Entrance Only

[RSL]

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[32BT]

We seem to find you in some seriously odd places, Russ!

Full of ambiguity, therefore great street shot. I mean, it has a bar in it, after all.  ;-)

[RSL]

Everybody gets into odd places, Oscar, but most don't carry a camera, or if they do, are too chicken to make the shot.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

A fine one, Russ.

[RSL]

Thanks, Eric. I roll on the floor, laughing, every time I run across that one in my catalog.

[Rob C]

Oscar seems to see it, but am I almost alone in finding it full of menace?

The pretty girl in the poster adds to the unease, a touch of lightness in the grimness, underlining that something's wrong.

Unlike Russ, my reaction sees no humour at all.

A shot that works well, makes one think.

Rob

[RSL]

Yes, I see the menace too, Rob. It's in the people. Wouldn't want to mix it up with this group. Which is why I lifted the camera, pressed the button, and walked on briskly. From the sign I'd guess this group actually is more confused than menacing, though.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I think the guy sitting on the bench is waiting for the "Do Not" on the sign to change to "Please."

[32BT]

And the sign is just the entrance to the picture. The arrows above the guys head? Where does that lead now? And like all shady bars, this bar too serves piss for beer. It kind of reminds me of the pop-cult version of hotel California. And with those people it makes you think: some choices in life are one way tickets too. Make the wrong choice and you end up in the wrong place. A wrong choice is an entrance to a spot in life you should not want to be: an entrance but do not enter. Heck, even life itself is like that; an entrance to something, but heed the sign.

Thus, full of ambiguity AND it teaches something about life. Go figure!

[petermfiore]

Hi Russ,

Nice grab...The question is, How was it that you happened to find find yourself in such an ESTABLISHMENT?


Peter

[RSL]

Thus, full of ambiguity AND it teaches something about life. Go figure!

Exactly what street photography is supposed to do, Oscar.

And, Peter, I don't remember. I ran across this in my catalog. Made the shot in 2008. As I recall, I was walking past in a hallway and just stopped and made the shot, then walked on.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

... made the shot, then walked on.

before the guy behind the bar could come out with his shotgun.

[RSL]

Shotgun or no, in street photography it always pays to be non-threatening and invisible, make the shot quietly and move on as if nothing is happening. You can learn street technique from The Shadow: cloud men's minds (and women's too if that's at all possible.)

[stamper]

Thumbs up for this one.

[Ivo_B]

Actually, this one is very good!

Just a technical side note: tweaking the contrast could solve the noise which is too prominent. It doesn't make the picture less good, the picture is strong enough to ignore some technical flaw, but it is close to a fail, i'm afraid.

If you allow me, I can show a tweaked version that solves the noise issue.

Ivo

[RSL]

Actually, this one is very good!

Just a technical side note: tweaking the contrast could solve the noise which is too prominent. It doesn't make the picture less good, the picture is strong enough to ignore some technical flaw, but it is close to a fail, i'm afraid.

If you allow me, I can show a tweaked version that solves the noise issue.

Ivo

Thanks, Ivo. I saw the noise but didn't worry about it. Actually, I can get rid of the noise quickly with DXO Photo Lab's Prime noise reduction, but go ahead with your tweaked version.

[Ivo_B]

Thanks, Ivo. I saw the noise but didn't worry about it. Actually, I can get rid of the noise quickly with DXO Photo Lab's Prime noise reduction, but go ahead with your tweaked version.

Thanks Russ. Noise reduction is one thing, I would only apply it in the dark area's and keep the peoples face like it is. I think the black point of your version is a bit to liberal, that creates noise where it should not be visible at all, Pulling the feet of the curve helps to get rid of that noise in the shadows. Some noise reduction and painting back with the history brush on the critical textures should do a fine job. Sure, on the downloaded  web file, there is not much possible, but on your raw file it could make a positive difference.

Do you think this serves the result?:

[RSL]

Thanks again, Ivo. Yes. The quality of the image has improved noticeably. Were I planning to print it at 17 x 22 inches it would make a real difference. I hadn't planned to do that much tweaking, but I appreciate the improvement.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Thanks again, Ivo. Yes. The quality of the image has improved noticeably. Were I planning to print it at 17 x 22 inches it would make a real difference. I hadn't planned to do that much tweaking, but I appreciate the improvement.

+1

The image has regained "plasticity" or 3D. Noise made it look like a newspaper cutout.

[Rob C]

+1

The image has regained "plasticity" or 3D. Noise made it look like a newspaper cutout.

What nonsense!

It can only be 2D.

At the very least, I'd have hoped that "Street" would have had more to say about emotion than technical games. Had it ben pushed Tri X nobody would have raised an eyebrow, but since the digital infection... Plasticity was the curse that haunted digital from the onset: that cream look of bad, four-colour litho.

Frank and Klein would never have made it in today's anodyne world of spiritual philistinism, and Bailey, Horvat and Sieff remain but footnotes in the history of fashion photography. Sarah would have been put in the stocks prior to being hanged, drawn and quartered...

;-)