Dawid Loubser
Member
Hi All,
I don't usually take to photographing those less fortunate than I am (especially as, here in Johannesburg, there are so many), but I could not resist the symbolism, composition and colours of this scene. After asking his permission, I realised that I had in fact built up a mental "block" for photographing people on the street, face-to-face, and this was the first time ever that I had broken through that personal barrier.
This man wanders all around the Melville / Greenside / Emmarentia area (Johannesburg, ZA), and in this image I wanted to capture the strange perversion of non-journalist photographers that like to photograph and exhibit homeless people like pieces of art (ironically, thus joining their ranks in a manner of speaking). We have had a number of such works on this forum before. I hope to have captured a form of recursion here where (pretty bad) photography is sold as art inside a rather pretentious gallery (you have to see the poor quality work, and the high prices, to believe it). Each of these works probably go for more than this man will see in a year, or a decade.
And here another photograph is created, of this strange set of values we have of paying more money for a mediocre picture, than what we would to help somebody like this. I do not mean individuals, but society as a whole. The recursion would be complete if ever I had this gallery exhibit a print of this photograph in this very window. Although - I am not sure if they are into exhibiting works with deeper meaning or emotions (looking at their regular work) but perhaps rather just "quirky but fashionable pictures". I am also not so sure of my own ability to create true "meaning", but I would like to know what you think of my image, as well as the topic.
Technical: This was a difficult shot, hand-held Mamiya RB67 with Fuji Provia 100 film at night, 1/8s. I also had to focus in an instant, and slightly missed. Lens was 1980s Sekor C 65mm f/4.5 wide angle (the best lens I have ever used). Scanned to ~25mp with Epson V700.
I don't usually take to photographing those less fortunate than I am (especially as, here in Johannesburg, there are so many), but I could not resist the symbolism, composition and colours of this scene. After asking his permission, I realised that I had in fact built up a mental "block" for photographing people on the street, face-to-face, and this was the first time ever that I had broken through that personal barrier.
This man wanders all around the Melville / Greenside / Emmarentia area (Johannesburg, ZA), and in this image I wanted to capture the strange perversion of non-journalist photographers that like to photograph and exhibit homeless people like pieces of art (ironically, thus joining their ranks in a manner of speaking). We have had a number of such works on this forum before. I hope to have captured a form of recursion here where (pretty bad) photography is sold as art inside a rather pretentious gallery (you have to see the poor quality work, and the high prices, to believe it). Each of these works probably go for more than this man will see in a year, or a decade.
And here another photograph is created, of this strange set of values we have of paying more money for a mediocre picture, than what we would to help somebody like this. I do not mean individuals, but society as a whole. The recursion would be complete if ever I had this gallery exhibit a print of this photograph in this very window. Although - I am not sure if they are into exhibiting works with deeper meaning or emotions (looking at their regular work) but perhaps rather just "quirky but fashionable pictures". I am also not so sure of my own ability to create true "meaning", but I would like to know what you think of my image, as well as the topic.
Technical: This was a difficult shot, hand-held Mamiya RB67 with Fuji Provia 100 film at night, 1/8s. I also had to focus in an instant, and slightly missed. Lens was 1980s Sekor C 65mm f/4.5 wide angle (the best lens I have ever used). Scanned to ~25mp with Epson V700.
