LPS #1 ~ works in progress

System

I wondered if the new format and higher stakes would prevent entries from being posted for review and critique. I thought about not posting my images for a minute or two and then said F it. It's about the process not the result. So this thread will be for my process for LPS #1. I figure I'll be throwing images at the wall until one sticks, so bear with me.

I shot these tonight. My better half is in Puerto Rico so I was free to indulge selfish pursuits and went for a walk. It was snowing about an inch an hour so I gave up after 30 minutes. My hands were numb and I was barely able to adjust the tripod the last few frames I shot. This gentleman was very gracious and got his bus fare home for his cooperation. I'm not all that crazy about the images but I wanted to get the project started. Heck, it's been months since I did any real street photography and it was nice to be back out in the mix.





(that's TRUMP tower rising from the ashes of the Sun-Times building in the back)

I'm moving this image up here because it seems that it was being lost down below. It was shot the following night.

saurora

Well at least we know you can find "chilly" in Chicago!! It's been near 80 degrees here this week, so I am looking at "steamy" or defintely going to have to think outside-the-box on this challenge! Of the 2 I think the second one conveys the theme a little better. Maybe due to seeing the wet streets and he looks smaller and more vulernable. I think knowing your work, your best shot is yet to come...good luck Chad!

gus

Is that haze in the air light snow or sleet ? Man that looks bloody cold.

I like them both..they have a very lonely feel to them.

System

Gus, it's more of a ground fog that is exaggerated by the street lights. It was 27 F out, so not really all that bad but the snow was really wet which seems to make things feel worse on exposed skin.

Saurora, thanks, I'm not really feelin' them as entries but it's a process. For me getting the ball rolling is the toughest part, especially with the weather being so meh. I'm burnt on using the studio lighting (shot for 5 hours last night for a salon) and still life's right now so this was fun to take a crack at outside.

pyroPrints.com

I love the first one. In the second one, the background looks awesome but the foreground not so much.

DoctorIt

truth wrote:

I wondered if the new format and higher stakes would prevent entries from being posted for review and critique. I thought about not posting my images for a minute or two and then said F it. It's about the process not the result.

good onya

Aaron Bernard

I like the first shot just on its own. However for the challenge I like it as well. perhaps a closer crop on the mans head? The fact that there is snow accumulating on his hood makes me feel very cold...

fashiznitsngrins

I had the same idea, but I doubt that it will be that cold here again this year. I think cropping the top one as someone else suggested as the building distracts a little. I know that it is an either or and not both chilled and steamy, but I thought it would be cool to maybe have a sign on the ground (or a cup) and have the person cup their hands over their mouth and blow to warm them and show steam coming out - if nothing else, to help show the cold... just an idea. But I like the shots.

Flyinggina

#1 for sure. Sadly, the man is out in the cold in more ways than one. Nice piece of photojournalism. Glad you decided to share. Your style and approach are always distinctively yours so you shouldn't worry about showing your hand.

If you are going to keep shooting, you might like to try a closer in shot of the face to see if you can capture a more personal emotional impact while retaining the "chilly" feel.

Virginia

salazar

I'm with pyro and the others, # 1 is great but the background in #2 worked really well. The cold is in there, in more ways than one. Was the streetlight too warm? Or was it a cold blue as well? Don't get me wrong, I think the B&W works, I'm just curious.

System

Flyinggina wrote:

#1 for sure. Sadly, the man is out in the cold in more ways than one. Nice piece of photojournalism. Glad you decided to share. Your style and approach are always distinctively yours so you shouldn't worry about showing your hand.

If you are going to keep shooting, you might like to try a closer in shot of the face to see if you can capture a more personal emotional impact while retaining the "chilly" feel.

Virginia

Thank you. I should have used the on board flash to put some pop on his face but t was cold and my wee little brain was struggling with the whole scene. It was one of those moments that is there and will be gone in seconds. No time to think really ya just have to go for it and pray. Street photography is like that. I really need to get a 580 EX. This was shot on a tripod with cable release using only ambient light at night in a snowstorm. Hardly conducive to photographing people or anything that moves. It's doubtful that these will be entered but there are things I do like about each image.

j photog

whoa
if this is what you produce just warming up, man.
the first one is perfect. the snow on his bag says more than just "man, it's really, really, really, really, i mean really, cold outside."
it speaks volumes....this contest will be very tough competition.
i live in texas....all i think of is steamy right now but man,
i may just watch from the sidelines!!!

sunita

I like #2. The angle on the first one doesn't do it for me. I only wish he wasn't looking straight into the camera.

