What do you think about this picture?

[Luminaryg]

Friend and i had an argument over this picture. we both have different view of this picture.
View #1. its dissing the homeless and offensive because the man is possibly showing angry expression on his face and throwing the money. There is no money in his hand, and he is bending slightly.

View #2 a man is being kind and helping a poor in need.

So please vote and help us resolve this problem, my friend is really really ignorant.


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[480sparky]

My first impression was that the man was somehow demeaning the woman verbally.

 

[KmH]

Who took the photo?

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[480sparky]

Ponte Sant'Angelo, Dec 2009 - 18 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[Designer]

So please vote and help us resolve this problem, my friend is really really ignorant.

The photograph is neither offensive nor positive. The actions of the principal subjects are unknown and possibly were not known to the photographer. I doubt very much if the photographer could tell you exactly what was happening even if you asked him.

As to your poll; the terms "offensive" and "positive" are not opposites, as if there were only two possible choices, but you should have added a third and possibly a fourth option in your poll.

And who is this "friend" who is "really really ignorant"?

 

[Trever1t]

The man is homeless and is reaching down to take her offering of water which she gives up with deep sincere homage.

 

[Dagwood56]

I don't see this as offensive or positive. My first impression of what was going on in the shot, is the guy is reaching down to steal the woman's cup of change. That's not a nice thing to do obviously, but does it make the shot offensive\positive - no.

 

[SquarePeg]

It looks like he has just dropped money into that can and she is thanking him. You can't really see his face but my impression is sad not upset or angry.

 

[Torus34]

The photo, as it stands, strikes me as incomplete. It does not present a 'message' which would be recognizable by an independent viewer such as this pocm. Thus, it's either purposely vague or it missed its intended mark.

Given the choices presented, I cannot vote.

 

[vintagesnaps]

To me it's more recording a moment of something happening in a documentary or newsworthy style. The expression doesn't seem angry, it looks like he's squinting/frowning and I find it hard to guess what he might be thinking. Since he's tall it looks to me like he bent and reached down to toss maybe coins into the cup.

I think the photo would look better if straightened and if it had been shot tighter. There's also a person in black behind the man's arm which makes for a distraction; it would be better to see the person or not have them in the frame so you don't just have a dark shape there. I would think about framing and perspective, I think taking photos as things are happening takes some practice and getting good at the timing.

 

[weepete]

The guy quite clearly tossed some money into the cup.

 

[Braineack]

My first impression was the shot was blurry and tilted.

 

[dennybeall]

Good lesson in photography/photojournalism.
The photo should tell the story, if it's ambiguous like this one, then it's not successful.
The shot a split second before or after may have been the good one but we'll never know.

 

[The_Traveler]

I wouldn't say it's awful but it certainly isn't good - for all the reasons above.
And the editing is cross purposes to what I guess is the intended result.

 

[imagemaker46]

It needs a tighter crop, there are elements that are distracting. It could lose the space right behind her feet, all the space leading up to them and some off the top. It really doesn't say much as an image. If I were in the position to shoot this, I would have stayed around longer and waited for a better image to develop. It is very likely that it would have.