When the Fish Don't Bite

[Chris Calohan]

Sometimes, them little fishies just don't cooperate.

[RSL]

Good street shot, Chris. Very nice.

[rogerxnz]

I would bring in left edge to just to the left of the elbow and bring the top down to just below the bright area above his head. These crops would remove the bright areas which distract from the man's (darkish) face and from the subject which is fishing (as in your title).

You could probably bring out more detail in the man, especially, in his face.

The rim highlight on his face is great and, without the other distracting highlights, your eyes travel from that highlight to the bright area by the pylon. To make your eyes stay in the frame (and go to the bright area on the left edge of the bench to repeat the cycle, I would gradually darken the right edge of the frame and the bright highlights to the right of the man's boots. The light area by his boot helps create the circle of face–pylon–bench edge–face. 

Well seen.
Roger

[rogerxnz]

Here's an attempt using Snapseed on my iPhone. There is a sliver of highlight above the bridge support near the pylon which I would clone away.
Roger

[RSL]

No. No. No! The context gets lost. And that bright strip is an important part of the context.

[Chris Calohan]

I spent the better part of ten to fifteen minutes studying the composition and there is only a very little bit cut from the left side and non from the right. Everything in this image works toward leading the viewer to the guy on the bench and why he's there. I agree completely with Russ's assessment.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I spent the better part of ten to fifteen minutes studying the composition and there is only a very little bit cut from the left side and non from the right. Everything in this image works toward leading the viewer to the guy on the bench and why he's there. I agree completely with Russ's assessment.

I agree with Russ, too.

Somebody should tell the fisherman that he needs a hook and some bait on his line. 

[geezerhood]

I like the cropped version also, but would pick the original as my favorite of the two. I quite enjoy the stuff going on up above.

[rogerxnz]

No. No. No! The context gets lost. And that bright strip is an important part of the context.

What you say is a valid point if the photographer wanted to show the context. I was going by the title given by the photographer, which just refers to the act of fishing without any mention of where the fishing is taking place.

The validity of each of our views depends on what the photographer wanted to communicate or reveal and, I guess, what us viewers want take out of the image.
Roger

[Chris Calohan]

Even though I have Roger blocked, I can still choose to see his responses and as per the usual, he is letting the literal get in the way of the artistry because as a non-photographer, he doesn't understand it.

It is not about fishing, hence the title, "When the Fish Don't Bite," it is about what the fisherman does while waiting. Thus the context of his surroundings becomes as important as the fisherman. This was always about patience. Next to photographers, fishermen are among the most patient people in the world. For them, it's about waiting for the right tides, watching what fish are coming through and when and what baits they'll take and the right lures and...on and on and on...They watch and they wait, and when they can, they sit for a spell. For me, it was about waiting for the light, it was about positioning myself so the reflected light off the support pillar behind me wasn't casting my shadow across the scene, it was about calculating fore, middle and background light to the best possible exposure and calculating how much PP I might have to do to even out that lighting...it was about creation, not about words.

Until Roger can show me something he has shot along these lines, treating the light with the same respect as the subject, and thus promoting a situational dialogue based on actual work, I will continue to ignore pretty much anything he has to say.

[brandtb]

Very nice composition.  A couple of things to consider. One bring uptshe shadows/highlights on side of his face visible, and on his right arm..leg  as well similarly. This along with pulling down the brightness of the backrest - and the band of sky running between the overpasses on the right so it is more like the tonal value of the sky on the right of frame.  All this to allow the figure to separate from the bg a bit more... /B

[Chris Calohan]

Thanks, Brandt for the suggestions. I did most of this prior to taking it to print. unfortunately, whatever algorithms they use for jpeg compressions on the internet tend to fill and sometimes block blacks and darker grey values. I can see what you mean by bringing up the lighter areas on the bench and the strip of light between the two sections of bridgework and when I do the next printing of this, I will work on those areas. His face is quite nice in the printed form.

Anecdotally, I had a small 8x10 made on aluminum and gave it to the fisherman. He was pretty emotional that someone would do that for him. It made my day.

[rogerxnz]

Even though I have Roger blocked, I can still choose to see his responses and as per the usual, he is letting the literal get in the way of the artistry because as a non-photographer, he doesn't understand it.

It is not about fishing, hence the title, "When the Fish Don't Bite," it is about what the fisherman does while waiting. Thus the context of his surroundings becomes as important as the fisherman. This was always about patience. Next to photographers, fishermen are among the most patient people in the world. For them, it's about waiting for the right tides, watching what fish are coming through and when and what baits they'll take and the right lures and...on and on and on...They watch and they wait, and when they can, they sit for a spell. For me, it was about waiting for the light, it was about positioning myself so the reflected light off the support pillar behind me wasn't casting my shadow across the scene, it was about calculating fore, middle and background light to the best possible exposure and calculating how much PP I might have to do to even out that lighting...it was about creation, not about words.

Until Roger can show me something he has shot along these lines, treating the light with the same respect as the subject, and thus promoting a situational dialogue based on actual work, I will continue to ignore pretty much anything he has to say.

Oh, dear, Chris. I thought we had left personal attacks in the past. Would be great if you could just say you disagree with what I took the time to write and demonstrate. Why do you have to say I am not a photographer? Who are you to judge? What are your criteria?

Also, who said only photographers could comment on posted images? You would know that most professional critics are not practitioners in their field. Restaurant critics, for example, are usually not chefs.

To appreciate photos, you only need eyes and a mind to process what you see.

I certainly have spent enough money to be a photographer (and, yes, I know buying a camera/violin/whatever does not make you a photographer/musician/etc but I am making a joke!) and I do use my cameras to make images some of which I have submitted to this forum (and received constructive comments, which I appreciate and which was the purpose of submitting them).

As for your challenge to show you something that suits your approach to photography, I will just say life is not a competition, Chris, and we are each entitled to follow our own approaches to photography. If you just wanted favourable comments to your image, you should have said so or just shown it to your friends rather than posting it to a public forum.

I tried to make it clear that my comments were just my view. I did not want to upset you or receive your attack denying that I am a photographer. I did not say you had to follow my comments or your image would be inferior if you did not do so.

Please reread my post and adjust your horizon.
Roger