Easy Street

bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
edited February 5, 2012 in Street and Documentary
So yesterday afternoon, I found myself with a flat Vespa tire, waiting for four-and-a-half hours for my scooter guy to show up with his pick-up truck. But it just so happened that I was where I was because I'd had a shoot to do, so I had a way to entertain myself. I'm not quite sure what I ended up with, but here are a few of the images...AND - As some of you know I posted a number of color images, and the link below, which lead to a gallery of color images. But last night Richard started fooling around and converted one of the images, which he sent to me, and it got me thinking. And I decided that the images definitely belonged in black and white. I believe the color, which was vivid, was blinding me to the heart of the images. Some may agree, some may not. But in any case, I believe this is a great example of what's so great about this forum - we force each other to think more deeply about what we're doing and why...



EASY-STREET0008-X2.jpg



EASY-STREET0021-X2.jpg



EASY-STREET0022-X2.jpg



EASY-STREET0006-X2.jpg


And you can find the full set HERE. REALLY
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

Comments

  • RyanSRyanS Registered Users Posts: 507 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2012
    Were you near a hospital or medical center? Was there a Starbucks or some other coffee shop nearby? My favorites in the series are ones you can tell something interesting about the person by what they are wearing, just looking at their legs & shoes. The guy on the way to the gym. The doctor, medical workers.
    Please feel free to post any reworks you do of my images. Crop, skew, munge, edit, share.
    Website | Galleries | Utah PJs
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2012
    Yes. And sort of. I was down in the Massachusetts General Hospital neighborhood, in front of one of the research lab buildings. And while there isn't a Starbucks, there is a Whole Foods market, which has coffee, and everything else. So good guesses.
    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
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2012
    Well, my crowd has broken out into a full-blown celebration. We have issued a certificate to you, attesting to the fact that you have finally come over completely to the dark side. Every single picture here is in color.

    Welcome, BD, we'll reserve a seat at the head table for you.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2012
    black mamba wrote: »
    Well, my crowd has broken out into a full-blown celebration. We have issued a certificate to you, attesting to the fact that you have finally come over completely to the dark side. Every single picture here is in color.

    Welcome, BD, we'll reserve a seat at the head table for you.

    Tom

    rolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gif
    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
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,961 moderator
    edited February 3, 2012
    I love the third one--great composition and nice light and shadows. I would get rid of the red spot in the upper right, but I don't suppose you agree. Of course, in B&W, the problem would go away. mwink.gif.
    My Pics
  • DonRicklinDonRicklin Registered Users Posts: 5,551 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    don't know what's up but the first three images aren't showing for me on my MBP or my iTouch in Tapatalk.headscratch.gifdunnoI

    Don
    Don Ricklin - Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, was Pentax K7
    '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     .
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,961 moderator
    edited February 3, 2012
    DonRicklin wrote: »
    don't know what's up but the first three images aren't showing for me on my MBP or my iTouch in Tapatalk.headscratch.gifdunnoI

    Don
    Strange--I don't see them either now, but I did earlier. ne_nau.gif
    My Pics
  • DonRicklinDonRicklin Registered Users Posts: 5,551 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    Richard wrote: »
    Strange--I don't see them either now, but I did earlier. ne_nau.gif
    I see the last three, now, but not the first, according to my iTouch which has a square with a red question mark for that one! Progress, anyhow.

    I like the Easy STreet Deuce shot, showing in #2 slot.

    Don
    Don Ricklin - Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, was Pentax K7
    '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     .
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    JUST FYI. I am taking the whole gallery down, and will be reposting later - in black and white. Oddly enough, while I thought of these as color, they are NOT. They are far stronger - I think - in black and white. Sorry, Tom. Laughing.gif!
    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
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    bdcolen wrote: »
    JUST FYI. I am taking the whole gallery down, and will be reposting later - in black and white. Oddly enough, while I thought of these as color, they are NOT. They are far stronger - I think - in black and white. Sorry, Tom. Laughing.gif!

    So Glad to hear you came to that conclusion.
    Benjamin
    My Galleries
    Flicker
    G+
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    bdcolen wrote: »
    JUST FYI. I am taking the whole gallery down, and will be reposting later - in black and white. Oddly enough, while I thought of these as color, they are NOT. They are far stronger - I think - in black and white. Sorry, Tom. Laughing.gif!

    Great Caesars, BD, the rumblings in my group can only be compared to Mt. Vesuvius getting ready to blow. There's even some talk about bringing in the ACLU....something about artistic abandonment
    or such. Lordy, I didn't need to deal with this.deal.gif

    Slightly shaken,

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • RyanSRyanS Registered Users Posts: 507 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    I am in no way qualified to say anything. That's never stopped me before though. In my opinion some of these are stronger in BW, and some of them have lost their magic. For example, #1, stronger in B&W because it limits background distractions. #2,3 stronger in color because it is easier to recognize the professions of the owners of those legs. Medical blue and clinical white against the color backgrounds made the images have more punch. #4, stronger in B&W because the color doesn't really add anything to the story.

    I always side with the photographer's vision. However, as an "audience member," I liked both the color and BW versions for different reasons.

    So I'll take the unpopular position of thinking that both BD and Tom have valid points at the same time.
    Please feel free to post any reworks you do of my images. Crop, skew, munge, edit, share.
    Website | Galleries | Utah PJs
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    Nothing unpopular about it. I think it's pretty clear I'm torn - or was anyway. The color of the clothing is more important to you thn to me. I see these as being about form, light, contrasts, and legs and wheels, rather than professions. But to each his own
    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
  • lensmolelensmole Registered Users Posts: 1,548 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    The link to the full set does not seem to work ?

    Lensmole
    http://www.lensmolephotography.com/
  • richardmanrichardman Registered Users Posts: 376 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2012
    bdcolen wrote: »
    JUST FYI. I am taking the whole gallery down, and will be reposting later - in black and white. Oddly enough, while I thought of these as color, they are NOT. They are far stronger - I think - in black and white. Sorry, Tom. Laughing.gif!

    Whew, for a moment there, I lost faith in humanity :D
    "Some People Drive, We Are Driven"
    // richard <http://www.richardmanphoto.com&gt;
    richardmanphoto on Facebook and Instagram
  • Quincy TQuincy T Registered Users Posts: 1,090 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2012
    I like the B&W as much as the color, and that leads me to believe there wasn't a glaring purpose in the color. The shapes of the light and shadows are interesting. Probably the most interesting part of the image for me, although I like the wheels/shoes juxtaposition.
  • lensmolelensmole Registered Users Posts: 1,548 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2012
    The link to the full set will not load on my computer. ne_nau.gif

    Lensmole
    http://www.lensmolephotography.com/
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2012
    lensmole wrote: »
    The link to the full set will not load on my computer. ne_nau.gif

    SORRY! Link is fixed
    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
  • lensmolelensmole Registered Users Posts: 1,548 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2012
    Interesting images! The easy street image in the full set that is made in a vertical format jumps out to me .

    Lensmole
    http://www.lensmolephotography.com/
  • sara505sara505 Registered Users Posts: 1,684 Major grins
    edited February 5, 2012
    bdcolen wrote: »
    JUST FYI. I am taking the whole gallery down, and will be reposting later - in black and white. Oddly enough, while I thought of these as color, they are NOT. They are far stronger - I think - in black and white. Sorry, Tom. Laughing.gif!

    Oh, this explains it. I thought I had lost my mind, hearing about color and red spots. I don't know what I missed, but I prefer just about everything in BW, so this all works fine for me :D
    Sara

    www.SaraPiazza.com - Edgartown News - Trad Diary - Facebook
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