Little girl

ernie · Jun 9, 2008

taken in brooklyn botanical garden while waiting in line for a hamburger.
tried my best to convert them to an interesting b&w but i feel they came out kind of average anyway. maybe it's because of the bad lighting (middle of the day, bright sun), i dunno. anyway, emotion of the girl is nice i think.

#1

#2 (when she noticed the camera and got scared, haha)

LaFoto · Jun 9, 2008

I think with her hair highlit from behind and your focus just right they are more than average. And her face is cute and her expression intense, so I think you did well.
I will never like vignetting so much, but that is just me, and maybe, only MAYBE, if only I knew how it is done, I might begin to like it a bit better, too. But, erm ... true fact is: I don't.

tirediron · Jun 9, 2008

I think these are both very good.

Arch · Jun 9, 2008

yea i like the first alot, i think the expression was well worth capturing and you did a good job with the conversion. :thumbup:

Emerana · Jun 9, 2008

I really like them alot. I have a big issue with people taking photos of children and posting them without consent of the parents though. But that aside, I think they are very nice. Did you get the parents address. I am sure they would love a copy.

ernie · Jun 10, 2008

thanks for the kind replies guys.

LaFoto said:
I think with her hair highlit from behind and your focus just right they are more than average. And her face is cute and her expression intense, so I think you did well.
I will never like vignetting so much, but that is just me, and maybe, only MAYBE, if only I knew how it is done, I might begin to like it a bit better, too. But, erm ... true fact is: I don't.

well thanks! i thought a highlight on her hair like that was not done with portrait photography. i figured it was all about soft light.
the vignetting was done to draw focus away from some old lady (and to the girl of course) that was staring straight into the lens, was kind of distracting.

Emerana said:
I really like them alot. I have a big issue with people taking photos of children and posting them without consent of the parents though. But that aside, I think they are very nice. Did you get the parents address. I am sure they would love a copy.

hm, haven't even thought of that. good point ...

Rick Waldroup · Jun 10, 2008

Emerana said:
I really like them alot. I have a big issue with people taking photos of children and posting them without consent of the parents though. But that aside, I think they are very nice. Did you get the parents address. I am sure they would love a copy.

That's right Ernie, you never know what will happen posting a shot of a cute girl out in public, seemingly having a good time with her dad. Egads!!! Imagine the horror of what might happen.

Some of us might actually understand that you have frozen a moment in time that is precious and innocent. A moment of beauty and wonder in a child's life. Of course, only some of us might understand that.

Nice shots.

LaFoto · Jun 10, 2008

I still HOPE (believing in the good in people!) that MOST only see that happy, innocent moment, "the moment of beauty and wonder in a child's life", and that it is only SOME (let's hope only really very few) that might see other things in this!!!

Rick Waldroup · Jun 10, 2008

LaFoto said:
I still HOPE (believing in the good in people!) that MOST only see that happy, innocent moment, "the moment of beauty and wonder in a child's life", and that it is only SOME (let's hope only really very few) that might see other things in this!!!

Thanks. You said it better than I did. :wink:

GeorgiaOwl · Jun 10, 2008

Yeah, and imagine ....in just a few short millinium someone might be able to track down this child and ....wait, she'll be dead by the time anyone could ..but then if she's.....you can't...

dude, i think it's gonna be ok.

Now, if you'd posted her name, address and phone number online....

great shots. they both convey a sense of joy and innocence( esp. the second one with just an innocent curious eye. nice job)

Early · Jun 10, 2008

A couple of awesome grab shots. They don't come along enough.

visualpoetry · Jun 12, 2008

Love them. Especially number one.

Emerana · Jun 12, 2008

In Guatemala people have been killed for taking photos of children with out consent. People there are afraid, and history shows they may have reason to be, that you are taking photos with plans to kidnap and sell that child into slavery.

Is that going to happen here? No. BUT you dont know the cultural sensitivities of people you are shooting.

Also, this isnt a common event but I worked for a woman who was on the run from her husband...and not just a little bit. He was a powerful cult leader and had a price on her and the kids heads. So photos of them never happened (the police finally got him).

And third, its just common respect. They are children, not property. Parents are protecting them, and you take away a little of their ability to do so by shooting their photos without consent.

Those are my feelings...and if someone was taking my kids photo without consent, I would call the cops. Better to be safe then sorry. However, if a person approaced me and seemed genuine ("I am a photographer blah blah" or "I am here taking photos today and I just snapped a great one of your daughter, I'm happy to email it") that would be ok. Also just general photos is ok, but this one really shows her face so well.

Anyways, thats how I feel and I have every right to feel that way.

GeorgiaOwl · Jun 12, 2008

No offense, but I'm going on a little rant here....not directed at you, but at the state of public political correctness as a whole...

First, everyone should read G. Gordon Liddy's " When I was a Kid This was a Free Country."

Second.....

You can't go around your whole life worrying about the fact that a random person you meet on the street might be a Guatemaluan cult member killer whose child is on the run from zombie aliens being chased by bigfoot. you just can't.

and as for the " parents are protecting them" thing? Holy hell? has it gone that far? he's not pointing a 9mm at the kid, he's got a camera! Oh no! A Camera!

You do have every right to feel that way and I respect that, and I'm not trying to belittle your opinion or whatever. I just think we've gone way to far - WAY to freakin' far in this country( and Europe for that matter) with the paranoia/political correctness thing. It's not a lack of respect for the child or the parents that the photographer is showing...if anything it's a showing of respect. The little kid was cute enough to warrant a photo. Whether or not the photographer offers a copy is up to the photographer! It's not like you can go out in public and walk around and demand that no one look at you, or take your photo. But, perhaps some would have it that way.

I'm glad I wasn't born any later than I was....'cause I don't think I can handle any more of this kind of 1984 mentality.

You know what, there are probably spy cameras at intersections that this guy walks/drives through every day. Hell, the governement has photos of every member of his family. He might be the kind of parent that has his kids fingerprinted? He probably leaves his kid( just saying the chances are) with virtual strangers every day at day-care.

I'm not going to say that photogs should just stick their cameras anywhere they want, but for God's sake.......if you can't see a kid in a park and take a picture of it, then I suggest we just ban the hell out of cameras. And parks. (Guns will come later)

God, it is 1984, isn't it.....only, we've let them do it to us mentally. I suppose the physical incarnations do come later. Those flat screen Tv's are gonna come in handy one day aren't they .....i hope i'm a prole.