'I Love London' & 'The Colour Purple'...Colour Street Photography

[Jerome Marot]

Jerome, I have posted other street photographs on here where there has been red elements within the scene and no one has mentioned anything about the colour red as a distraction. In this instance it all seems to me to be a bit of a 'woolly' and inconsistent rule, that's all.

Possibly. OTOH, I have had the same kind of comments about red elements in other places than this forum.

For instance, my 'Floored In Camden' image has a red bus in the top left corner...this didn't seem to be a distraction to anyone in that instance. My shot of the three Chinese people eating bananas there is a guy with a red shopping bag, again no words to this effect either...

Allow me to include the cited images so that others see what you are talking about:

Floored in Camden:

Eating bananas:

On the first one, I find the half girl in red dress possibly a bigger distraction than the bus. I would prefer if we could see the whole of her.

On the second one, the man with a phone and red bag is an essential element, because the line of people eating bananas conducts our eye towards him. Since he is presented as an essential element, the bag is not a distraction.

Generally speaking, I find that the pictures from David Solomons, which you brought to our attention, rarely contain distracting elements at the side of the picture. When they contain people cut by the frame, they serve to tell us that the subject is in a center of a crowd.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Possibly. OTOH, I have had the same kind of comments about red elements in other places than this forum.

Jerome,

It's great you bring these two pictures to us again.

Allow me to include the cited images so that others see what you are talking about:

Floored in Camden:

Paul,

This is not a simple nor happy picture, but brilliantly effective. The strong black marble wall behind the apparently "drunked-out" fellow on the ground, is a powerful counterpoint to anything that would draw us away from this region. The pose and tragically pitiful situation of the gentleman are anyway riveting. Everything else on the left is of tertiary importance. So the red does cannot do any disservice to this effective picture. The bustling world here is oblivious to his fall from grace.

With such photography, I already have ceded to the photographer all artistic choices and never even dream of second guessing their esthetic decisions. It's their art and the lens, camera and other details do not raise their head, as I'm taken away with the all encompassing experience.

Still, if I was asked to teach street photography, I'd start with B&W, just to get the student the point of being ready for such a shot. Then it's up to the individual photographer to paint as he/she is driven.


Asher

 

[Paul Abbott]

Hey Jerome, I paid no thought or attention to that guy with the red bag in 'Bananas', it wasn't my intention on including him in any meaningful way. All I wanted to do was catch these guys with eating they're bananas in unison. That was more important to me. Anyway, I guess this is what happens in street photography, other things happen on the perimeter...
As for 'Floored In Camden', I find it interesting in you wanting to see more of what is not the main focus in the scene, whereas Asher describes the opposite. It just goes to show how we all hold our own different appreciations for a scene within a photograph whether they're right or wrong...

Jerome, Asher and James, in regard to my original Chinatown image the red bollards do hold some meaning all of they're own by they're very colour...the colour red is the symbol of prosperity in Chinese culture. Make of that what you will, I guess.

 

[James Lemon]

Hey Jerome, I paid no thought or attention to that guy with the red bag in 'Bananas', it wasn't my intention on including him in any meaningful way. All I wanted to do was catch these guys with eating they're bananas in unison. That was more important to me. Anyway, I guess this is what happens in street photography, other things happen on the perimeter...
As for 'Floored In Camden', I find it interesting in you wanting to see more of what is not the main focus in the scene, whereas Asher describes the opposite. It just goes to show how we all hold our own different appreciations for a scene within a photograph whether they're right or wrong...

Jerome, Asher and James, in regard to my original Chinatown image the red bollards do hold some meaning all of they're own by they're very colour...the colour red is the symbol of prosperity in Chinese culture. Make of that what you will, I guess.

I understand what you are saying Paul but I don't see the image as being about Chinatown regardless of the sign.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Paul,

Your B&W pictures were always fabulous: they show the painstaking background to making a photograph in the classic way. The color pictures are, to me, at least, far greater a challenge to bring of in an extraordinary way. This is because there are now myriads more possible approaches, (and lack of defined expectations). This makes navigation an endless and infinite set of new choices!

Since each color not only has visceral, (genetically based associations derived from millions of years of adaption to natures signals), but now, (with societies of man having their own rebranding of color associations), we have cultural overlays which require education and experience too.

Red, for example, the color of blood and danger also, as you brings "good luck" with Chinese culture. All this is absent in B&W. Then getting the color right or "creatively" cheating it, is a new set of parameters not faced in B&W. Altogether, color is much harder to pull of as well in street photography than in classic B&W as it's the "Wild West" with all the fences and boundaries taken down and new signals coming from diverse color elements.

So, I must congratulate you on taking on the exploitation of color of street photography. So far, all your pictures depend on color. Down the road, I think you might evolve your choices to develop your own language.

However, in Jerome's Camden picture of the downfallen drunk, the content, being so emotionally shocking, overrides any issue or need of color.

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

As for 'Floored In Camden', I find it interesting in you wanting to see more of what is not the main focus in the scene, whereas Asher describes the opposite. It just goes to show how we all hold our own different appreciations for a scene within a photograph whether they're right or wrong...

