47:14 pm
Actually both. Buck Owens in 1963, Ringo Starr in 1965.

Buck Owens and Ringo Starr duet 1989.

Rich
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: RSL on October 02, 2012, 04:52:05 pm
Sounds like "authenticity." If you can fake it you've got it made.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on October 02, 2012, 05:28:13 pm
Sounds like "authenticity." If you can fake it you've got it made.

That's half Woody Allen's quip, Russ: "The two things in life that matter are honesty and integrity. If you can fake those, you've got it made."

Jeremy

(edit: removed a stray "H")
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: RSL on October 02, 2012, 09:06:20 pm
Right, Jeremy. I think you nailed it. I couldn't remember the source.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Chris Calohan on October 02, 2012, 09:21:12 pm
He was hamming for the camera and he asked, "should I act all natural like?" Hence, the title.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Rob C on October 03, 2012, 04:07:48 am
That's half Woody Allen's quip, Russ: "The two things in life that matter are honesty and integrity. If you can fake those, you've got it made."

Jeremy

(edit: removed a stray "H")



Now that's brilliant, and why I love that sort of Jewish humour that seems to be unattainable to other comedians!

It works, because within it lies a terrible truth.

Rob C
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: stamper on October 03, 2012, 10:31:29 am
Ringo Starr.

Rob C

Wasn't the original singer. Jonny Russell wrote and sang the song. Saw him live in the Pavilion about thirty years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry1HjgHTNCo
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Chris Calohan on October 03, 2012, 12:24:14 pm
I don't particularly like being referred as "some idiot." That was rather rude and uncalled for. Perhaps you meant it in humor...perhaps.

If someone catches me making a street shot, I immediately go to plan B and ask permission. Most often, they don't give a flip one way or the other and let me shoot. This guy hammed for the camera but I think I caught him in a good moment.

There have been ten comments made toward this shot and not one of them has been a critique of the photo. Why pray tell, is this called, User Critiques? I don't mind the banter, but I would like some critique as I am relatively new in the street shooting arena.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: RSL on October 03, 2012, 12:32:29 pm
Okay Chris, before I can come up with a sensible criticism I have to ask: what made you shoot this picture? What were you after? What did you see inside this frame that made you raise the camera?
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: shutterpup on October 03, 2012, 01:13:49 pm
You talk about hamming for the camera was acceptable; in my opinion, if you want a natural shot, you don't want someone hamming for you. Like Russ asked, what were you going for when you shot this? What made you notice this particular guy at this particular place? Otherwise, IMHO, the comments you received tell it all for critique.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Chris Calohan on October 03, 2012, 02:14:15 pm
Probably more than anything, that I caught him in an inbetween moment - between hamming and between just doing what he was doing prior to my arrival. I find fishermen to be especially interesting to shoot. In most cases they have an odd intensity to their gaze, almost as if expecting the next one will be the keeper and not the one that got away. He was pretty intent and I wish I'd gotten him in one of those moments instead of looking up at the camera - though he really wasn't looking at me but at his buddy who behind me but even at that, look how he's holding his rod. The intent is still on fishing, despite or in spite of my presence.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Bruce Cox on October 03, 2012, 02:40:30 pm
I find the sky above his head and the railing and receding pier behind his back to be distracting from the composition of the scene.

Bruce
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: RSL on October 03, 2012, 02:58:22 pm
. . .I wish I'd gotten him in one of those moments instead of looking up at the camera. . .

But you didn't. So why did you post the failed result? I'm not trying to be a hardass, Chris, but I see way too many pictures like this -- not so often on LuLa as on "Documentary" -- that should have been kept around for a couple weeks for a later look, after the thrill of having snapped the shutter has worn off. I keep coming back to the fact that the only thing a photographer's reputation -- or, to extend the net, any visual artist's reputation -- can hang on is the pictures he shows. Every time you show a loser you dilute that reputation.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on October 03, 2012, 02:58:50 pm
Following the Russ' standard distinction, the shot does not appear to belong to either journalism (no story behind), or street (no ambiguity). What it appears to amount to, however, is a snapshot for the guy's family album (or proof to his wife that he was indeed out fishing).
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: amolitor on October 03, 2012, 03:23:02 pm
My "some idiot" remark was intended in an entirely humorous way, and I apologize to not making that perfectly clear. I was placing myself in the role of the photographer and remembering how people have indulged me in the past in similar situations.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Chris Calohan on October 03, 2012, 04:56:43 pm
Apology accepted..I was really hoping it was supposed to be humorous and I just missed the point. Sorry for the sensitivity. It's not been the best of weeks.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: Chris Calohan on October 03, 2012, 04:59:29 pm
Hmmmmmm...guess I need to chalk this one up to missing the point entirely. Sometimes, it just looks right..sometimes it just isn't. Good suggestion as to leaving them in the box for a few weeks. I am still working on this craft.
Title: Re: "And All I Have to Do is Act Naturally"
Post by: WalterEG on October 03, 2012, 05:11:00 pm
I find fishermen to be especially interesting to shoot. In most cases they have an odd intensity to their gaze, almost as if expecting the next one will be the keeper and not the one that got away.

Fishermen and photographers are not so different after all.