Sunday, March 15, 2009

Julie (64/100) - MG3 - A fish out of water


Poor Kevin, he was really on a hiding to nothing. He had a good corner but found himself having to move back else his stand would topple. I watched him for a good 15 minutes and he was forever feeling his top pocket to ensure his money had not ben stolen. I think the scene with the crowd is the more interesting one but wish I had tried to do something with the DoF. I could not move my possie much for fear of being swept along.


How, I wondered, would David Hockney have told this story?

7 comments:

bitingmidge said...

Hah! Once one knows the story, this is a great shot! Without it he could be a golfer reaching for a tee, and it would have been just another pic!

Often we've discussed trying to capture a context in the photo, but that one sentence brings the shot to life. I don't think that the nervousness about his stash could have been captured better, but it's really emphasised by the second shot.

I wonder if this could have been illustrated with a sort of montage?

One of your tiptychs perhaps?

Julie said...

But surely an image should stand alone? There is a disagreement on just this topic on Richmond-Upon-Thames.

I was really disappointed with this character as I could not capture him. I did not just want to capture gay people, but also the people who made money from the parade and those who came along for the dress-up. Kevin is more suited to outside the SCG where an older more sedate more working-class mob assembles. Here he just seemed distinctly uncomfortable.

In the job application that I submitted on Friday, I was trying to explain the I don't do Minutes of Meetings: one because they are difficult and immensely boring; but, mainly because I am more interested in the content of the meeting rather than the process. The same happened here: although I spent an inordinate amount of time observing Kevin, these were the only two photos I took. I just watched him and also ensured that I did not get trampled underfoot - not only am I short but there is not much of me.

bitingmidge said...

Thus far we've set out to do that. Have the image tell the story. In doing that the story portrayed in the image may be very different from the one in real life.

Ann's "that look" pictures are an example.

Marie looks happy - is she? It doesn't matter if the picture tells a story, the viewer will believe it.

But if you want the viewer to see the story you want to tell, it takes a special image, a caption, or perhaps a sequence of images.

The pocket thing is a story that is worth telling, so how does one go about that?

bitingmidge said...

Interesting, I had a bash at "Hockneyising" it.

I tried to capture his concern for his loot, the crowd, and a little of what he was about.

It works for me, makes it all a bit more frenetic I think, and perhaps that's what was missing. The original pic doesn't really convey the smell of the crowd, the roar of the greasepaint....

Or should I just go back to the pruning?

Julie said...

Pruning ... beats cleansing the carpet by hand!

I like this. I am forever voicing my ideas via imagery. To find another way is a godsend ... but first the carpets interspersed with laundry followed by bathroom ... then my darling daughter for our final FFF. Roll on 3pm ...

Joan Elizabeth said...

Is the story necessary? I was thinking that about Peter's shot 42 of Peter. It was a well excuted but not exciting image for me until I read the story ... that made it sing. I think unless there are significant clues in the person's face or dress the image needs context to make it work and that context can be in the extended image or words. Otherwise it's a blank canvas that you can read whatever you like into.

Julie said...

Yes! Spot on with my thoughts. It is the photographers image to present as he/she sees fit. It does not have to be true: it is an interpretation. I am not suggesting a thousand words ... crafted text rather than blather.