The people of the NYC Streets

[crashcart]

Did some shooting in NYC of some folks on the streets, and some feedback and critiques is always welcome.

 

[monkeykoder]

3 and 4 have potential 3 needs a tighter crop I think we don't need to be told it is a taxi just implying it with the yellow paint will work (you could do this with the right yellow on a lamborghini (however the crap you spell it)). #4 just stops a little short and I don't know why.

 

[keybq]

wow no wonder most of the people in NYC seem mean. God those people just look like they want to run in front of a train. Awesome pictures though

 

[K8-90]

^ Yeah. They all have that dead zombie expression...

I like the shots, but they seem a bit grainy. And the horizons are all tipped down to the left, but that's an easy fix. I wish I had the guts to do this kind of thing - I feel so awkward when I try to photograph strangers! Any tips?

 

[Renair]

I like the taxi shot, tighter crop, more saturation. The post in the back window from behind it looks like the face is a passenger with a big head! LOL

K8, I also have the problem photographing strangers, one way around it is either use a telephoto or pretend your shooting something behind them, dont look at them after you've taken the shot. Also what works best for me is a few beers first! Then you dont worry about it as much!!!!

 

[Flash Harry]

Glad I dont live in the city anymore, forgot how lonely and depressing it is when your anonymous, regardless how much cash you make. H

 

[MHarvey]

The cab shot is interesting, i like the face in the window. I agree needs to be cropped but I can't figure the best way to go about it. I think my favorite is the second one, really like the grainyness of the photo. It adds to the "nothing is going right" look the man has. Also interesting in the fourth picture is they are crammed in like sardines in the subway but not as single person in making eye contact. Almost appears that they are avoiding it.

 

[DRoberts]

Really like the cab and subway shots

 

[Helen B]

I like the juxtaposition of the driver's face and the face in the poster - maybe you could crop to remove some of the distractions. The colour image doesn't seem to hang together with the others as a group - do you really prefer it in colour?

I guess that New York is what you make of it. If you want to be anonymous, you can be. To many of us it is one of the most friendly, open, diverse and lively communities in the world. It's really up to you. I never had any desire to see New York, or any other city for that matter, as a tourist and these photos would make me want to keep well clear of New York lest I be infected. Fortunately the zombies reanimate as soon as they escape from the evil mind control rays the MTA beam into the subway system. It's best to wear aluminum foil hats if you ride the subway, or just stick to the buses. The MTA have just invented bus lanes, you know. The rest of the world will catch on eventually, I guess.

Best,
Helen from Hell's Kitchen, just two blocks west of Times Square.

 

[youbetcha1018]

Nice photos, very amusing. How did you shoot all of this? I admire you for taking pictures of these busy people on a very busy streets of NYC. Nice job!

 

[Early]

Ah, the people of NY! Oblivious to everything! Ya gotta love 'em!

Nice shots!

 

[lockwood81]

Wow, what a sad looking city...

Nice candid captures though.

 

[blash]

1) The fundamental problem here is that the eye is first drawn to the bust in the window, since it's relatively bright, and then to the woman window shopping, who is the subject. We want to draw attention to the subject first, and then to the commentary on the subject (the bust, which makes commentary on the woman, who represents American consumerism) - and yet, we want to keep the tones the way they are - keep the bust bright to comment on the glitzy nature of fashion, and the woman dark to comment on the current financial crisis. I'd probably: a) recompose to put the woman in front of the bust rather than to the side in order to help make sure that the eyes get closer to here, b) throw the aperture open a little wider to get rid of the people cluttering the background, and c) maybe use a circular polarizer to get rid of the reflections in the window, the white-level of the bust is enough to get the point across without what is essentially as bright as having a sun in the photo, let alone a sun on top one of the photo's emphases.

2) Shallower depth of field would do this wonders - eliminate distractions and add to the loneliness feeling here. Watch this, you can simulate a shallower depth of field in photoshop: [ame]http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DA8TgyTruV8&feature=related[/ame]

3) Crop off the top and bottom, make the photo look like the taxi is in a sleek kind of motion.

4) I like this one, interesting commentary on the American "melting pot" further enhanced by the texture that the wrap-around advertisement brings.

edit: 10 minutes in photoshop for #2 using the tut linked to on youtube:

 

[white russian]

I like the way number 2 as is. When I first say the second photo I saw the man, but I also saw the, what looks like a, wax figure in the background. With that my eyes were able to connect to two with one another. I think the photo works as is.

I am excited to go to New York for Thanksgiving and for taking some street photography shoots as well. I love it; there is a photo on every block.

Serg

 

[crashcart]

Thanks for the input, everyone.

I like the way number 2 as is. When I first say the second photo I saw the man, but I also saw the, what looks like a, wax figure in the background.

That's kind of what I was going for. There is a wax figure in the background with pretty much the same slouched posture. On Flickr, this photo is titled "Doppleganger" for that reason.

As with the subway shot, you guys also hit the people's avoidance of each other right on the head. Again, on Flickr, the title of the shot is "I don't see you."

Anyway, Helen, here is a happier shot of some MTA people:

and here are some more unhappy people: