Monday, September 25, 2006
River Cafe, Ranelagh Gardens
The River Cafe is a small, unassuming but interestingly decorated cafe under the railway line a minute's walk from Putney Bridge Underground (but above ground) Station. This photo is a result of being attracted to the decor and trying to capture a rather fluid group, including the owner. The composition of the cafe was more important than the group.
Permalink / posted by and copyright of John Ellis : 6:39 AM
Comments:
An image of two halves. I am sure there is a rule somewhere that says this shouldn't be done!
I like the checker board link between left and right.
In fact the more I look at this the more I feel it is divided more, there is a back and front with us only given a part of a glimpse of the back. This adds to the intrigue and mystery.
I find the use of DOF very interesting in this one. The one wall in sharp focus with the menu and the furthest wall out of focus. And the checker pattern is extremely strong, in two walls, the red table cloth and hinted at on the near table. I'm also intrigued by the hanging produce ...
Looks like an interesting place.
I can see the checkerboard game, and the play with the colours. I think the framing is bold (and I guess from the shape this is an in-camera framing), but I don't get the picture as a whole.
I think I want either more or less person.
Auspicious - you're right, no crop here. I'm not sure what you mean by person unless that is generic 'people', which I would understand. I had some of more people with almost exactly the same framing but they didn't quite work. Funnily enough, having this one guy makes it more challenging and less easy to 'get'; and I quite like that. Others came and went but he stayed; it's possible that he was disabled. He reminded me a bit of a late C19 Russian anarchist having to while away his time whilst nursing one drink. But really this is just a small pixel in London's bright 1000 Megapixels!
JohnE: yes, I could have meant people, but I was actually thinking more of this one person. The threequarter profile stops him being a prop, but yet doesn't make him a full person. If his head was turned further to the left, I would have engaged more in the human element of the picture, whilst if his head was turned more to face the drinks machine I would have been looking at the graphic elements more.
Either of these options would have been more ordinary, of course, and probably not your intention. I was just musing on why I found it a difficult image to get into.
It's good to muse (with apologies to Bob Hoskins and BT)! I'm with you on the head turned away but not on the difference in determining the person between the current profile and turned more towards. Maybe the problem is that he can't (is unlikely) to turn more to the left because of the half wall and that makes one think that he is in the wrong space - just a thought; and not too important! But I don't buy into it.
It is indeed a busy shot though it does have much repetition. If the guy on the seat was positioned a little further down on the right of the frame then I'd say you'd nailed a good 'un.
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I like the checker board link between left and right.
In fact the more I look at this the more I feel it is divided more, there is a back and front with us only given a part of a glimpse of the back. This adds to the intrigue and mystery.
Looks like an interesting place.
I think I want either more or less person.
Either of these options would have been more ordinary, of course, and probably not your intention. I was just musing on why I found it a difficult image to get into.