* Wed C&C "No Theme" Thread #543 on 2018 09 19 *

RoelHendrickx said:

Another (two) image(s) from my "INDIA-WORK" series, one of the three People galleries resulting from last year's trip to Tamil Nadu and Kerala (the others being PRAY and PLAY).

Two images is not enough to qualify for an essay, but I still want to show you two different angles on the activities of a crew of workers who were constructing the scaffolding between which an addition to the Hindu Temple complex would later rise.

One looking from the entrance of the complex over the scaffolding towards the temples already present for ages. The other angle looking in exactly the opposite direction.

Although taken minutes apart, the light intensity is obviously quite different.

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A Hive of bees, a Colony of ants, a Matrix of men -- all social animals enmeshed in cultures/habitats of their own devising.

These images project a theme for our times -- cooperative progress toward goals for the common good.

--
Don

Fox328 said:

This year we attended a concert of Marc Broussard in Zoetermeer (a town near The Hague). We were standing on the second row just in front of Marc on the small stage. He is a brilliant and soulful singer and i loved his act. Although i was not allowed to take pictures with a DSLR it was possible to take some pictures with a smartphone.

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I do know a bit about concert photography, and that knowledge tells me that you did really well here. I do not know the singer/band, but you captured the spirit of the performance well.

Concert lighting can be very tricky, but you timed your shots to take advantage of the lighting effects, rather than be obstructed by them: they are integral part of the compositions and add character and flair (flare for flair).

And the dutch angles create dynamism and tension.

Love the inclusion of the other cellphone photographrr in the final image. You are in this together...

Well done.

(You made me want to find out how Broussard sounds: what more can a concert shooter ask for?)

Fox328 said:

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--
Roel Hendrickx
lots of images: http://www.roelh.zenfolio.com

DickyAus said:

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This image created mixed emotions in me (all of them good).

A very good candid portrait in its own right, the anonimity of the other surrounding people enhanced the unique temporary bond between photographer and subject.

The absence of further context sets the gears of imzgination churning.

I am made sad here, because my heart whispers to me that these people may be entering a church, not for celebration but fir farewell. White clothing for mourning, asian style.

The child does not smile, but displays a seriousness as only children can.

--
Roel Hendrickx
lots of images: http://www.roelh.zenfolio.com

P3T3S said:

Taken in London this Summer.

Pete

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Thanks to Scott (in his comment above) for sorting the scene; I could not, and still feel unsure of where I'm standing. Nevertheless, it's a compelling view. The wingback chairs are poignant stand-ins for human presence in the midst of overwhelming archi-tech-ture.

The lattice-like patterns in this image are an interesting, serendipitious reference to Roel's two scaffolding shots at the top of this thread, which could be seen as depicting the "dna" of these facades.

--
Don

I've been remiss. Traveling and up late and early and not spending much time on the net. Will try to do better.





Riverside. Boat building. Porto.

--
Mike Fewster
Adelaide Australia

Fox328 said:

Scott Whittemore said:

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Although i think the beach in the foreground is to prominent , i do like the fact that the birds make a triangle which almost replicate the triangle of the beach. I think a firm crop until the picture forms a panorama would improve the picture a lot.

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Just to show how the triangle becomes more visable in my opinion, i took the liberty to crop the picture. I do know it's all a matter of taste but as said i do like the picture.

I agree with Roel that the picture gives mixed feeling as the kid looks kind of sad. Without knowing the context the picture can tell a story of it's own depending on who's watching. I think you captured the moment very well.

RoelHendrickx said:

Another (two) image(s) from my "INDIA-WORK" series, one of the three People galleries resulting from last year's trip to Tamil Nadu and Kerala (the others being PRAY and PLAY).

Two images is not enough to qualify for an essay, but I still want to show you two different angles on the activities of a crew of workers who were constructing the scaffolding between which an addition to the Hindu Temple complex would later rise.

One looking from the entrance of the complex over the scaffolding towards the temples already present for ages. The other angle looking in exactly the opposite direction.

Although taken minutes apart, the light intensity is obviously quite different.

Click to expand...

The same scene, but two very different pictures. The first one has the contrast between the majestic stone temple and the flimsy wooden structure and the second the men ensnared in a wooden web of their own doing. Flipping between the two, it seemed that the two dominant figures in the first photo were staring at the temple for inspiration (I don't suppose they are really), then all working away in the second to get the job done.

I particularly like the way all four men are in a similar pose and lined up neatly, as this gives them a feel of mechanical efficiency and seems to underline their skill and hard work to erect the structure.

