Taken in Times Square late evening. I wanted to somehow tell a story with this character of a shoe. I wanted to add the cab driver's curiosity to the backdrop quickly before stop-light turned "green". Focusing on the driver rather than the shoe, hopefully added visual story-telling.
Disqualification Details
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Views since voting: 503 Views during voting: 429 Comments: 26 Favorites: 1 (view)
I am so happy that I drew your photo to comment on as I really wanted to leave a comment during the challenge and didn’t!
What’s ‘right’: This is so “New York”! The cabby, the shoe, the moment!
The crisp, clean lines on the cab are complemented by the softness of the shoe. My eye is drawn imediately to the cabby and the direction he’s looking. There is a beauty in the tension—my eye goes to the face and then to the shoe.
The composition demands that I think that he’s looking at the shoe—almost saying that if his tips were good, he’d take one of those window items home for his “girl.” There’s “story” in this image that keeps the viewer interested.
The choice of black and white helps unify the image. It ties the cab and cabby to the retail item. The “grain” gives it classic appeal. The tightness of the framing holds the viewer inside the picture.
What’s ‘not so right’:
I can’t help thinking that the cabby’s looking at me/the photographer. Is it clearly the shoe that has his attention?
Composition: The cropping helps contain the subject left to right, but the extra information in the background (the other car and the pedestrians) pulls the eye away from your two subjects, the shoe and the cabby. By cropping the top you would have avoided that and also given the image a more traditional aspect ratio, like that of a 35mm frame. However, you might have had to shoot from a higher point of view or pulled back from the shoe some to preserve the idea of the shoe since there’s some risk of turning it into a mystery object.
Depth of Field: Because the shoe dominates the frame it creates a large, up-front object that is out of focus. I don’t see this as “wrong” but perhaps if it had been a little sharper the attraction of the cabby to the shoe may have been more convincing, the opulence of the shoe might have been more evident. It seems that the lighting would have allowed for the DOF to be brought closer as it does extend nearly to the other side of the street.
Overall I think you have a fine image that was not well rewarded by the voters. I like the rich gradation of tones and the creative perspective. The story creates interest and makes this a memorable image. It seems like the type of image that could be recreated making different choices to see what effects they could create.
--Kadi
I'm really sad to see that this photo didn't win - far from (???). Though, I still rate this as the best one in the competition, it's powerful, thoughtful...you name it. Keep ut your great work!
I love this photo, so original and interesting. It makes you want to find out what is going on in the foreground AND the background. Great artistic shot! The composition and the graininess work here. Well done and congrats on thinking outside the shoe box :) 10!
i love the way the guy is looking at the shoe.it really makes the whole pic.the shoe is a little blury, maybe it should've been the other way around?the shoe clear and everything else blury?i don't know,but i still like the idea.8 from me.
I'm loving the illusion. The shoe is a tinee bit out of focus but it works and I understand why you did that. The taxi dude looks a little bewildered though....lol. NICE WORK.
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