Thursday, January 17, 2008
break for a roll-up
According to the methodology I use for tagging pictures, this is my 100th post to Stills.
Permalink / posted by and copyright of John Ellis : 11:13 AM
Comments:
Happy 100th!
At first I wished that I could see both eyes in the poster, but the more I look at this, the more I'm convinced that my first impression was wrong. That one looks right through you, and no matter how long you look at it, you can't make it look you in the eye.
John, congrads on your 100th as well!
That background poster and the eye does get your attention, which creates a tension between the 'real' human event and the photo of a photo, looking past her, perhaps in judgement? A stolic non-approval of her smoking? And she is off center leaving the frame, creating further tension, as though she does not appreciate the indiferance to her habit. Okay, enough of my story, I degress!
A powerful example of 'street photography'. The postion of the two subjects and the hidden eye add to the sense of being an unseen observer.
100 posts! Here's to many more, John.
The gesture caught is very dynamic and real. I'm enjoying this image a lot. I struggled to read even the smaller poster copy, which made it all the more interesting, since it turns out the Stage Beauty is actually a man.
Happy 100th. However, this one is not working for me. The poster eye is focussed on me and engages me but the smoking passer-by is too much of a distraction to the general balance of the shot given its tight geometry. The only interest of the passer-by is her smoking habit being captured at an inward drag. But this does not work back to the image on the poster. If the poster image was a little more 'pouty' then perhaps I may see this differently.
Thanks for the congrats - I'm sure some of you will be there soon.
Akikana - the body language of the woman is not that of a passer-by. She is standing outside a small theatre in Aberystwyth (Theatr is obvious, Castell is castle, by = gan - Welsh for beginners!) and is probably a member of the cast. I can't say that I had great control of the situation for various reasons but I rather liked the idea of her being on stage with this tight composition.
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At first I wished that I could see both eyes in the poster, but the more I look at this, the more I'm convinced that my first impression was wrong. That one looks right through you, and no matter how long you look at it, you can't make it look you in the eye.
That background poster and the eye does get your attention, which creates a tension between the 'real' human event and the photo of a photo, looking past her, perhaps in judgement? A stolic non-approval of her smoking? And she is off center leaving the frame, creating further tension, as though she does not appreciate the indiferance to her habit. Okay, enough of my story, I degress!
The gesture caught is very dynamic and real. I'm enjoying this image a lot. I struggled to read even the smaller poster copy, which made it all the more interesting, since it turns out the Stage Beauty is actually a man.
Akikana - the body language of the woman is not that of a passer-by. She is standing outside a small theatre in Aberystwyth (Theatr is obvious, Castell is castle, by = gan - Welsh for beginners!) and is probably a member of the cast. I can't say that I had great control of the situation for various reasons but I rather liked the idea of her being on stage with this tight composition.