This title means nothing

TonyCooper

torags

Nice catch, you couldn't have staged that better...

michswiss

Is this your community. Is this how you see everyday life. Is this what was happening to your left or right? Pardon the minor rant, but I wonder sometimes. The shot itself doesn't tell much unless you live in a place with a lot of these folks.

Tony, apologies. It's just that I'm sure there must be things happening around you that are more engaging. One thing I sorta expect, hope for, in this group is to get a sense of the way they take in and relate to others. Argh, storytelling again. How would you tell us a story about the exact place where you took this shot? If this is it, I'd be interested in seeing some more. Even something in colour and muted.

bdcolen

Come on, Jen - This is part of everyday life in virtually every community. So much so that I am against photographing it if it doesn't make a specific point about the condition shown - which this doesn't do. But that's an entirely different discussion. And that said, I like the cross, and I like the contrast between the Harley T shirt and the Schwinn.

michswiss

Tony's a regular, so I don't mind diving in a little.

I know it exists in most communities, It's context that helps these shots, either through series, expanding the field of view or a different angle. Shoulda been closer and wider. Although, having the capture itself is worthwhile. (I tend to think that most of the stuff we do is ultimately about our neighbourhood. Where we walk or drive and what we know.) Technically, the shot is weak, no focal point, and the post work not too good.

MarkR

Who are these "these folks" of which y'all are speaking? All I see is a guy resting, presumably after riding his bike.

??

TonyCooper

michswiss wrote: »

Tony's a regular, so I don't mind diving in a little.

I know it exists in most communities, It's context that helps these shots, either through series, expanding the field of view or a different angle. Shoulda been closer and wider. Although, having the capture itself is worthwhile. (I tend to think that most of the stuff we do is ultimately about our neighbourhood. Where we walk or drive and what we know.) Technically, the shot is weak, no focal point, and the post work not too good.

This shot was taken on St George Street in St Augustine. I've posted
several other shots taken that day under "Chasing Beryl" and "Watching
Over Him" and "A Smoke Break on St George Street". Because of comments
about titles, and comments about comments, I didn't identify this guy as part
of that scene. I can't win for losing!

This *is* what you see on St George Street as others that frequent St
Augustine (Florida) will tell you.

The shot was taken to note the juxtaposition of the Harley shirt and the
bicycle. I liked it better in color because the orange of a Harley shirt is almost as
identifiable as a logo. But, b&w rules here so I went that route.

I appreciate your comments because I admire your stuff (and I'm jealous
of the rich source of the streets you shoot), but "shoulda been closer and wider"
baffles me a bit. Without a wide-angle lens, I don't see how I can.

As far as the post work, where do you think it's weak? (I wouldn't
rate it as strong in any sense, but I'm interested in the specific
area(s).

TonyCooper

michswiss wrote: »

Tony's a regular, so I don't mind diving in a little.

Tony, apologies. It's just that I'm sure there must be things happening around you that are more engaging. One thing I sorta expect, hope for, in this group is to get a sense of the way they take in and relate to others. Argh, storytelling again. How would you tell us a story about the exact place where you took this shot? If this is it, I'd be interested in seeing some more. Even something in colour and muted.

The "story" was in the Chasing Beryl series, and the story was that
Beryl (a hurricane) never materialized. And, I drove two hours to get there.

As far as what's happening around me...I live in a typical Florida suburb
on a golf course and on the outskirts of a Florida city (Orlando) that offers
strip malls, Baptist churches, and a tourist corridor that I refuse to go down
to. Believe me, it's a stretch to come up with any shots that fit this
forum.

No apology is ever sought or expected for any comments about my
photographs, though.

michswiss

To the technical aspects of the shot. I think you've pushed the contrast too far. It goes beyond normal interpretations. The mids and textures are overwhelmed. Pull it back and work on a smooth gradation of his skin tones, then work on a defined texture of the cement. I think it would improve the image.

As to the series, Beryl. I'd be really interested in a set you selected to show the community's reaction and recovery. Most of the best documentary photography comes from small communities. I think you should give in and open up.

Buy a wide angle lens. Please. Buy something wide-ish. Get in there and do the same things you are already doing.

I know you don't care for apologies. But again, I'm not going after this particular image. I just hope for great stuff in small locations that take me places and teach.

TonyCooper

michswiss wrote: »

As to the series, Beryl. I'd be really interested in a set you selected to show the community's reaction and recovery. Most of the best documentary photography comes from small communities. I think you should give in and open up.

Thanks, but I really had to chuckle at this. The whole point of my post about
Beryl was that there wasn't any recovery needed despite this headline
in this photo that was the opener of the Beryl series:



St Augustine, which is in St John's County, was dry with only a puddle to show
for the hurricane the TV weather reporters warned us about. Some hard
rain the day before, some tree limbs down, some light rain that day, and that
was about it. Beryl did do some damage further up the coast, but I was
already two hours from home after leaving here late in the day.

But, I understand the thought behind your post.

seastack

TonyCooper wrote: »

As far as what's happening around me...I live in a typical Florida suburb
on a golf course and on the outskirts of a Florida city (Orlando) that offers
strip malls, Baptist churches, and a tourist corridor that I refuse to go down
to. Believe me, it's a stretch to come up with any shots that fit this
forum.

I think you are selling your surroundings short. There is always something to SEE, to photograph. The hard part is taking the everyday out of context and seeing it in a different way. And it can be particularly difficult in familiar surroundings. This, for me, is the joy of taking photos. I do see the world in a very different way than I once did, often with a feeling of the surreal when I am in "the zone." Someone once said, Erwitt maybe, or Kalvar, that you should imagine yourself an alien recently arrived and start exploring even the familiar around you in that context.

For instance, do you see irony in retirement, or on the golf course, or strangeness in the typical suburb life? Is this the American dream? Fear and loathing in South Florida? And then the tourist corridor. Those are often great places to photograph with high density of humanity, implicit weirdness, and nothing strange about taking photos. Become a tourist. You obviously hate the place. Why? Tell the story of why it's awful while making interesting photographs. Have something to say (this is where so many photographers miss the mark!). Photographing what you hate can be as powerful as photographing what you love, or more so.

And, you'll hate this, but look at the work of Martin Parr, an especially witty British street photographer who often frequents tourist meccas. He is considered something of a national treasure over there, and he isn't particularly complimentary of modern European society although he does it with great humor.

For instance,





I hope you find this comment useful.

"What can you say about pictures? You’ve got to look at pictures and react to them. You can’t just dissect pictures. I mean, a picture has got to be a picture to begin with. It should have some kind of content and emotion, and it should appeal to you in some way, and it should be out of the ordinary if possible. And then it’s a picture, whether it’s of hands, feet, ears, noses or whatever." - Elliot Erwitt

torags

Tony, you can't please everybody. I learned early in sales that most of the people I pitched, rejected me. So each new rejection got me closer to an acceptance.

Your PP on the quasi biker is spot on, I'm sold

Bikers are usually rough, crass and sometimes crude (and they like it that way) - that from a biker of over forty years.

Coarse PP is what's called for in this case. Photog viewers have different styles that aren't applicable in all cases

That said , you can learn a little from everybody

BTW I live in a good city; it's clean - got little crime, the population is older and a little wealthier and it is Goddamn boring.

For interesting shots I have to go to San Francisco or Oakland, for graffiti, ethnic differences and dirt

Just my take - keep up the good work