Your only tool as a photographer is the frame. Where you put it defines the picture. If you just frame the drunk guy, it becomes a picture about a passed out man. If you frame the drunk guy and the walkers, it becomes a story about a drunk guy and passersby ignoring him.

That happens in major western cities and is a problem. Some people even die from neglect. So I find the second story stronger.

Did you notice that the "free house" has no door?

 

[Martin Stephens]

Chinese Man

It lacks tension for me. The man is just doing what he always does, walking across the street with his stuff. Framed in the middle, no particular dynamics to the POV, or the subject. In short, he's not being interesting at the moment of the shutter. I think you have to track the subject in the VF long enough to get a dynamic position and wait for him to do something.

People on the Corner

Same picture as the first. No one is doing anything very interesting. Lacks tension, drama, or POV. Now, there is a form of the "accidental shot" which at first looks random, but then the planning and intent can be seen upon deeper viewing, but I am not getting that here. It looks a bit carelessly framed to me. Once more, I think the answer is more patience and tracking longer in the VF.

Overall, for me it is almost but not quiet. Thanks for posting.

 

[Paul Abbott]

Martin, there is a lot more on offer than just tension and drama on the street.

In 'Chinatown' couldn't you pick up on my aspect in showing the guy's 'I love London' bag, combined with his two umbrellas? In this instance i'm trying to offer a little interest and wit with this character here, maybe the viewer might pick up on London being a rainy city, as a lot of people do know it to be. The fact that he has two umbrellas can be misconstrued as a laughable overstatement for the love and always a preparedness...and this was my perspective.
Usually people have an understanding of what is written on they're bags and make a conscious decision to use them in public, making a statement even...but does he?

As for 'Leicester Square', I viewed the two smokers with they're respective purple flashes and then noticed this guy come walking along, also flashing purple. Now, this doesn't happen everyday but I thought it worth recording...If anything, it's serendipitous.

I belong with a group of photographer's that say 'Give us a reason to remember a photograph.' It's the right question to ask but impossible to answer. As Doisneau said 'If I knew how to take a good picture i'd do it all the time'...

 

[Martin Stephens]

Hi Paul,

I was offering my opinions based on some criteria that are of interest to me when looking at street-style photographs. That's all they are and meant to be - one person's opinion.

However, I just now re-read your first post with the pictures and I see that in fact you didn't ask for any critique comments. I was wrong to offer them in that case, and I can understand your counter argument here. If I can, I will go back and edit the comments to reflect more of a neutral post. My apologies. I haven't quite grasped the idea that in many of the sub-forums and threads no critique is desired.

P.S. I see no editing is possible for some reason. I'll just have to offer my apology as the best I can do here. I'm sorry for critiquing the photos.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Martin,

Each writer chooses the extent of critique they want or can tolerate even to allowing editing and reposting their own derivative version, an anathema to some photographers, of course. So we cater, using the optional prefixes, for all viewpoints of the O.P.

Editing is always possible for some 4-6 hours. i'll have to check. I could make it longer. I'd just have to find the right place in the extensive control panels, LOL!

In addition, for significant issues, like fixing a link or removing an insult to someone's wife, I can make the edit for you.

The closure time for editing is to allow for continuity. Otherwise, folks subsequent responses to a post won't make sense.

Asher

 

[Paul Abbott]

Hey Martin, I wouldn't want you to do that, no worries...I appreciate what you wrote and well worth replying to...

I'm hoping to bat a thousand on this thread... lol

 

[Martin Stephens]

Thanks for all the clarifications Asher and Paul. I just didn't read close enough. I will be more careful. Cheers to all.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Thanks for all the clarifications Asher and Paul. I just didn't read close enough. I will be more careful. Cheers to all.

We're grateful you're here and it's now your space too! If you spill some coffee on the rug, don't worry, we're family! Believe me I've done far worse!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

In the first image I was engaged by this fellow walking around in Chinatown with two umbrellas and a whole load of bags. The umbrellas which are synonymous with London and it's rain, and his 'I love London' bag got my attention the most here...Is the fellow a vagabond, you tell me?

In regard to the second image I think it's obvious about my motive for photographing them. As with the bananas in my last street photograph, things tend to come in threes sometimes...

Chinatown, London '13 - Paul Abbott
RICOH GR






Leicester Square, London '13 - Paul Abbott
RICOH GR​

Stephen,


I'd like to readdress this set of images. They remind me of a stage play by David Mamet where one hunts, (in vain, I'm sorry to say), for the actual drama and grand questions. Then I see that the author is just peeking into folk's private life at an interesting moment. He has no intention of enlightening us or moving the boundaries values or prejudice! All we get is a peek and that's the evening for the price of $80 per ticket, LOL!

Here, Paul has done the same. It's about what's there and the humor of the moment, but no drama, just the factive view from his particular new window on London, noticing more with color.

Is it street photography? Well, now, who says it isn't?

Asher