And now, the REST of the story....
bdcolen
Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
...Right out of the camera...
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
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
0
Comments
Evocative series, BD. It tells a story (whether the one I see is the true one or not, I'll never know).
I do hope, though, that the man and/or woman don't frequent dGrin. I sure wouldn't want a series like this posted of me!
Interesting how it makes me feel uncomfortable about some (many) of the street photos I've taken over the years.
Anyone else have this response?
The series reminds me of a set taken by a friend of mine some years ago of a young couple having an emotional disagreement while standing on one of the bridges in Paris. He was quite close to them and took a whole bunch of pictures before they noticed him.
Virginia
"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus
Email
I can't disagree with you; it makes the non-photographer side of me cringe a bit. On the other hand...You can't get more public than by sitting in a busy restaurant/bar in front of a plate glass window, especially in the age of 8 mgp cell phone cameras and video cameras. Want privacy? Stay home and 'interact.'
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
I wouldn't have the courage to try to shoot a set like this. But, then look at what I'm shooting!
Don
'I was older then, I'm younger than that now' ....
My Blog | Q+ | Moderator, Lightroom Forums | My Amateur Smugmug Stuff | My Blurb book Rust and Whimsy. More Rust , FaceBook .
Yup. I know that with my head.
Just the same, I think it is not a bad idea to respond by getting that queasy feeling from time to time. It helps keep one both honest and humble.
Virginia
"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus
Email
I'm all about not airing my dirty laundry in public, my mother instilled that in me from an early age, so I don't feel very bad for this couple being photographed in a bar.
What I can't get over is what a piece of wood he is, completely indifferent to her, how frustrating.
Again this extended version of the original 4 piece series just works, even in color, I am not too distracted by it. This is some great storytelling.
I have seen some things I want to photograph at a very close distance in a quiet place, and my noisy shutter has kept me from doing it.
Again, just great .
_________
I agree Virginia. There's the need to have taking the image become visceral and charged. I think this is the feeling that those new to street / documentary shy away from. It's no more comfortable for most of us.
B.D., I think a four image set works better. It might be interesting to try a few different combinations. Of the nine, I only thing the eighth is marginally weak.
Don't worry. I can fix you in photoshop.
No ring on the woman; a marriage is unlikely. I'm guessing it's the last drink of a relationship. But who knows? Good luck trying to figure out someone else's life - I have enough trouble with my own.
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
If I was that angry/hurt, I would have needed a drink sooner.
You certainly caught that nasty underbelly of a relationship.
NICE:)
_________
It was really interesting to watch. She had a big martini sitting there while she was waiting but she didn't drink it. He sat down and dove in.
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
Here is my captions in order presented - purely as I see it.
It's 4:00 P.M. - where is he?
Still don't see any sign of him.
5:00 P.M. - what is happening?
This is realy not good.
It's about time - Why are you so late?
What is the problem?
No!!!!! don't say it - goodbye - why?
What's your problem?
Sayonara honey.
ED
P.S. As sneaky as I am I would not have had the guts to take so many shots - maybe two - then I would have ran.
- Wil
Fair enough, Wil - sort of. As I've said, I did creep out myself a tad on this one. On the other hand:
Public place. Sitting at the bar, as was she. Camera on the bar in front of me, not hidden; camera in full view of her. Did I try to be unobtrusive? Of course, that's why I shot from the bar, rather than bring the camera up to eye level - on the other hand, it was pointed right toward her, and though it's a small camera, I use it with a lens shade that adds to its bulk, and it has a bigish finder in the hotshoe.
I wasn't doing the Bellisario thing of peeking through the bushes onto very private property, or shooting the Princess on the Royal yacht using a lens the length of the Mt. Palomar telescope. I understand some people's aversion to shooting things like this, and to viewing them. And I am a big believer in maintaining our concept of privacy in this age in which its under assault from every direction, to such a degree that we have a generation that really appears to be having a hard time even grasping the concept. However, I do think that if you have an expectation of privacy, you should go to a private place, which a seat at a bar, in front of a plate glass window, on a very busy street, surrounded by people, most assuredly is not.
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
I still think it is a great series of photos - I just hope there are no bad repercussions from it, from the people photographed, or the owner of the establishment - if it is identifiable.
ED
Are we to assume that the two people are related? …by blood? …by marriage? …by profession?
They may have been together, but he had to park the car…
They might be related, and have just received some sad news…
…bereavement, lay-off, Red-Sox losing… …just clipped another car whilst parking; …just got a ticket for abusing a traffic-cop
Her hand gesture seen in #5 might have been to someone else, out of the frame…
There is just not enough information, to hazard even a guess, but it certainly is fun to try…
So B. D., what's the real story?
- Wil
BTW: I was at a sound gig in NYC and met another engineer. We got to talking about the UK, apparently he lived there when he was a kid, and strangely enough his uncle is none other than the infamous Ray Bellisario, who used to take him on some of his photo escapades when he was a kid (young kids provide great cover for paparazzi apparently). There's an interesting Tessa Mayes interview (from 2002) with Uncle Ray here.
It's a well seen & captured imgaes/story, like it or not.
B.D. meant no harm and committed no foul.
As far as all the interpretations.....well part of the point, nez pa?
Personally I think it was all staged
My Galleries
Flicker
G+