Rich .. and other "Street Shooters"...

[Kawidude]

Funny.

Good assessment.

Kawi- was that you or someone else who posted the fisherman with tackle awhile back? You've had some good photos. Any photos to contribute to this concept?

Thanks for the kind words fatcat. I don't have many shots that would fit the category, and certainly none that approach the quality of Okie and Rich's images.

I believe Bspeed was the one who posted the images of the fisherman. Those were great shots too.

 

[Kawidude]

Thanks everyone for the great input .... it's nice to read that some get the same feelings I had/have about the shots.

To me, the "pigeon" shot is very cool... the crack, etc... all leading to the poor soul in the bg... however, I don't think it stands on it's own, ie; needs the other images in the series.

The first one "eye contact" is my favorite... probably due to the reaction I had looking thru the view finder realizing he was looking back... I had stayed in the background, not wanting to be noticed (like a 70-200 2.8 makes that easy, lol); then suddenly "discovered".

Frankly, I felt bad taking that shot, but got some relief knowing WHY I took those shots in the first place... not to make money, but to show real life as it is for some less fortunate. That shot, to me, is an "in-your-face, it's not all good out here" reality check. As in... we all know they are there, but do we really see them? In the big urban landscape, they are just fixtures... akin to a lamp post that you know is there, but never really look at... something you dodge in your hurry to get somewhere.

The other shot "face in hands". I named it "Only If" ... He started out just like the rest of us.. all it took were some bad decisions, bad "luck" if you believe in that kinda thing, to end-up right there on that bench. He can probably tell you in detail about each event that landed him there.

Bottom line, when I shoot street, its not to exploit, it's to attempt to show that these are still people, just one or two bad moves from living the same life "you" do. Whether my stuff instills thoughts such as these for others is neither here nor there... the camera allows me to capture feelings that I don't necessarily get when I see the homeless with just my eyes. Kinda all that matters.

< Spew off >

Very interesting Okie. I think you helped spark a though for me on the first image with the eye contact. I look at it again and realize that it almost gives me an uncomfortable feeling deep down inside. I can almost put myself in your shoes when you shot that and wonder what my reaction might have been had he lifted his head and and looked in my eyes. I totally get what you're going for with these shots and I think they're important to capture. Sometimes images that make me slightly uncomfortable help to pull my head out of the "comfort zone" that I spend most of my day in.

 

[Ol'89r]

The first one "eye contact" is my favorite... probably due to the reaction I had looking thru the view finder realizing he was looking back... I had stayed in the background, not wanting to be noticed (like a 70-200 2.8 makes that easy, lol); then suddenly "discovered".

>

Bob.

That one is my favorite too. To me it shows the empty hallway and the empty look of desperation in the mans face. That, along with the prison garb tells a story of a very empty life gone wrong.

Good job. :cool: