July Voting Thread - Capture a Stranger, Street Style

[AB22 Easy Tiger]

Vote for as many as you like and you have 7 days to vote.

Voting Guide (which you can ignore of course)
Photographs should be judged on how well they meet the current challenge topic.
Photography equipment used should not be a criterion for rating a photo.
Evaluate the photo in various aspects, set a consistent norm and give your vote accordingly
If you don't vote for a picture, please try to provide constructive criticism how the shot could be improved.

If any of you can't see one or more of the pictures drop me a PM listing what you can't see and I'll stick them on Flickr or something similar.


Good luck everyone.

 

[Hue Jorgan]

some good efforts this month well done folks.

The great Soprendo gets my vote this month.

Durham big meeting seemed to be a good source for material for many.

One of the things I like about big outdoor events is the 'people watching' element, there truly are some weird and wonderful sights out there with some errr.... how can I put it 'unusual/interseting' looking folks.

I think people watching is one of the reasons why Big Brother was such a big success in its early days (it began to fail towards the end because it was no longer 'real' the situations they were put in).

I have been browsing ll of the pis that I took at the village festival, and there are some real corkers, I am still happy with my entry tho, kinda old guy meets childhood.

well done to all those who entered.

 

[TiredEyes]

I found this theme and the other very, very, similar theme "environmental portraiture" an extremely dull subject and didn't even bother with an entry, so all your shots are better than mine.

I loved the photographic learning themes such as bokeh, chiaroscuro, urban fragments and rule of thirds both educational and interesting, more of those themes please ! Consequently only two votes from me this month.


tom tom macute - Nice shot, your "stranger" has managed to pose in the perfect position, although I hate the big blob of post production colour in the lens, however it's definitely in the top two shots in this poor monthly theme. - VOTE

Les the scientist - tis ok, looks like the Mad Hatter? Not enough for a vote, but interesting.

dan42 - meh, hate those "The Levellers" alternate types, white people with dreads :roll: other than the subject it's a bit dull.

ThankHeavenForShed7 - The cars the star, just a bit boring otherwise for me.

taipesafc - Nice shot, nicely framed by the verticals, just not enough there for a vote.

The Great Soprendo - Standard sneaky shot of a person on Metro, meh.

peachbum - you usually have something about your shots but this is easily the worst photo of any theme over the last 12 months by you, wtf were you thinking ?? (white dot by her nose too)

Elliot - Nice railings, scruffy homeless woman, s'ok imo.

phil - It's Terry from Brookside, escaped jail and is now working in a market in Cyprus selling olives from a jar. It's ok but the light cast on the "tasting" guy is distracting.

clyde - Ok, just her face is ruining the shot, lets hope she smiles at the wedding?

Hue Jordan - Brilliant, it gave me a big smile, the winner for this month, poor Grandad got roped into this you'd think. - VOTE

MaDMaCKeM - Quite interesting, I like the pebbles they make a good background and something to look at, I'd like to see their faces though.

Not Spavin - A bit dull, 3/4 of it is all the same dark colour.

Amnorrageordie - It's ok, little girl on her Dads shoulders, wish she'd had an ice cream dribbling on her Dads head or something to lift it a bit.


Just my amateur opinion.

 

[Deleted member 5265]

The Great Soprendo for me: beautiful subject, beatifully observed, beautifully lit

 

[Deleted member 13178]

Went for Clyde, he had a really good set from London - lots of decent ones to choose from this month but I think the expressions and slightly bizarre nature of that one won it for me.

 

[AB22 Easy Tiger]

Went for Clyde, he had a really good set from London - lots of decent ones to choose from this month but I think the expressions and slightly bizarre nature of that one won it for me.

I think it's his best entry since the competition began.

 

[peachy]

peachbum - you usually have something about your shots but this is easily the worst photo of any theme over the last 12 months by you, wtf were you thinking ?? (white dot by her nose too)

I enjoy your round up comments. The white dot by her nose was a nose piercing stud.

Regarding the theme. At first I thought Environmental Portraiture/Snap a Stranger were similar but infact they weren't.

