face in the crowd

Kanikula · Jul 13, 2008

I think you have found a wonderful array of "off the wall" subjects and personaly feel its a breath of fresh air from the usual. However think the technical execution of the shots isnt the best, but i see here you were going with this. With some more practice and understanding you will start producing some brill captures

IllegalDamage · Jul 13, 2008

Mitica100 said:
Hey, how about this shot (not mine, I wish):

Not quite appealing to the eye, he's not your typical good lookin' dude but I'll tell you, it says quite a story.

I don't mind various degrees of beauty in pictures. Richard Avedon (the author of the above picture) would agree with me, were he alive today. Yes he shot fashion photography but he shot plain American faces as well, like the one above.

Someone said above 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'...

I wouldn't (personally) call that beauty, however it is very interesting and I love the shot... just because it look amazing doesn't mean is has to be beautiful

Local_Skater · Jul 14, 2008

K8-90 said:
Than we agree...
What I said earlier was that these photos lack a certain appeal due to the photographic method in which they were created. Through photography, a photographer is usually trying to convey something - whether it be a story, a message, beauty, etc. I think that (this is only my opinion) this is what is "wrong" with these images. For the most part, they do not provide the viewer with anything. They are cropped so close that there is little story or context. While this could work if the emotions were right, it didn't.

For instance, image 5 (could you number them please?) Has the person completely off-guard, cropped in closely in a manner that is unflattering to that person. You can even see crumbs on their face! So it's not that you must post images only of "hot" people, but you have to be considerate as a photographer. You could take a well exposed image of a beautiful model, but if it is while they are blinking and talking, or chewing, or something of the sorts, it will not be a correct representation of the person.

Basically, I think that these shots - while techinically correct - are unflattering, and do not offer the viewer any interest. This highlights any "flaws", as that is all there is to see.

Thus making these bad photographs! The point I was making in my first post was not to be mean. I wanted to know the reason behind selecting those people, b/c of exactly what you said. There is no cohesion, no story, nothing to provoke anything but exactly what this thread has become. Just b/c this has become debate of morality doesn't change the fact that when it comes down to it, these just lack photographic merit. Like I said before, P&S with a nice camera.

I guarantee there is a way each one of these subjects could have shined in a photojournalistic situation. Thats the problem though. I see awkward, off guard looks that tell nothing, pissed off old men with the sun in there eyes, and a few women who I can't understand why they are dressed the way they are. Take something unique about each subject (aside from their faces) and portray it in a way that can be understood and appreciated by anyone (not just those who are trying not to hurt feelings). That is what makes the picture of the miner posted earlier so good and what sets it apart.

K8-90 · Jul 14, 2008

Exactly. There was potential, but the manner in which it was photographed didn't quite make it...

But this does not give reason or justify the comments that were made. I'm not talking to you specifically - I remember the comments, but not who said them. They really showed a lack of thinking, much like what is being argued to have caused "the problem " with these photos. This makes those who posted the comments hypocritical, in addition to rude, immature, materialistic, arrogant...