Saorsa Loc: Punta Gorda FL

I see it as being about the life on a workday in a city. The people are anonymous as they are in crowds on a workday. They don't interact with each other on the street. With them being out of focus it shows no link between them and none are the subject. It's like walking down a crowded street without recognizing anyone else as you go about your own business.

The bus and car in relative motion (bus slow, car fast) provide some action and color.

I don't know if I would hang it on my wall but it would make an interesting illustration for an article about city life or the psychology of anomie.

dvgofaz Loc: Toosawn, Arizona

I'm gonna guess this is from Saul Leiter, and is part of a collection of urban scenes he shot in the 60s. He was the first to use kodachrome as an art medium. It seems to me that whomever made this image, the subject is the contrasting colors and the motion...together creating the 'urban hustle' feeling.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

You guessed wrong. If you had read just the first two pages of the thread you would know who shot it.

srt101fan

Why the tone? As a newcomer to the forum, the poster deserves better…

dvgofaz Loc: Toosawn, Arizona

yup i was wrong. so what?

dhilker Loc: Powder Springs, Georgia

What would be the reaction to this photo if, for instance, the man closest to the Camera was in pin-point focus?

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

Now I'm thinking about all those shots that I threw away or deleted. I COULD HAVE BEEN FAMOUS!!!!!!

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...I just yearn for a part, *any* part, to be in sharp focus. Life can't be *all* smudged, can it? Hahaha...well...

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

I think it would lessen any impact. If he was in focus he would stand out and seem like he was the main subject.

The Aardvark Is Ready

Agree with your analysis. I also get bugged by the "what is the subject" argument. The subject is the photo itself. Everything in it and about it.

Abo

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I realize that this is a "golden oldie" from last year, but I had an experience earlier this week that might inform the discussion.

I was working with a new teacher in the school where I work who was showing her students what was expected of them and how she grades their work. She asked me to present some of my photographs with commentary explaining my process to model how she wanted them to present a similar assignment. They then, individually and as a class, gave me a grade for my work.

I started out by showing a print that I had made of "Mule's Ears," a formation in Big Bend National Park. I have shown it a few times, and entered it in a contest, where it earned a low score and mostly derogatory comments from the judge. It was offered as a "failure," and an example of why my process now includes only limited processing with LightRoom.

Much to my surprise, just about everyone in the room loved the image, including the teacher, who had not seen it previously. They loved the pastel color palette and specifically loved that it looked much like a painting.

The thing is, getting those kids excited was a big deal to me. A number of them want to learn more about photography. (For those who are wondering, yes, we are going to start with their cell phone cameras.) And the approval and kind words from the art teacher, who has quickly become a new good friend, is worth much more to me than any words from an anonymous judge who I'll never meet. And yes...she will tell me if an image is weak or might have been improved by doing something different.

I think that analyzing photographs can be very beneficial. We have to decide what we like and what excites us as photographers. But I'm not sure of the true value of anonymous analysis by folks whose motives we don't know and understand.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

You had a good session with both students and teacher. I hope this continues successfully for both you and them.
As to analyzing an image by a stranger who doesn't know your intentions, I agree there might not be much value in that, but there could be advice offered of a more nuts and bolts variety. Sometimes other eyes sees things ours might have missed. I am glad that your Mule's Ears image got a good review. However, I think it would have been interesting if you could have shown the original Ernest Haas image that initiated this discussion. It would good to say something like "Here is an image that was offered for discussion in a group that I am a member of. Some people in the group really liked it and others did not care for it at all" If they want to know what it was, I'd tell them it is what it is, a color photograph of people and vehicles in traffic in a city" I would ask them what they thought about the image. Many of them, I suspect might not care for it, but what I would leave them with is that Haas made the image as an expression of something that mattered to him and that when they go out with their cell phones, they have every right to try to capture what matters to them.

jesmason

I agree about the woman. I'd lighten the coat to blue-gray and brown her hair color so she isn't the focal point. It doesn't help that she is almost in focus while nothing else is.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I agree with showing them this image. I'll be working with them further and will have opportunity to do that. Thank you for the suggestion. I may also show the Mule's Ears print here to see what discussion it generates.