Ignoring the Busker

[Didache]

Hi all

This image was, in fact, the last that I took as part of my London Underground project. I am deliberately emulating a very fine photographer - his "trademark" is creative crops - he often slices off people's heads etc. in order to fill the frame.

Does it work it in this instance do you think? The idea of the busker being in focus, while the other traveller(s) being blurred is deliberate. The idea is to have the busker still while the rest of humanity travels around him.

Any other comments will be very welcome too.

Cheers
Mike

[CallumW]

I like this picture and i think you have got exactly what you were aiming for i can see what you mean. The busker sits there still, as the rest of the world moves on. I really do like this picture, well done.

Callum

[romelm]

Nice Creative Shot. I really like how you captured the downward look of the busker and the color surrounding him, while he's in blue. Good mood. Also liked the cropping of the blurred man (nice artistic blur, by the way)... I think cropping his head invites the person to move out of the picture ... perhaps into considerations that go beyond the picture. I'd be interested to know how you got the coloring to pop?

[KenB]

I think it works and works very well. Cropping the top of the guy's head off doesn't bother me in the least. He could be even more blurred too.

[Greg McCary]

Mike, I love the picture but I am 50-50 on the head crop. The composition is great as usual.
Greg

[Didache]

Thanks guys for your kind words - it is appreciated.

romelm - actually the image was a tad flat initially - I had to boost both saturation and contrast. Although there isn't a lot of colour in the image as a whole, there is in the area surrounding the busker. I just boosted those things until it looked right. I shoot raw which helps.

KenB - I will look at blurring him a little more, to see what it looks like. All the underground images were shot at 1/30sec - that guy was almost still, so the blur isn't too extreme.

Greg - I am 50-50 too - which is why I put it up here!

As before, the whole portfolio can be seen at: http://album2591.fotopic.net/c1329836.html

Cheers
Mike

[readingr]

Mike,

This works for me but not in the way you were expecting it to.

To me the chap is turning to listen to the busker who just started playing his favourite tune and not moving off not paying attention as you wanted. I think this is because he's standing waiting for the train and not moving down the platform.

Not convinced with the crop - either not sever enough because it looks like a mistake to me.

Roger

[Dylan8i]

i almost want the foreground subject (s) to be almost blurred to no recognizion... like a major time lapse with lots of people walking by. but that may change what you had in mind... its a good shot but i'd like alittle more action by the travelers.