Fremantle Bus Shelter

Dedalus77Dedalus77 Registered Users Posts: 60 Big grins
edited February 10, 2010 in Street and Documentary
I got this shot of the bus shelter directly across from the Fremantle Arts Centre over the weekend and thought it was pretty cool.

Fremantle Bus Shelter.jpg

Any C&C would be appreciated.
http://tjdphoto.net
http://tjdphoto.wordpress.com/

Comments

  • PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2010
    The artwork is interesting but I think you need some human element in there, maybe someone looking at the art or something to really make the capture stand out.
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2010
    See, here's part of the secret of street photography. As is, the shot is all about color and composition. And as such it really has to be perfect to be anything at all. But that white care showing behind the bus stop ruins this perfection. And so...

    Add some people doing something interesting in the foreground and the bus stop becomes a stage. Then the white car might still be an annoyance, but not necessarily a deal killer.

    Try moving around until you get a really good composition of the bus stop and then wait around for the people to show up.
    If not now, when?
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2010
    rutt wrote:
    See, here's part of the secret of street photography. As is, the shot is all about color and composition. And as such it really has to be perfect to be anything at all. But that white care showing behind the bus stop ruins this perfection. And so...

    Add some people doing something interesting in the foreground and the bus stop becomes a stage. Then the white car might still be an annoyance, but not necessarily a deal killer.

    Try moving around until you get a really good composition of the bus stop and then wait around for the people to show up.

    ....As in wait until someone sits down in between the two characters on the right - and move in on that. The big question raised by this shot really goes beyond the question of what's street photography - I wouldn't call this street photography, btw - to the question of what, if anything, can make our photos of someone else's art art. In other words, is a photo of graffiti art? Is it the photographer's art? Is a photograph of a street sign anything worth taking, or commenting on just because the street has a funny, compelling, whatever name? Yes, if it's the photo below by Eugene Smith.

    But if it were just the sign? I don't think so. Or if you photograph a poster on a wall? Probably not. Unless you have possess the artistry of Walker Evans, and can turn the poster on the wall into its own work of art.

    I think the same thing basically holds for something like the bus shelter - The value here is that provided by the person who did the drawing. But does a photo say more than 'look what I saw?' Does it need to?
    But, as I said above, if you work this and work it and work it, until you can make the art work one element in a photo, then it becomes your art, and it may also be a street photo. :D
    Picture 1.jpg
    bd@bdcolenphoto.com
    "He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan

    "The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
  • Dedalus77Dedalus77 Registered Users Posts: 60 Big grins
    edited February 10, 2010
    I really appreciate the comments. I'm very new to street photography so all your comments are really helpful. I totally see what you mean about needing people in the shot to make it interesting rather than just a "hey look what a saw" snapshot.

    I hadn't really thought about the perfection element for street photography before, but again I see how it is important to make the photo more than just a snapshot.

    Thanks again for the comments!
    http://tjdphoto.net
    http://tjdphoto.wordpress.com/
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