Sunita

claudermilk

j photog wrote:

if this is what you produce just warming up, man.
the first one is perfect. the snow on his bag says more than just "man, it's really, really, really, really, i mean really, cold outside."
it speaks volumes....this contest will be very tough competition.
i live in texas....all i think of is steamy right now but man,
i may just watch from the sidelines!!!

I hear you. Not much chilled outside here on SoCal either. I do have some ideas for the themes I'll try.

Don't sit it out, come up with something. Truth has now given you a target to shoot at. Even trying will help you stretch your own skill. I'm going to have to try figuring out something new (for me) for my concepts; win or lose, I win because I'll have learned something.

System

Oui Oui

j photog

claudermilk wrote:

I hear you. Not much chilled outside here on SoCal either. I do have some ideas for the themes I'll try.

Don't sit it out, come up with something. Truth has now given you a target to shoot at. Even trying will help you stretch your own skill. I'm going to have to try figuring out something new (for me) for my concepts; win or lose, I win because I'll have learned something.

Good advice.
And good luck to you. I think I will have a go at it.

pemmett

truth wrote:

Thank you. I should have used the on board flash to put some pop on his face but t was cold and my wee little brain was struggling with the whole scene. It was one of those moments that is there and will be gone in seconds. No time to think really ya just have to go for it and pray. Street photography is like that. I really need to get a 580 EX. This was shot on a tripod with cable release using only ambient light at night in a snowstorm. Hardly conducive to photographing people or anything that moves. It's doubtful that these will be entered but there are things I do like about each image.

I think that the only way to improve the first photo other that the flash would have been to have the man looking into the camera. Great photo.

pyroPrints.com

truth wrote:

I'm so tempted to call this a "crappy picture" . j/k couldn't refuse. =c) It's good technically, but the subject matter doesn't grab me.

urbanaries

Aaron Bernard wrote:

I like the first shot just on its own. However for the challenge I like it as well. perhaps a closer crop on the mans head? The fact that there is snow accumulating on his hood makes me feel very cold...

I'm biased toward tight portraits, but I can't help but wonder what a close crop of his face showing the snow on the hood might do. It would be a completely different image...all about perspective.

It was 46 and sunny down here in Indy today, you would have thought it was Malibu weather, people are so stir crazy.

CookieS

sorry for this Off topic question: Do you get the man in photos to sign a release? did you ask him If you could take his picture ,Im curious as to how to deal with this issue. ,( I see lots of homeless portraits on several forums) Since many are entered in "contests" was wondering if a release is needed.

You can email me off list if you want. Thankyou .

jsedlak

salazar wrote:

I'm with pyro and the others, # 1 is great but the background in #2 worked really well. The cold is in there, in more ways than one. Was the streetlight too warm? Or was it a cold blue as well? Don't get me wrong, I think the B&W works, I'm just curious.

Late post.. but..

I agree... #2 works really well with the background. I think if you can reshoot, I would try a low angle shot and attempt to get him, the sign, and the building in the shot exclusively. I feel as though the two subjects are tied, and I really get a "chilling" feeling from it. So if you can build upon that relationship and disregard the distractions (trash can, light post, etc), the photo would be even better (IMHO).

System

jsedlak wrote:

Late post.. but..

I think if you can reshoot, I would try a low angle shot and attempt to get him, the sign, and the building in the shot exclusively. So if you can build upon that relationship and disregard the distractions (trash can, light post, etc), the photo would be even better (IMHO).

Thanks for the compliments. But...um....yeah, I'll just conjure up a snowstorm at the same time of night and then find this one dude in a city of 3 million people and re-shoot . :lol4

System

CookieS wrote:

sorry for this Off topic question: Do you get the man in photos to sign a release? did you ask him If you could take his picture ,Im curious as to how to deal with this issue. ,( I see lots of homeless portraits on several forums) Since many are entered in "contests" was wondering if a release is needed.

You can email me off list if you want. Thankyou .

We had a verbal agreement but he's in a public place so he's fair game to shoot so long as the image is only used as art. If I was to sell it as an advertisement or other such purpose I'd be at risk, at least that's my understanding.

