Strangers Project

[c.cloudwalker]

BTW......I don't think that these people are overly beautiful people. They are everyday people. What makes them beautiful to me is their smile and individuality. People are too hung up on looks!

No kidding! I can't believe this thread got derailed into a beautiful people vs. the not so beautiful ones. Not one of those gave me a hard on.


That said, here's your entire original post, Traveler:
"They are nicely done but after the first 4 or 5 they seem sort of, you know, similar.

Where does the art come into it? "

From a guy who thinks newbies should read between 10 and 15,000 words worth of stickies before voicing their opinions, I think yours is seriously lacking.

Now this is MY original post:
"This is just too beautiful. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: One thumb up just wasn't enough.


I personally liked the series better than the individual shots, before knowing what it was all about. The shots are nice, well done but nothing to write home about individually. As a whole and now knowing the story (one reason I like contemporaries is they can tell their story,) I like it even better. I can just imagine a gallery full (floor to ceiling) of those images and spending hours looking at them.

Then again I'm a fan of Yoko Ono, Steve Reich and other lesser artists, so who am I to say anuthing "

It may not go much further than yours as you see it but I did mention a couple reasons why I like the work. I also mention a couple of artists that I feel are related to this work. Overall a much more thorough C&C than yours although without so many more words.

Don't criticize what you don't do yourself!

When you turn into god, blast us all to hell if you will but until then, watch what you say.

And, btw, any idea why I mentioned the two artists I did mention?

 

[Stanza]

Great! Well, even if I have big personality I am shy enoough to ask somebody unknown if I can take a picture of him/her... Well done, interesting faces!

 

[spacefuzz]

BTW......I don't think that these people are overly beautiful people. They are everyday people. What makes them beautiful to me is their smile and individuality. People are too hung up on looks!

No kidding! I can't believe this thread got derailed into a beautiful people vs. the not so beautiful ones. Not one of those gave me a hard on.


That said, here's your entire original post, Traveler:
"They are nicely done but after the first 4 or 5 they seem sort of, you know, similar.

Where does the art come into it? "

From a guy who thinks newbies should read between 10 and 15,000 words worth of stickies before voicing their opinions, I think yours is seriously lacking.

Now this is MY original post:
"This is just too beautiful. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: One thumb up just wasn't enough.


I personally liked the series better than the individual shots, before knowing what it was all about. The shots are nice, well done but nothing to write home about individually. As a whole and now knowing the story (one reason I like contemporaries is they can tell their story,) I like it even better. I can just imagine a gallery full (floor to ceiling) of those images and spending hours looking at them.

Then again I'm a fan of Yoko Ono, Steve Reich and other lesser artists, so who am I to say anuthing "

It may not go much further than yours as you see it but I did mention a couple reasons why I like the work. I also mention a couple of artists that I feel are related to this work. Overall a much more thorough C&C than yours although without so many more words.

Don't criticize what you don't do yourself!

When you turn into god, blast us all to hell if you will but until then, watch what you say.

And, btw, any idea why I mentioned the two artists I did mention?

Didnt Yoko take similar pictures? I saw a photography of the Beatles exhibit once at the Rock n Roll hall of fame and seem to remember that style.

 

[The_Traveler]

"Where's the art?"

Traveler - if we were face to face at a photo exhibit and I had my project posted and you walkedover to my cue, those words wouldn't dare come out of your mouth.

You just came accross as a smug miserable little person. "where's the art?" a blatant attack, an attempt to put my work down. Thanks!

If you asked, as you did by posting here, I would say exactly what I thought as I did here.

IMO, you need to grow up a bit.
Not everyone will get or like your 'art' and if you respond this way, you will whittle down your critics to sycophants - and even those get bored after a while.

If you like, just post your address and next time I'm in New York, I'll come to your studio and you can insult me in person.

 

[bobnr32]

And, btw, any idea why I mentioned the two artists I did mention?

No!

 

[bobnr32]

Traveler: you just don't understand the difference between saying, for example, "I would like to see more variety in your work" and "Where's the art?"
There is constructive criticism and you.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Shalaby, I like em, great job isolating the subject and the people look happy / bemused.

Taking a break from a bad day to view these images left me with a smile. Working downtown, and people watching on breaks outside, you can really get a sense that nobody is happy. It was nice to see people took time to stop, and smile.

 

[MTVision]

How come you don't have a little story that accompanies the photo on your Flickr set? Most of the 100 strangers projects I've come across have a little blurb underneath about the stranger as well as how you approached, what you were both doing, etc.

I started this project too. It's slow going for me since I live in a small area (where I know everybody) and I'm extremely shy. Has it helped with your ability to talk to strangers?

 

[m.shalaby]

"Where's the art?"