With environmental portraiture you needed to use the environment and props to add to the person so we had some idea what they were about, did etc, you could interact with your subject etc. I found capturing a stranger totally different. It was a case of going round town taking shots of random people. You didn't interact with them, they remained strangers. I found it hard and wasn't going to enter, because I didn't think I was going to get anything very good as I had many subject strangers but I felt wrong taking pictures of them, and if I asked they wouldn't be strangers any more. I saw delightful ~6yr old twins, a beautiful Asian guy in unusual white robes, a guy doing gymn tricks on a bus stop seat, and several others. But it just seemed rude to photgraph them.

In my picture I was actually taking a picture of the guy behind my main subject. I had gone into a shop to be a little more subtle, and just as I took the picture someone walked into the shop doorway. When I got home with very few pictures I decided my stranger filling the picture was a little different from the other entries, so I entered it. I would have preferred her eyes to be a little more noticeable. I actually prefer it to my EP entry (not hard I know).

 

[tom tom macute]

Clyde and Amnorageordie for me.

Both totally different photographs in terms of colour,contast,exposure etc. but fit the challenge for me with both subjects being caught off guard but not embrassingly so.

 

[MaDMaCKeM]

Clyde and Hue Jordan for me, best of the bunch

 

[AB22 Easy Tiger]

I found this theme and the other very, very, similar theme "environmental portraiture" an extremely dull subject and didn't even bother with an entry, so all your shots are better than mine.

I loved the photographic learning themes such as bokeh, chiaroscuro, urban fragments and rule of thirds both educational and interesting, more of those themes please ! Consequently only two votes from me this month.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother!

Sorry if you don't like it but IMHO the themes you mention in your first para are as much about technique as those you talk about in your second.

The point of the challenge is to get entrants thinking about how they come up with their shot and therefore to improve as photographers, and I believe that's working. If you look at the entries for Jan 2010 and compare them to the last challenge I think you'll see that most entrants have improved.

There are so may things to consider in both environmental portraiture and street photography and to do either well is not easy, although some may just want to take a "snap" and that's up to them, but I don't think they'd get may votes.

I read somewhere that a photographer's most important tool are his legs. I think that's exactly right.

The current month is a wee bit different and is more about artistic impression than technique but we're back to techniques again in September and will continue with that until the end of the year.

By the way, if anyone has any ideas for themes I'd be delighted to consider them. Just drop me a PM.

 

[TiredEyes]

Maybe they are about technique but ffs man this next theme is the third of that kind in four months, enough already, shots of people in real situations, we get it, lets move on.

I know you say HCB style/inspired doesn't have to be B&W but imo anyone who shoots a colour shot of (yet another) person doing their life has failed the theme, considering 99.9% of his entire body of work was in B&W.

There are so may things to consider in both environmental portraiture and street photography and to do either well is not easy, although some may just want to take a "snap" and that's up to them, but I don't think they'd get may votes.

TGS takes a sneaky snap on his way to work and makes it B&W, gets tons of votes, I can still see his arm hiding the camera !

EDIT - Also the two front runners in this months vote could easily just dump them into next months comp too, the themes are that similar imo.

 

[The Great Soprendo]

Maybe they are about technique but ffs man this next theme is the third of that kind in four months, enough already, shots of people in real situations, we get it, lets move on.

I know you say HCB style/inspired doesn't have to be B&W but imo anyone who shoots a colour shot of (yet another) person doing their life has failed the theme, considering 99.9% of his entire body of work was in B&W.



TGS takes a sneaky snap on his way to work and makes it B&W, gets tons of votes, I can still see his arm hiding the camera !

EDIT - Also the two front runners in this months vote could easily just dump them into next months comp too, the themes are that similar imo.

Why so negative? Nobody is forcing you to take part and you are welcome to make theme suggestions if you have any, just like the rest of us.

Also, do you get a kick out of being offensive? You had a go at my entry last month for not meeting the theme (without justification) and now this month it's just a "snap"? People put time and effort into their entries but you obvioulsy know better...and begrudge them their votes :roll:. Also, it was B&W film by the way - not 'made' B&W as you put it.

