"The Boys In Their Summer Dresses"

From a New York Times article

"It seems fairly unlikely that when Irwin Shaw wrote “The Girls in Their Summer Dresses,” his classic paean to “a million wonderful women, all over the city,” drifting along the pavement as warm breezes tugged at their hems, he could have envisioned a day when those “girls” would as likely be men. Sexist and dated as Shaw’s much anthologized 1939 story may be, it did lay out truths about urban existence and the unalloyed joy of looking."

Please click on the photo to view in full screen. Thank you!

I don't feel very comfortable with that title. Trans women aren't 'boys.' Unless you know the subjects and are fine with being termed in this way.

ViMa said:

I don't feel very comfortable with that title. Trans women aren't 'boys.' Unless you know the subjects and are fine with being termed in this way.

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Before posting I thought this thread and photos could cause some controversy. This is actually the title of the article in the New York Times paper from 2021. I think for street photography this is great subject matter. I don't think this is about trans women, but I can be a bit naive as there certainly a generation gap between these young men and me. I'm not making any judgement, just doing street photography.

Everyday for the past three days I have seen at least one young guy walking in a dress. A friend in Paris also sent me a similar photo they took on the street.

I'm capturing a social phenomenon.

Oh nothing to do with the pictures. I like them and don't mind them at all. It's the title i wad referring to.

Promeneur said:

I don't think this is about trans women, but I can be a bit naive as they're certainly a generation gap between these young men and me. I'm not making any judgement, just doing street photography.

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It's, obvious you stalked them to get the photos because they are trans They would be quite aware of what you were doing and why as reading people wouldn't be difficult for them.

melnais said:

melnais said:

I don't think this is about trans women, but I can be a bit naive as they're certainly a generation gap between these young men and me. I'm not making any judgement, just doing street photography.

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It's, obvious you stalked them to get the photos because they are trans They would be quite aware of what you were doing and why as reading people wouldn't be difficult for them.

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I'm aware that a lot of people don't like street photography and have read threads that became quite heated on the definition of street photography.

Stalking is a rather strong word. I'll tell you what, let me know if you're interested and I'll respond with two or three titles on "Street Photography".

The only subject matter I do not photograph is when it involves human suffering which you see daily in large cities in particular.

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

melnais said:

melnais said:

I don't think this is about trans women, but I can be a bit naive as they're certainly a generation gap between these young men and me. I'm not making any judgement, just doing street photography.

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It's, obvious you stalked them to get the photos because they are trans They would be quite aware of what you were doing and why as reading people wouldn't be difficult for them.

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I shoot nice girls, ugly girls, dogs, dark people, white people, religious people, fat people, skinny people, young people, old people, cats, gays, shemale, lesbians, bald people, hippies, street artists, people with Maradona's T-shirt, etc. No discrimination at all..

Promeneur said:

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

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you're kidding, right ?

agott123 said:

Promeneur said:

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

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you're kidding, right ?

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Before we head down that rabbit hole, I'm curious if Promeneur is interested in an actual critique of his images. In other words, was that the reason they were posted?

sprouty115 said:

agott123 said:

Promeneur said:

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

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you're kidding, right ?

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Before we head down that rabbit hole, I'm curious if Promeneur is interested in an actual critique of his images. In other words, was that the reason they were posted?

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Absolutely, I would welcome a sincere critique to deal with some of the problems in these two photos. Thank you in advance, but I would like to go first.

In the first photo, with the young man in the white skirt you can see that the light on his face is too strong, especially his forehead. With the young man closer to me you can see that the shutter speed is a bit too slow as there is motion blur in his left hand. It would have also been better to have a bit more head room in this photo.

In the second photo it would have been better with a shallow depth of field as the background is not all that interesting. The photo also needs horizon correction and it would be better cropped to get rid of uninteresting parts of the photo especially that blown out rock on the right.

In both photos you can see that I am out in the middle of the afternoon. I would like to hear how you would handle shooting in that kind of harsh light.

When I post photos they are generally sooc of camera, but if I do light editing I always will say so.

I might be slow to respond after tomorrow, but will be following DPReview as I travel as time permits. So, a disappearing act doesn't mean that I am running away from the thread or forum.

Thank you for your interest!

Cheers!

agott123 said:

Promeneur said:

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

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you're kidding, right ?

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I probably should have left out "really"! ;-)

Regarding subjects, I like to take photos of people as it appears you do. I have few limits as I like people, all kinds of people!

Promeneur said:

agott123 said:

Promeneur said:

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

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you're kidding, right ?

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I probably should have left out "really"! ;-)

Regarding subjects, I like to take photos of people as it appears you do. I have few limits as I like people, all kinds of people!

