Farmers Market

[RSL]

Kid With Puppy. Finally got out on the street.

[BobDavid]

There's a lot of play between the shadows, shapes, and colors. I know you're a purist; I'm not sure about the black rods on the left side of the frame. 

This image sneaks up on you. It requires more than a quick glance to "get inside" it.  There's more to it than just a cute kid and a pup.

Very nice.

[RSL]

Thanks, Bob. I've been away from the street for too long. Your comment about the black rods at the left made me realize suddenly that I hadn't even tried B&W. I ALWAYS used to convert to B&W unless there was some reason not to do that.

[BobDavid]

Thanks, Bob. I've been away from the street for too long. Your comment about the black rods at the left made me realize suddenly that I hadn't even tried B&W. I ALWAYS used to convert to B&W unless there was some reason not to do that.

Wow, quite a difference. The B & W is radically different. I like.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Me too. The colors aren't what the photo is about, and I feel they are distracting.
The B&W really sings!

[GrahamBy]

Interesting... in theory the colour image had a lot going for it, because of the repetition of blue: the chair, the boy's shirt, the dog's collar, the poster... but yep, the B&W sings

However when I look at the previews (thumb-sized, bit bigger than thumbnail...) the colour pulls my eye more. Seems that B&W needs some size to work from. Just my impression...

[RSL]

The important thing is that in the B&W the emphasis is on the kid's contemplative face, which is exactly where it belongs. I still can't believe I didn't immediately go to B&W, which is what I used to do with all my street shots unless there was a reason color was important. Gotta see if I can get back on the street more often.

[Patricia Sheley]

Hi Russ~
Finding myself drawn to his beautiful hands, the amazing daydream within his mind and the two hand silhouettes at right. The serpentine flow back and forth through those three would have me digging deeply into the BW processing of this many times. That's the toughness of street, the things one only picks up on after the shot resurfaces, revealing a something more than may have initially triggered your shutter release. Of course you know where you found that draw, while the viewer is toning your capture through their own life resonances. Glad you are out and about! (personal starting point attached...of course then it would not be street/shame on me! )

[Patricia Sheley]

Having made the mental notes above, going back to your black & white, I find it direct, crisp and clean in capture of a moment, in spite of initially seeming to not allow his thoughts/gaze to shine. Nope, I'm wrong. It's all right there, and though that was my initial reaction, it was too quick. Cluttered is not the equivalent of complex. This is complex, and comes at you gently...Like!

[RSL]

Thanks, Patricia. I don't know why I didn't make the B&W conversion right off the bat. The kid's expression is the whole point of the picture, and that comes through in the B&W without all the distraction from the color. I remember what it was like to be his age. It tends to be a sometimes confusing time in one's life, and I think I caught that in his face. As HCB said, "It's always luck. You just have to be receptive, that's all." And I think I was receptive this time.

[Patricia Sheley]

~there you go! "Receptive" via your own life resonances/ (and thanks to)... Best to you Russ, stay out there!

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

The black and white version is definitely the winner.

Good one 

Dave

[stamper]

The black and white version is definitely the winner.

Good one 

Dave

Yes!

[Harald L]

I'd like to vote for the B&W as well.

In my opinion street is a typical B&W domain. I experienced that if it doesn't work in B&W it doesn't work at all. In my opinion there are only a very few exeptions from that rule. For this reason I start every street shot with B&W, which has the advantage that you can't forget a B&W conversion;-)

Harald

[RSL]

Hi Harald,

I'd agree that more often than not street comes off best in B&W, but far, far from always. In spite of your experience and your opinion, if it doesn't work in B&W it sometimes works in color. In fact, sometimes it ONLY works in color. The reason street works more often in B&W is that in most cases good street emphasizes graphical relationships and graphics take center stage in B&W. But sometimes graphical relationships aren't the guts of the picture. If you doubt what I'm saying, go to my second web site: www.fineartsnaps.com, where you can see examples of what I'm talking about.

I screwed up with this picture. As I said, the significance of the picture is the kid's contemplation. He's fiddling with the puppy's fur, but it's obvious he's not thinking about the puppy or the fur. What's he thinking about? That's the ambiguity that boosts the picture above the miasma of humdrum. In color there are too many distractions from the kid's expression. As I said, I normally convert street shots to B&W unless I can see that the color is essential to the picture. In this case I didn't do that. Oops!

[Harald L]

Hi Harald,

... if it doesn't work in B&W it sometimes works in color. In fact, sometimes it ONLY works in color. ...

Hi Russ,

I totally agree. Sometimes I'm a little bit too decisive, my wife can tell...

Harald

PS: Nice pictures on your web site. Some of the colors would work great in B&W.

[RSL]

Some of the colors would work great in B&W.

You're right, Harald. Some of them would work well in B&W. In the end it's a call shot.