Public Servants ( Pay Phones)

I was not happy with this at first, but after letting it go and coming back to it, i feel more strongly about it. Unfortunately, the image on the screen does not show the intricate details visible in the print, such as all the text on the phones and stickers, as well as the design on the coffee cup.
how do you feel about the overall aesthetic and composition.
Thanks

Gary,

I really like the way you have two photo's butted together to make one photo and it works. My initial thought was this is Gary's photo and it looks odd, but after a few minutes of looking it grows on me.

The only comment I initially came up with was the lack of detail but if you can see that in the print then its a winner for me. By the way just to make sense, I don't read the notes, not even the photographer or name before looking at the photo and start commenting. Which helps me give honest replies (IMO)

The only other comment is that the right hand wood looks a little blown through lack of detail and this could be because of compression. Is this right?

Roger

I love this shot!! It's chock full of city personality. The nuances in the range, the graffiti, even the missing phone box. I could pick on the contrast but you already know there's nothing wrong with your contrast; it's just me!! What was a little more to the left of us? You cut off the pipe rather abruptly and I was just wondering what was just to the left of it.

I think you've done a great job here. I'm enjoying this shot a lot. There's so much to look at. Love the way the B&W captured this scene also. Good job.

I assume this to be all one photograph. On first site it reminded me of Sebs Three People shot had Sebs been a full on front view composition. I'm assuming also that it is a daytime shot and then wondering what it would look like at night. But this is great anyway. I would like to see one of the hand phones hanging from its cord just for added ..something or other.
Tom

I really like the phone portion of the shot but that's really overwhelmed by the other half I think. Since I guess the series is about those helpful things that are so ubiquitous as to be mostly un noticed I guess that's OK. I think a closer shot of the phones would be a lot stronger. Did you do some closeups of just one or two of them?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gahspidy

I was not happy with this at first, but after letting it go and coming back to it, i feel more strongly about it. Unfortunately, the image on the screen does not show the intricate details visible in the print, such as all the text on the phones and stickers, as well as the design on the coffee cup.
how do you feel about the overall aesthetic and composition.
Thanks

---

Gary, you spotted an interesting scene as usual. There is a lot to look at and there are plenty of interesting details all arround. However, I can't help feeling somewhat uncomfortable by having the picture divided in two parts nearly equal in width. I'd rather have something more assymetrical. I first thought that getting rid of the extreme right (loosing one phone) would help to balance the shot (which somewhat works I think) but then I end up missing what is cut.... I think that the picture would need a crop but I don't know how to handle that one.

Tom brings an interesting point about shooting the same scene at night.I have a feeling that it would works well.

Seb

Thanks Roger, D, Liban, Tom, Chunk, Seb. All points and suggestions are valid here, and i agree with most. Roger, yeah that area on the right is slightly blown out from light. Tom, right you are about seeing this one at night. As a matter of fact, i have been writing down various locations that i plan to hit one of these nights and I do have this scene in mind.
Chunk, I have no idea why i did not grab a close up of the phones, as it is something I would usually go after first. I do plan on doing this over and hitting it more in the way of the subject unquestionably being the phones.
Seb. that bothers me as well about the shot. I did not like the split in the middle of what can look to be two seperate photos.
Overall, i like it, but I think i want this scene from a different approach for the series.
Thanks for the help