Friday, January 16, 2009

Julie (10/100) - Olde worlde craftsman

The crook ones as well, right? This is all about the journey not the destination, right?

So this one did not work. Why? I wanted to show the tradesman in context: but cut off the chisel slicing the sandstone. I should have zoomed out a bit more: but then I would have little of his face. Therefore, I should have taken a couple of steps toward him.

When I first asked him, he was going to stand up and give me a head'n'shoulders: but I knew I did not want that and encouraged him to stay where he was. He was Gerard from Ireland, by the way. And he has no trouble getting full-time employment as a stone-mason. Here he is putting the finishing touches to the new entry-way to The Great Hall.

Psst ... double digits ... Wu-hoo!!

The choice not taken:

9 comments:

bitingmidge said...

I don't know if I'll ever get to ten! I'm feeling a bit bruised (like Cara was on Sunday), from too many rejections (and not a female among them - perhaps I'll have to play the sympathy card?).

We are all suffering from the effects that glorious light that we all know so well. If we can nail it it's terrific, but the difference between light and shade is very harsh. Apart from the rejections, I passed a thousand people in funny hats and didn't take a one, because the shade was too deep. Another valuable part of the experience I think.

I agree Julie, showing the chisel and a puff of dust would have been fantastic, but well done for number ten, the instructions suggest that we don't even worry about the rest for now remember!

Are we all getting ahead of ourselves? (I'm not, I'm not getting any photos!)

Ann said...

Stop boasting.

Shame you didn't drop the camera down a bit but I guess its nerves. The light is a real problem at the moment, especially if you are trying to do it at lunchtime.

Maybe I look harmless, or eccentric or something, or perhaps they just feel sorry for me, but I haven't had many rejections. However I don't think I've asked as many people as you two have. I'm happy if I can get 1 a day.

(Congrats.)

Julie said...

Now THIS is where the support and the "not arguing" comes in. Positive affirmation is the key word. Except that I really mean it - I am daft like that.

When we go around with our other hat on, we call the tune: we say where, we say when. For example, your shot of those wierd plant-things running down the slope into the watercolour ocean. There was noone to argue with you. You called the shots.

When we photograph people we lose all that control. What we are trying to teach ourselves is how to compensate for that loss of control. What do we have to do differently in order to get a shot that moves us.

And the tips say, that we have to get to 20 before we start to judge ourselves harshly. Have you considered - to get yourself over this tough patch - taking "her indoors" out with you as a chaperone? To make you less "intimidating"?

Julie said...

Yes, I think I look harmless and eccentric too ... I act a bit eccentric. But also, I have a good line in self-deprecatory humour and somehow that puts them at ease.

Or you could just fluke it like I did this morning: I took a portrait of a woman taking a photograph of a flowering gum here on campus. She was dead-set easy to ask! hee hee hee ...

Ann said...

PS I think you have to make a decision whether to go for context or a good shot of the face. My preference would be to get both but I don't usually feel comfortable enough to get more than one shot. I still find head shots very intimidating, they feel so intrusive.

Julie said...

I really really like head shots. My real aim ... shhh shhh ... my real aim to to go for shots of parts of heads ... I love head shots that show the pores in the skin. That sort of thing.

bitingmidge said...

Have you considered - to get yourself over this tough patch - taking "her indoors" out with you as a chaperone? To make you less "intimidating"?

Ahh yes.. remember "Ray" and of course the poor boys selling the tickets? She just told them to stand up straight and do whatever I told them to do! ;-)

my real aim to to go for shots of parts of heads I have a few of those pre-conceived, but the tattooeed ones won't co-operate !

Julie said...

Ahhh ... yer know ... it might be easier being female to do this ... I tend to use flattery ...

That is a wonderful hat would if be okay if I took a photo of you in it?

What a great tatt! I was a squib with mine, but yours if such a statement. Would it be okay ... etc

bitingmidge said...

I don't want to overanalyse all this, but I don't think gender has too much to do with it. I probably have 1/3 strike rate at the moment, no one has been nasty, a few have been dubious to say the least, but I think it's a bit to do with the environment, the alignment of the stars, (and the approach).

It's always better to ask for forgiveness than permission, but that ain't what the rules say!