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I'm deeply sorry I opened this can of worms. I should have known better. To my defence, it was almost bedtime and my toddler had exhausted me that day.

I have nothing against the photos or what you shoot and how you shoot it. It was the title that sat wrong with me.

I shoot every single subject that happens to be in front of me so long as they are not homeless, beggars etc. There are no other rules as far as choosing my subject in street photography: if I find the subject interesting at the time, I'll shoot. If the picture's mediocre later on, I'll delete.

Promeneur said:

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

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No both images are taken at very safe distance as you were too scared to go near them plus the time between the two images just indicates a voyeuristic attitude.

I have helped edit gay sites and magazines for over 15 years and we get these trophy style images all the time all this scream is "Look at me I took a picture of a couple of guys in dresses "

But you are happy as you have a trophy so go back to looking in the mirror

The technical defects you mentioned are there but for me the compositions just don't work. In one of the images a planter is growing out of one of the subjects' heads. The other subject is staring at their cell phone. The composition feels off balance, maybe because of the large slab of stone continuing off to the right.

In the image where the subjects are walking the background feels cluttered. The pose doesn't seem very interesting.

Personally, I would not share these photos if I had taken them. They would have been discards. And I consider myself mediocre at best.

That said, I'm not a street photographer and I don't know what good street photography looks like. Maybe these are great street photographs, and my taste doesn't run toward this genre.

melnais said:

melnais said:

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

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No both images are taken at very safe distance

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Yes.

melnais said:

as you were too scared to go near them

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Irrelevant. He can be as scared or calm as he likes and you have no business commenting on that.

melnais said:

plus the time between the two images just indicates a voyeuristic attitude.

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Street photography by definition has a level of that. Following a subject is quite typical for the hunting school.

melnais said:

I have helped edit gay sites and magazines for over 15 years

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Good for you.

melnais said:

and we get these trophy style images all the time all this scream is "Look at me I took a picture of a couple of guys in dresses "

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I don't disagree in that the composition is not what my choice would have been for amy subject.

melnais said:

But you are happy as you have a trophy so go back to looking in the mirror

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You are imposing your own thoughts and insecurities on a photographer you hardly know andnin the process are being extremely rude. BarelyAmateur below has also said critical things, harshly even, without being rude.

Vittorio
No insecurities here , you are imposing your own assumptions an editor/photographer you don't know.

ViMa said:

Good for you.

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Now that is being a bit derogatory or just plain rude.

melnais said:

Vittorio
No insecurities here , you are imposing your own assumptions an editor/photographer you don't know.

melnais said:

Good for you.

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Now that is being a bit derogatory or just plain rude.

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good for you
phrase of good

1. used to express praise or approval of something said or done, or enjoyment in a person's success or good fortune."‘I'm having driving lessons and taking my test next month.’ ‘Good for you!’"

How was I being rude by praising and approving of what you said you've done?

it's your sarcasm that gives it away and good cop bad cop style of post, must be indicative of your own insecurities

melnais said:

it's your sarcasm that gives it away and good cop bad cop style of post, must be indicative of your own insecurities

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I just said I meant it honestly.

ViMa said:

Promeneur said:

agott123 said:

Promeneur said:

These two photos are really good street photography if I may toot my own horn and I'm glad I took them and shared them on this forum!

Click to expand...

you're kidding, right ?

Click to expand...

I probably should have left out "really"! ;-)

Regarding subjects, I like to take photos of people as it appears you do. I have few limits as I like people, all kinds of people!

Click to expand...

I'm deeply sorry I opened this can of worms. I should have known better. To my defence, it was almost bedtime and my toddler had exhausted me that day.

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Oh, no worries on my part. It would be good for those commenting on this thread to go back and read the paragraph I added when I posted these photos. I referenced the New York Times, a center-left publication. Being the only one to have read the entire article the use of the word "boys" to me one was used in the context of affection. That paragraph for me set this thread up to be someting positive.

ViMa said:

I have nothing against the photos or what you shoot and how you shoot it. It was the title that sat wrong with me.

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I understand and that's ok. Writing does not always convey the emotion intended.

ViMa said:

I shoot every single subject that happens to be in front of me so long as they are not homeless, beggars etc. There are no other rules as far as choosing my subject in street photography: if I find the subject interesting at the time, I'll shoot. If the picture's mediocre later on, I'll delete.

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My life experience has taken me a lot of places and I have formed friendships with people from all walks of life around the world. Not only as street photography, but I also like to take photos that document the wonderful diversity that makes living in a large city pleasurable.

Unfortunately, someone has come here again and designated themself to be the photography police and attempt to impose their form of censorship. You see this in the forums occasionally.