The Locker Room

[byork]

Attached are some from a little project of mine I started about 5 years ago....I've been sitting on them for about 4 while I figure out if their worth showing. Since there seems to be a fair bit of interest in people photos here at the moment, now's as good a time as any. Comments and advice appreciated!

Cheers
Brian

[RSL]

Brian, They're all good photographs... but... There are two kinds of things you can do with street photography (and I'm using the term "street photography" very loosely): (1) Shoot a single photograph that contains all the elements of a story, or (2) do a series of scenes to tell a story. The second approach is photojournalism and it requires that you lead up to a central theme -- usually with a series of peripheral shots, but, in the end using one, central, strong photograph to make the point you're trying to make. What I'm seeing here is a good start with some peripheral shots, but I don't see where you're headed. Here's an example of the single story shot I'm talking about.

[attachment=15619:San_Fran...t_Vendor.jpg]

Can't show you a photojournalism sequence because I don't have one, but a good example is Gene Smith's "Country Doctor" that ran, long ago, in Life. It's one of my all-time favorite pieces of photojournalism. You can see it at http://www.magnumphotos.com/archive/c.aspx...id=2TYRYDDWML5P.

[walter.sk]

[attachment=15619:San_Fran...t_Vendor.jpg]

Great shot, Russ!  I loke the mood, the story, the composition, and the graininess that adds to the over alll effect.

[button]

From a compositional standpoint, I like #4 and #5 the most.  Good job!

John

[cmi]

I like the images, jockeys hanging around waiting for their ride. Its quiet and relaxed. Only the last one irritates me, because of the blurred faces and the lack of another clear focus point.

Christian

[byork]

Brian, They're all good photographs... but... There are two kinds of things you can do with street photography (and I'm using the term "street photography" very loosely): (1) Shoot a single photograph that contains all the elements of a story, or (2) do a series of scenes to tell a story. The second approach is photojournalism and it requires that you lead up to a central theme -- usually with a series of peripheral shots, but, in the end using one, central, strong photograph to make the point you're trying to make. What I'm seeing here is a good start with some peripheral shots, but I don't see where you're headed. Here's an example of the single story shot I'm talking about.

Russ, I guess the second kind was what I intended....the jockeys room is a place of great camaraderie, tension, concentration, celebration and sometimes confrontation (even going as far as physically on occasion), and this is what I attempted to capture. Best of friends are expected to give no quarter and ask for none in return...indeed there are rules of racing that enforce this. It's true this could not be told with one image and I spent some 9 months in there, stock piling quite a number of images. It may be possible that this story can't be told photographically....or needs a true photojournalist to tell it. Either way, if I've failed then there is no second chance as the jockeys room is a very restricted place.....even trainers and owners are not allowed in there (in Aussie anyway) and jockeys mobile phones are confiscated at the door. This project eventually came to an end because one of the racing photographers complained about me being allowed to spend so much time in there.

Anyway, there are many more images in this series, so maybe I'll arrange another way to show more.

Cheers
Brian

Edit; P.S Thanks for the link...I enjoyed it. If I decide to continue with this, it will influence the style I run with.

[RSL]

Russ, I guess the second kind was what I intended....the jockeys room is a place of great camaraderie, tension, concentration, celebration and sometimes confrontation (even going as far as physically on occasion), and this is what I attempted to capture. Best of friends are expected to give no quarter and ask for none in return...indeed there are rules of racing that enforce this. It's true this could not be told with one image and I spent some 9 months in there, stock piling quite a number of images. It may be possible that this story can't be told photographically....or needs a true photojournalist to tell it. Either way, if I've failed then there is no second chance as the jockeys room is a very restricted place.....even trainers and owners are not allowed in there (in Aussie anyway) and jockeys mobile phones are confiscated at the door. This project eventually came to an end because one of the racing photographers complained about me being allowed to spend so much time in there.

Anyway, there are many more images in this series, so maybe I'll arrange another way to show more.

Cheers
Brian

Edit; P.S Thanks for the link...I enjoyed it. If I decide to continue with this, it will influence the style I run with.

Brian, Good luck with it. It's a real shame that we've lost "Life" and the other photo magazines. We've substituted TV stations that send out some paparazzo with a minicam to shoot fifteen seconds of an uninspired digital movie and call the result art. We no longer have the kind of contemplative investigations people like Gene Smith used to do. Too bad. The subject you're working with would be a natural for that kind of story, and your work obviously is good enough to get the job done.

[DarkPenguin]

They are all well executed.  I think the second one stands on its own the best.