System

Allright, I thnk I'm over the first 2 images as entries. They simply have too many technical flaws for me to feel good about them. Thanks for all the comments, they do really help.

Lynie

Chilled *AND* Steamy....
I had the same idea, but I doubt that it will be that cold here again this year. I think cropping the top one as someone else suggested as the building distracts a little. I know that it is an either or and not both chilled and steamy, but I thought it would be cool to maybe have a sign on the ground (or a cup) and have the person cup their hands over their mouth and blow to warm them and show steam coming out - if nothing else, to help show the cold... just an idea. But I like the shots.

System

And now for something steamy...



vs.



I'm torn...

urbanaries

this is a tough call, chad.

The first one is a simplistic approach to the theme, however your execution is creative and unique. Love the blue flames and the silhouette, that is one well-designed teapot.

I also like the 2nd, it's so clever and out there. It just lacks that polished quality the first one has down. And that may be what the judges are looking for....who knows...anyone's guess.

pyroPrints.com

I like #1 the best (love the blue flames, and the complicated detail on the teapot), but what's distracting to me is that it's not centered on the stove, and the steam is cut off. But that might be my OCD side talking =c)

salazar

I like #1 but it reminds me a lot of this one:

http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/167709#12211945

So that may work against you.

Flyinggina

The teapot is a very nice shot that fits the theme, but Salazaar is right, it's been done, and I think done better, which may or may not matter to the current judges. Oui Oui is very much a Truth shot, as is your original of the homeless man sitting out in the cold, which is still my favorite.

You dilemma seems to me to highlight the hidden challenge within the new challenge format. How true do you stay to your eye and vision and how much do you adjust your style and/or subjectmatter in an effort to please the judges? Shay suggests that doing the latter will help us stretch and grow creatively. Maybe. Maybe not. I guess the trick is to stay true to your creative vision while "learning" from the work of the judges. Or maybe, the goal is simply to win a slot in the finals, whatever it takes. However you achieve this, it will presumably help you grow as a photographer whether you shoot in your style or the style of others.

At least you are out there trying and sharing, unlike many of us who seem to be keeping our heads in the sand. Me, I feel like a deer caught in the headlights - unable to even bring myself to give the themes a try and I suspect I am not alone. So I admire you and the handful of others who have put photos up for comment, most of them quite good too.

Bottom line is that I can offer no help to you in choosing what to enter. I know it will be good, whatever you choose. Good luck!!

Virginia

Shay Stephens

Flyinggina wrote:

You dilemma seems to me to highlight the hidden challenge within the new challenge format. How true do you stay to your eye and vision and how much do you adjust your style and/or subjectmatter in an effort to please the judges? Shay suggests that doing the latter will help us stretch and grow creatively. Maybe. Maybe not. I guess the trick is to stay true to your creative vision while "learning" from the work of the judges. Or maybe, the goal is simply to win a slot in the finals, whatever it takes. However you achieve this, it will presumably help you grow as a photographer whether you shoot in your style or the style of others.

At least you are out there trying and sharing, unlike many of us who seem to be keeping our heads in the sand. Me, I feel like a deer caught in the headlights - unable to even bring myself to give the themes a try and I suspect I am not alone. So I admire you and the handful of others who have put photos up for comment, most of them quite good too.

Virginia, I absolutely love your post. It is very thoughtful, and completely the direction I hope people start opening themselves up to. Asking questions about the art we produces, the reasons behind it, and the motivations is very enlightening.

When we take photos for ourselves, we have but a single motivator, ourselves. When we shoot for work, we split that between our own motivations and that of the client. For the contest it is even more complex, you have yourself, the judges, and the public. How does one balance those? Are they complementary or competing? For everyone it is different, but asking the questions is the beginning of understanding yourself as an artist.

Now one word of caution here. Mental paralysis can develop when you have to make a decision and you don't know which way is the best direction to take. A writer calls it writers block. But in reality all it is is the lack of a clear direction to take. Pick one, any one, and don't look back. Making a decision, any decision, will get you out of a writers block. In the course of following your first decision, you may discover a better way to tackle the task at hand. The brain needs to work on something if it is to work out anything, give it something to do.

So to all those out there who may be stuck artistically as what to do, just pick something,anything, and go in that direction. You never know where it will ultimately lead you, but at least you won't be spinning in the sand