The colours are reversed between the two. The first is dominated by oranges, yellows and browns, with a bit of blue and the second has a beautiful blue sky background, with the details picked out in orange and brown.

Although the structure seems flimsy, I remember visiting Hong Kong shortly after a typhoon. I was horrified at the numerous sites with bamboo and rope scaffolding built to dizzying heights up tower blocks and the occasional reassuring steel scaffolding, but later found out that the only scaffolding blown down by the typhoon was the steel version, and all the bamboo constructions survived.

Pete

Fox328 said:

This year we attended a concert of Marc Broussard in Zoetermeer (a town near The Hague). We were standing on the second row just in front of Marc on the small stage. He is a brilliant and soulful singer and i loved his act. Although i was not allowed to take pictures with a DSLR it was possible to take some pictures with a smartphone.

Click to expand...

You have captured the atmosphere very well and the phone performed brilliantly.

I think I would try darkening them a bit, well the blacks at least, even if a lot of their dark clothing disappeared into the shadows in the process.

Pete

I enjoyed the series and applaud the good work. The people, the nature and our good friends, the Dam Birds, are all spot-lighted, but there is one ingredient missing - the rubbish! I think a shot of a particularly bad spot before it is cleared, or a pile of collected rubbish or some full sacks, would round out the series and show how necessary the work is. A single can and empty sacks perhaps indicate success rather than a call to ongoing vigilance.

Pete

Thank you for the kind words. It was a happy occasion; people were entering a shrine to celebrate the festival of the New Moon. Everyone was done up in their 'Sunday best'. I don't often photograph people but this shot was irresistible.

Scott Whittemore said:

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It is very difficult to depict something with a camera that we can't even see with our eyes, especially without the use of bending trees or fluttering flags. Here it is shown by the texture in the sand, all wind-swept in the same direction, and implied by the birds flying against the wind and the presence of clouds. It is our own personal experience, which tells us it is windy and someone who has never been to a wind-blown beach would not pick that up.

This works well in B&W and probably wouldn't in colour, as it is the texture which gives the clue to the wind and is appealing in its own right, and would not be so dominant if colour was there to distract us.

Pete

Zindanfel said:

Seattle

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Lunch can be wonderful. Long drawn out affairs in a garden, with wine and fine food and lasting about two hours - and that is a working lunch in France.

This shows what remains of that dream. No time to sit down and remove the bag from the shoulder, and the lush gardens are hanging over-head in baskets. Just enough time to drink the coffee-to-go without scalding the throat and to eat a quick bite from the paper bag. The bikes are waiting, no time to lose, back to work.

Pete

DickyAus said:

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A delightful street portrait. We cannot see where the people are going, but can only make guesses based on their fine clothes, neat hair, jewelry, and the fact they are all heading in the same direction. The child is literally carried along with the flow, and looks back with a wonderful inquisitive expression as she makes eye-contact.

A fleeting moment well caught.

Pete

Mike Fewster said:

I've been remiss. Traveling and up late and early and not spending much time on the net. Will try to do better.

Riverside. Boat building. Porto.

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A craftsmen surrounded by his material - wood. The lighting and the colours means he blends into the background and becomes one with his material, a magic moment for any craftsman. He is lighted just enough and his concentration adds to this lovely portrait.

Even the pot has become a part of him, with his finger-prints prominent against the white paint.

Pete

These are great, especially the second because of the angle. A mix of geometry and story and culture and architecture. Great approach to this fascinating window into a world I'll likely never see.

Because I've tried my hand at concert photography, I know how impossible it is to manage light and color in these venues. I think you did well given the constraints inherent in this kind of stuff. I like the way you used the lights to advantage in the first shots. You conveyed a sense of "being there" .

Scott Whittemore said:

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It is hard to take a picture of the wind, but you've come close! The birds help establish the windward direction that echoes the shapes and forms in the wind-carved dunes. I like their positioning in the deeper cleft (3 over 3). This is one of those Golden Mean compositions that spins out from the strongest indentation in the dunes. Very engaging, and well done monochrome conversion.

Zindanfel said:

Seattle

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A glory of color and line and form. Are yellow bikes part of a city bike rental program? New Orleans has blue bikes that have burst on the scene this year. I admit they are not as cool as the yellow ones.

DickyAus said:

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Who could resist that solemn, beautiful face and incredible eyes? It's more powerful because hers is the only face in the sea of people facing forward. The limited context allows us to complete the rest of the story in our minds, but the central character of the story is very well introduced. Good one.