Traveler - if we were face to face at a photo exhibit and I had my project posted and you walkedover to my cue, those words wouldn't dare come out of your mouth.

You just came accross as a smug miserable little person. "where's the art?" a blatant attack, an attempt to put my work down. Thanks!

If you asked, as you did by posting here, I would say exactly what I thought as I did here.

IMO, you need to grow up a bit.
Not everyone will get or like your 'art' and if you respond this way, you will whittle down your critics to syncophants - and even those get bored after a while.

If you like, just post your address and next time I'm in New York, I'll come to your studio and you can insult me in person.

If you didn't get the hint by now, nobody agree's with the way you approached me, my photography, and this thread in general.

And in a real life circumstance: if we were at an art exhibit and I was sitting there as viewers passed by my booth and looked at my work, and then you strolled up and you said to me in person “nice,but after 4 or 5 I get bored. Where is the art?” - Now really, ask yourself, would you REALLY say that to me? ...a complete stranger to you (which I am on this forum). No sir, you wouldn’t dare say that to me (or anyone) in person like that under those circumstances. No no no.... you just simply wouldn't.

Now if you want to play strong arm and "stick to your words" and if you did truly have the guts to say that to a stranger exhibitng their artwork - well then you’re one nasty, cruel d-bag of a human being!

So whats it going to be? Are you going to admit you wouldn't say it in person? Or are you really just one nasty miserable cruel d-bag? Your on the spot - answer!

 

[subscuck]

Taking a break from a bad day to view these images left me with a smile.

Wait, you smiled? I thought I felt the earth briefly stop rotating. LOL

On a serious note, I agree with c.cloudwalker. Taken on a one by one basis, they don't do much for me. However, in the context of the project (as they should be viewed), I think it's a lovely set.:thumbup:

 

[m.shalaby]

How come you don't have a little story that accompanies the photo on your Flickr set? Most of the 100 strangers projects I've come across have a little blurb underneath about the stranger as well as how you approached, what you were both doing, etc.

I started this project too. It's slow going for me since I live in a small area (where I know everybody) and I'm extremely shy. Has it helped with your ability to talk to strangers?

I don't want to have a story. I want the images, and individuals to be whoever you want them to be.

 

[mishele]

Now we are C&Cing the way people present their work on flickr....lol Wonderful

 

[The_Traveler]

"Where's the art?"
“nice,but after 4 or 5 I get bored. Where is the art?” - Now really, ask yourself, would you REALLY say that to me? ...a complete stranger to you (which I am on this forum). No sir, you wouldn’t dare say that to me (or anyone) in person like that under those circumstances. No no no.... you just simply wouldn't.

You're making a false dichotomy. Telling you what I think in response to a question is not being hateful, it's being truthful. I wasn't saying anything was terrible but saying that I didn't get it, whatever you were trying to do with this.

If you asked me, put yourself forward as this being not just portraits, but a project that you see as having a value beyond the individual photo, I would respond exactly that way. As I said, individually they are beautifully done but I don't see the art, the purpose beyond that.

It was you who took offense at the art comment.
If you had responded that you meant no higher purpose beyond an accumulation of pictures that helped you conquer your timidity then I would have said that they were great.
But you clearly felt there was more to them.

And, if you can't explain your art and your purpose more than whining about how difficult it was for you or attacking me, than you will have a tough time in the world.
And, if your response to any critique of your art is to attack the person personally, you are in for a tough time in the art world.

Well, I didn't get 'it'; you haven't explained 'it' - and neither has anyone else.

re: the personal attacks
It is interesting that, although I thought the work was good, no one concentrates on that; they concentrate that I didn't see any goal beyond the series, any meaning.

And of course those who don't like me for whatever reason, chose to use this situation to pile on - to make it about me and attack me personally in a rather cowardly way. Not disproving my opinion or explaining the higher goals of your project but trying to denigrate me and thus make the message invalid.

I don't expect too much for most of this board but the behavior of some on this thread was even lower than my expectations.

I'm done here so you can say what you wish.

 

[bentcountershaft]

I like the images, both individually and as a set. Aside from being beautifully shot I like the repetition as it seems to drive the point better than more variety would have. Seeing happiness in random strangers is refreshing, like Bitter said.

However, I can't keep from agreeing with Traveler that you don't seem to take criticism all that well. I took a look at your FM thread you had linked to and that you seem to prefer over this one; It seemed to be full of empty compliments. A lot of attaboy type posts there that didn't really say anything about why they like it. If that's all you want then by all means you should continue as you have been, but if it were me, I'd rather have ten threads like this one in response to my work than one hundred of those.

 

[MTVision]

Now we are C&Cing the way people present their work on flickr....lol Wonderful

I actually wasn't critiquing OR commenting on the way he presents his work on flickr - I was asking a question. I never said I disliked/liked the way he did it.