Everyone else seems to make a positive contribution to the competition, and can frame criticism in a constructive way.

 

[TiredEyes]

Why so negative? Nobody is forcing you to take part and you are welcome to make theme suggestions if you have any, just like the rest of us.

Also, do you get a kick out of being offensive? You had a go at my entry last month for not meeting the theme (without justification) and now this month it's just a "snap"? People put time and effort into their entries but you obvioulsy know better...and begrudge them their votes :roll:. Also, it was B&W film by the way - not 'made' B&W as you put it.

Everyone else seems to make a positive contribution to the competition, and can frame criticism in a constructive way.

it's not negativity, it's exasperation !

I thought this competition was open to all, even encouraged as so and not just to the twenty or so who regularly frequent this part of the forum and I've already had my opinion on the themes I enjoyed, I had never even heard of Bokeh before and I found it really interesting, the best theme of this year by far for me (even though I was originally extremely frustrated at not being able to achieve it on my basic equipment) I even spent time learning about it and imo your shot was not strictly bokeh and in case you haven't noticed, I'm one of the amateurs that have been encouraged to take part in this monthly competition, so yeah, maybe you're right, I don't know best at all, in fact, I think I've said this very fact on numerous occasions, so don't be so sensitive, I can't even tell the difference between B&W film and B&W PP :roll:

As for this month, again don't feel so hurt, it's not like you spent a few thousand quid on lighting, a studio and it was a commissioned shot of a top model for a magazine shoot that I'm critiquing, it's not your livelihood.
Can you tell me honestly this wasn't taken on the way to work and that's not your arm at the bottom of your "snap", I could be wrong, perhaps you got a day pass for the Metro and rode it all day, looking for that shot but I can't see it, I see an average snap but better judges than me have voted for you, as an example I thought Clydes shot was shit but apparently it's the best shot he's ever entered, get that !!

In case you haven't figured it out already - I'm opinionated, I say it as I see it and I have never professed to be an expert in photography or the associated techniques, in fact I've regularly mentioned that I'm an amateur.

 

[The Great Soprendo]

it's not negativity, it's exasperation !

I thought this competition was open to all, even encouraged as so and not just to the twenty or so who regularly frequent this part of the forum and I've already had my opinion on the themes I enjoyed, I had never even heard of Bokeh before and I found it really interesting, the best theme of this year by far for me (even though I was originally extremely frustrated at not being able to achieve it on my basic equipment) I even spent time learning about it and imo your shot was not strictly bokeh and in case you haven't noticed, I'm one of the amateurs that have been encouraged to take part in this monthly competition, so yeah, maybe you're right, I don't know best at all, in fact, I think I've said this very fact on numerous occasions, so don't be so sensitive, I can't even tell the difference between B&W film and B&W PP :roll:

As for this month, again don't feel so hurt, it's not like you spent a few thousand quid on lighting, a studio and it was a commissioned shot of a top model for a magazine shoot that I'm critiquing, it's not your livelihood.
Can you tell me honestly this wasn't taken on the way to work and that's not your arm at the bottom of your "snap", I could be wrong, perhaps you got a day pass for the Metro and rode it all day, looking for that shot but I can't see it, I see an average snap but better judges than me have voted for you, as an example I thought Clydes shot was shit but apparently it's the best shot he's ever entered, get that !!

In case you haven't figured it out already - I'm opinionated, I say it as I see it and I have never professed to be an expert in photography or the associated techniques, in fact I've regularly mentioned that I'm an amateur.

Being opinionated is fine, but saying you're opinionated, and then defending any criticism of a comment by claiming not to know anything about the subject, is odd. The B&W comment is a perfect example.

Subjective opinions are obviously welcome. Such an opinion might be that you don't think it's an interesting composition, or that it's a shame I got my arm/bag/whatever in the shot, or that you would have preferred different lighting, etc. It would be really useful.

The 'snap' comment: If what you mean by a snap is a photo taken quickly to capture a moment, then the term applies to every candid portrait ever taken, including much of the work of Cartier Bresson himself. In many ways that is the essence of photography, and certainly of 'street style'. But your suggestion that these are thoughtless clicks of a shutter, is both unconstructive and offensive. I really welcome constructive criticism, ideas on how to improve etc, but again in the interests of learning, I don't think it's helpful to anyone on here, especially those starting out in photography, to see their photographs critiqued in this way. It's probably going to put them off taking part.

