katu41

A few days ago I posted a picture that got many comments from UHH members. I tried to respond to each and found that I enjoyed our interaction. That got me to thinking about how to get more people involved.

Our new photo opportunities are now quite limited so if you are like me you are revisiting your library to find fresh things to do with old photos. We all have a small group of photos that we think of as"our best". They might be the best because the subject is unusual and interesting, exotic or we processed them in such a way as to make them special. Here is my idea:

I have pulled out of my photo library 5 pictures that I think may be my "Personal Best". It was actually a hard call as there are many that didn't make the cut but are very worthy. Every day I am going to post in the UHH Gallery one photo and call it "Persanal Best--Katu #1, etc.". I am also going to include an explanation of where the shot was taken, how I saw the opportunity to capture the image and why I liked the shot. My hope is that others will comment and start a brief discussion of opinions and insights. These could be the shared experiences of seeing the same location. You could also include your own picture of the same place for comparison.

To make this work, each interested person could post their separate Gallery shot using the same "Personal Best" with their screen name for identification. I expect that this would start out slowly but might catch on after a while. I hope I am not suggesting something that violates any UHH rules but if so I will stop. Let's see if others embrace the idea.

Personal Best--Katu: I titled this shot "The Sweeper". I shot it in a light drizzle at the Shrine of the Martyrs in Taipei in 2010. I had just entered the Shrine and was walking toward an open gate when I noticed this man sweeping a wet sidewalk. In most cultures, you sweep to pick up dust, dirt and litter but as I had learned, in some parts of Asia, this task was more about making work for people. I only had the opportunity to take a single shot and with luck the man was in the best possible pose for what I wanted to capture. It wasn't until I put the image on my computer that I noticed the colorful background. When I processed the photo I removed a few unsightly pipes on the wall and enhanced the saturation slightly. I did not have the skills to play with colors nor did I have any filters to modify the atmosphere of the picture. The shot may not be as sharp as I would have liked but remember I was shooting this in a light drizzle. I like this shot because of the position (rule of thirds) and pose of the Sweeper and the incredible colors in his garments and the background.

This was shot with a Canon 5D Mk II with a 24-105 mm L lens.

The Sweeper

(Download)

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Very nice and well-composed, good exposure, and color saturation. I wish you had leveled the sidewalk, though.
--Bob

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

I love purple and green in combination too.

katu41

Thanks for the comment. Regarding the sidewalk, please note that the tree is perfectly perpendicular. Back then, I did not have the opportunity for horizontal adjustment to level the sidewalk. I was also shooting at a slight angle to the man so my capture and processing was the best I could do at the time.

katu41

I find the harmony between the garment of the Sweep and the background to be almost exciting. What were the chances of capturing that shot.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Wonderful shot, thanks for sharing.

katu41

What do you think of the idea of "Personal Best"?

katu41

What do you think of the idea for "Personal Best"?