Let me introduce myself !!

[fabthi]

Hi everybody
I haven't been posting here before so I wanted to introduce myself to LL forum members, I hope this is the right place.
I am an italian pro photographer working mainly in fashion and adv fields; however last fall I launched a new photography website.
The site is featuring color and B&W images exclusively about Venice, my birthplace and former hometown.
It's a new project different from anything else I have done in the past, and for this I'd really like to have some feedback about the whole thing.
Have a look at Imaginevenice.com and let me know your thoughts, opinions, suggestions and, of course, critics!
Tell what yout think and have no mercy!
Thanks a lot for your contributions

Fabio

[RSL]

Fabio, Okay, here it is with no mercy: Technically the work is excellent, which is what I'd expect from a pro, though I think some of the shallow depth of field shots where you focused on near objects and let the background fall into bokeh were a mistake. But my main concern is the lack of people in your pictures. Surely Venice isn't this deserted. The few people you caught are way in the background and out of focus. It may be that Italian law makes it impossible to do street photography, but if not, and if Venice were my hometown I'd surely be after a cross-section of the city's life as well as its architecture. Frankly, these pictures are about what I'd expect a technically competent tourist to shoot.

Well, you asked for no mercy.

[fabthi]

Fabio, Okay, here it is with no mercy: Technically the work is excellent, which is what I'd expect from a pro, though I think some of the shallow depth of field shots where you focused on near objects and let the background fall into bokeh were a mistake. But my main concern is the lack of people in your pictures. Surely Venice isn't this deserted. The few people you caught are way in the background and out of focus. It may be that Italian law makes it impossible to do street photography, but if not, and if Venice were my hometown I'd surely be after a cross-section of the city's life as well as its architecture. Frankly, these pictures are about what I'd expect a technically competent tourist to shoot.

Well, you asked for no mercy.

Hi Russ
I do understand what you are saying and, to a certain extent, I agree with you.
The point is that my images are meant to be sold as prints through the website and, as long as I know, you can't sell pictures depicting recognizable people without their permission.
I will add in a short time more pictures where people can be seen, although always out of focus.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I agree with Russ about the shallow depth of field issues in some of them. But as for people, I see people in images 3, 4, 5, 7, and 13 out of the 15 color ones. For my tastes, that's plenty. But Russ is a people nut and I'm a landscape nut.

I would love to get to Venice some day.

Eric

[RSL]

Fabio, Mea culpa. I forgot to welcome you to the forum. Welcome!

Evidently Italian law is quite different from U.S. law regarding pictures of people. In the U.S. I can sell pictures of people without model releases as long as the pictures are sold as works of art or are to be used editorially. What I can't do is use a picture of a person in an advertisement or promotion without a model release. Of course there are caveats associated with that. I can't make a person look ridiculous or misrepresent him. If I sold a picture of an honest woman in which I made her look like a prostitute I'd probably be in court in a heartbeat, and I'd probably lose. You always have to consult with an attorney before you decide to push the boundaries.

Strange. Seems to me I remember a bunch of street pictures from Italy by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, and several others. In fact, one HCB picture jumps to mind -- a spiral stone Italian stairway with several people on it. Just off hand I don't remember exactly where he shot it, but it was in Italy. I could look it up.

[fabthi]

I agree with Russ about the shallow depth of field issues in some of them. But as for people, I see people in images 3, 4, 5, 7, and 13 out of the 15 color ones. For my tastes, that's plenty. But Russ is a people nut and I'm a landscape nut.

I would love to get to Venice some day.

Eric

Eric
thanks for your interest in my images and your comments.
So now the score is
Too many people 1 vs. Too few people 1
Seriously, this is what I really love about photography, the fact that an image can take to such different feelings.

[fabthi]

Fabio, Mea culpa. I forgot to welcome you to the forum. Welcome!

Russ
never mind and thanks for your welcome!

Evidently Italian law is quite different from U.S. law regarding pictures of people. In the U.S. I can sell pictures of people without model releases as long as the pictures are sold as works of art or are to be used editorially. What I can't do is use a picture of a person in an advertisement or promotion without a model release. Of course there are caveats associated with that. I can't make a person look ridiculous or misrepresent him. If I sold a picture of an honest woman in which I made her look like a prostitute I'd probably be in court in a heartbeat, and I'd probably lose. You always have to consult with an attorney before you decide to push the boundaries.

Strange. Seems to me I remember a bunch of street pictures from Italy by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, and several others. In fact, one HCB picture jumps to mind -- a spiral stone Italian stairway with several people on it. Just off hand I don't remember exactly where he shot it, but it was in Italy. I could look it up.

As your are also stating, boundaries can be very undefined in the US too and that's precisely why I decided not to use pictures where the presence of recognizable people in them can lead to unpredictable sort of troubles.
The pictures you are mentioning about (HCB, Erwitt, and so on) could have certainly been taken in Italy too but we are talking of images of 30-40 years ago and, due also to the time they were taken, they surely fall in that category of art pictures for which MR is handled in a completely different way.
Editorial, of course, do not fit my case.

[RSL]

As your are also stating, boundaries can be very undefined in the US too and that's precisely why I decided not to use pictures where the presence of recognizable people in them can lead to unpredictable sort of troubles.

The pictures you are mentioning about (HCB, Erwitt, and so on) could have certainly been taken in Italy too but we are talking of images of 30-40 years ago and, due also to the time they were taken, they surely fall in that category of art pictures for which MR is handled in a completely different way.
Editorial, of course, do not fit my case.

Actually, the boundaries are quite well defined, but they're wide here. I can go out this morning, make a street shot with all sorts of people in it and sell a print of the picture this afternoon. I don't have to wait 30 or 40 years before what I'm selling falls into the category of art pictures.

In any case, I'm sorry you have to throw your people out of focus. You obviously have the skills to do good street work and I'd love to see your take on the people of Venice amongst their artifacts.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... I can go out this morning, make a street shot with all sorts of people in it and sell a print of the picture this afternoon...

Now, Russ, the real question for me would be: "Why would I want recognizable strangers on my wall?"

[fabthi]

Actually, the boundaries are quite well defined, but they're wide here.

I am sure things are as you describe them but for me it might be a bit different.
I am an italian citizen, pictures are taken in italian territory, people depicted can belong to various countries (and therefore various legal assumptions), pictures are then sold (note: through an american based fulfillment service) in USA but not only.
There's enough suggesting me to avoid more complications....

[RSL]

Now, Russ, the real question for me would be: "Why would I want recognizable strangers on my wall?"

Now come on, Slobodan, I doubt you know the girls Rob used to shoot, but I'll bet you wouldn't mind having them on your walls, unless your wife found out.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Now come on, Slobodan, I doubt you know the girls Rob used to shoot, but I'll bet you wouldn't mind having them on your walls, unless your wife found out.

Touche!