Re. my photo, whether it's any good or not is in the eye of the beholder, but there was thought taken on which camera to use, which film to load into it, focus distance, exposure value, and most of all in choosing the right moment to take it. I then 'snapped', if you like.

I think the "arm" you see is actually a bag on the seat, and I agree that it wasn't intentional, and probably isn't a good thing (does add a bit of depth, arguably though, and since this is street style, a bit of warts and all composition is acceptable IMO). And you are of course right that it was taken on the way to work, on the Metro (though I'm not sure why that is a bad thing).

 

[clyde]

it's not negativity, it's exasperation !

I thought this competition was open to all, even encouraged as so and not just to the twenty or so who regularly frequent this part of the forum and I've already had my opinion on the themes I enjoyed, I had never even heard of Bokeh before and I found it really interesting, the best theme of this year by far for me (even though I was originally extremely frustrated at not being able to achieve it on my basic equipment) I even spent time learning about it and imo your shot was not strictly bokeh and in case you haven't noticed, I'm one of the amateurs that have been encouraged to take part in this monthly competition, so yeah, maybe you're right, I don't know best at all, in fact, I think I've said this very fact on numerous occasions, so don't be so sensitive, I can't even tell the difference between B&W film and B&W PP :roll:

As for this month, again don't feel so hurt, it's not like you spent a few thousand quid on lighting, a studio and it was a commissioned shot of a top model for a magazine shoot that I'm critiquing, it's not your livelihood.
Can you tell me honestly this wasn't taken on the way to work and that's not your arm at the bottom of your "snap", I could be wrong, perhaps you got a day pass for the Metro and rode it all day, looking for that shot but I can't see it, I see an average snap but better judges than me have voted for you, as an example I thought Clydes shot was shit but apparently it's the best shot he's ever entered, get that !!

In case you haven't figured it out already - I'm opinionated, I say it as I see it and I have never professed to be an expert in photography or the associated techniques, in fact I've regularly mentioned that I'm an amateur.

cheers :-D

 

[not spavin]

Tom Tom Machute for me. I think a lot of this type of photography can fall into the 'snapshot' trap, but that shot was a nice twist on the theme. I think I've voted for TTM in most of the months this year, consistently interesting takes on the theme.

And in the wildly overreacting spirit of the thread, I think TiredEyes' lack of shot is worse than ethnic cleansing.

 

[Hue Jorgan]

thanks for the votes and the remarks

I feel the vote from tired eyes makes me an outright winner - lol
I feel like its worth 10 regular votes - lol

Shame there are some rather 'spiky' remarks, not sure if they are needed to give a critique of someones work?, this is meant to be a bit of fun for everyone with the added side effect of making us better 'snappers' - lol

come on guys take a chill pill (please?)

 

[Deleted member 13178]

And in the wildly overreacting spirit of the thread, I think TiredEyes' lack of shot is worse than ethnic cleansing.

I had an entry for this month, but I couldn't be arsed with all the bitching that inevitably happens - admittedly only from a minority but enough for me to say 'fuck that.' It's supposed to be fun!!

 

[peachy]

I had an entry for this month, but I couldn't be arsed with all the bitching that inevitably happens - admittedly only from a minority but enough for me to say 'fuck that.' It's supposed to be fun!!

Who and where? Apart from Tired Eyes rather outspoken manner, I wouldn't say there was any bitching.

It is as fun as you make it isn't it?

 

[AB22 Easy Tiger]

Can we please keep the comments constructive?

If you don't like a shot there's no issue with giving your opinion, but please offer suggestions as to how it could be improved. If you have nothing constructive to say, then say nowt.

In future we will remove negative comment that doesn't include constructive criticism. The constructive comments have been one of the most pleasing aspects of the challenge and we'd like it to continue that way.

Sorry if this seems heavy handed but we want to encourage entries, not discourage them.

Finis!