Another attempt at a street shot

[Jeremy Roussak]

It's not really my type of photography, but I took it and thought this might appeal. Comments welcome.

[attachment=16422:ll.jpg]

Jeremy

[JeffKohn]

I like the tones and the composition. But I wish the kid wasn't there, because he seems to have nothing to do with the others standing on the steps and just competes for your attention and interrupts/confuses the "story". this is especially true since the tonal contrast of the boy to the background he's against is very high.

[wolfnowl]

I can see that, but I thought the opposite.  To me, the boy became the main focus as I was wondering where he's sneaking off to...

Mike.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

For me, the ambiguity adds interest. I like the boy.

[cmi]

For me its an uninteresting shot because I dont know what they are doing. So I dont like the ambiguity, but I absolutely love it compositionally. Very well done!

[Lisa Nikodym]

To me, the moving boy is the interesting figure, but the three people standing on the steps are boring and detract too much from him.  I understand that it's impossible to get everything just where you want it in street photography, however, without excessive cloning. I might have waited around for a time when there weren't other people too close, and then asked the boy to run down the steps again!

Without those distracting other people, I think it would have been a wonderful shot!

Lisa

[russell a]

To me, the moving boy is the interesting figure, but the three people standing on the steps are boring and detract too much from him.  I understand that it's impossible to get everything just where you want it in street photography, however, without excessive cloning. I might have waited around for a time when there weren't other people too close, and then asked the boy to run down the steps again!

Without those distracting other people, I think it would have been a wonderful shot!

Lisa

Lisa's comment should remind us how many iconic "candid" street shots were in fact posed, often with multiple takes, especially by those Magnum guys - Bresson, Erwitt, but also Doisneau, Arbus, Brandt, etc. etc.

[mbishoff]

It's not really my type of photography, but I took it and thought this might appeal. Comments welcome.

[attachment=16422:ll.jpg]

Jeremy

I really like this shot!  - If a picture (pardon the expression) tells a story, then our imaginations can contrive a few thoughts as to what is going on here...  Perhaps the little boy just lifted an expensive item?  Perhaps his Mother isn't watching closely enough and he's gone exploring?  Perhaps he's a runner for the Gentleman selling something to the two ladies on the step?

I know it's a good shot when my imagination comes up with scenarios as to what's going on...

Keep up the great work!!

[RSL]

Jeremy, The composition -- the geometry -- is excellent, and the arrested motion in the child, stepping off the step, makes the picture. I really like the backlight. That's tough to bring off in a shot like this. I also like the fact that you caught the two strollers in the right background. They close the geometry and make the scene whole.  My only criticism -- a minor one -- is that I wish there were a clear connection between the kid and the three people behind him. That would add another element to the story. All in all, though, it's a fine piece of work. This may not be "your type of photography," but one would never know it from looking at this shot.

[RSL]

Lisa's comment should remind us how many iconic "candid" street shots were in fact posed, often with multiple takes, especially by those Magnum guys - Bresson, Erwitt, but also Doisneau, Arbus, Brandt, etc. etc.

Russell, Arbus, Brandt, and Doisneau certainly posed many of their supposed street shots, and Erwitt posed some of his bread-and-butter work, though he didn't pose his personal work -- the work he published in the book, Personal Best. Doisneau, notably, posed "Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville," which probably is his most famous photograph. In fact, he used paid models for that shot. But can you give me an example of a street shot Cartier-Bresson posed? I'm not saying he never did that, but I can't think of a case where he did. He did plenty of multiple takes in his street shooting, but, as far as I know, not posed ones.

[ScottWylie]

I like the composition a lot and the people are slightly darker than everything else which really works. The tower in the background is lighter than the foreground which adds a sense of depth, and the reflection of the sunlight on the polished courtyard has that contre-jour brightness about it that adds drama to the scene. I think it would be even better with just the kid and no-one else on the steps.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Thanks, all. I value the comments.

I agree that it would look better without the adults on the step: believe me, that particular entrance to the Taj Mahal is so busy I don't think I saw fewer people standing there while the light was reasonable.

A propos another thread, do you think this was staged? The chap certainly knew how to charge!

Jeremy

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

A propos another thread, do you think this was staged? The chap certainly knew how to charge!

Jeremy

He says at one point "You can then return to this page by using the 'back' button on your browser," but he doesn't list a price for using the 'back' button. Probably $500 plus tax.   


Eric