This is a very nice homeless man I gave some money, talked to about christmas, then took his picture. His dog there is named "Spare-Change." I was visiting toronto with some friends to go to an art college open house. Along with the other homeless people I talked to, they were the nicest people I met in Toronto.
I faked the shallow focus in PS with two seperate lens blurs, one for the very background and one of the semi-background elements like the post. I also worked in a layer mask for the look and did lots of dodging and burning.
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Place: 9 out of 519 Avg (all users): 6.9588 Avg (commenters): 8.6053 Avg (participants): 6.9028 Avg (non-participants): 7.1200 Views since voting: 9380 Views during voting: 532 Votes: 291 Comments: 71 Favorites: 43 (view)
this should have ribboned, after looking through the top 10... sheesh, this is original and beautiful. i'm sick of the water reflection shots!!! aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! sorry, just had to get that out. i hadn't seen this one before, and i'm glad it was posted in the forums today. you're an inspiration!!
You found out your own style and that's very important for a young boy like you:I saw with big interest your whole portfolio. All your pics have a particular personal style from the shot to the ps work in which you're great!
You manage to comunicate, with the choice of colors and the photo composition, your deep feelings.
Bye
I was already missing you!
Great capture, the expression, composition and post processing make this a superb shot very well to your level.
Congratulations!!
This is beautifully rendered. You're moving away from the extremes and becoming, in the procees, both more expressive and more effective. Congrats on top 10.
Awesome job, Joey, congrats on the top ten in Free Study, not an easy feat! I like the lighting, no fill flash? The richness of colours is a great contrast with the destitute, street theme.
Awesome shot. Amazing clarity and detail. Very nice. High interest factor. I really like the tones and feel of the image. Great dof. Good strong composition. Just an outstanding job here. Very nice :-)
A beautiful example of street photography. The treatment on the shot is lovely with gerat utilization of dodging and burning. This is a superb photograph.
I don't go a bundle on the processing - puts it more into the field of painting than photography, for me. Of course, the detail and all that stuff is everso well done, and the knackered quality of the geezer's clothes, and his little prison tattoo add a contrast to his ;'cheerful' santa hat. I think I don't like the gaze into camera - inevitably, that becomes a performance thing - and the shot becomes a simple portrait. Perhaps I work too much with performance, but perhaps an idea of the photographer not being part of the story - and you undoubtedly are, when your subject fixes his gaze on you - is old hat, and belongs to a documentary idea that the world has left behind; nevertheless, that engagement pushed an absence of authenticity into this shot: he knows you're shooting, and so what he is at this moment is perhaps less real.
My first reaction was that I wanted to know more of his environment - and then, of course, from the posters on the lamppost, and the newspaper box (?), it is clear enough. People, I think, don't exist in isolation - a difficulty I have with more portraits. People are part of their environment, and both contribute to it and belong to it; and without it, however battered and entrancig their face, I find them rather meaningless, perhaps. I'm not sure, as I write, that that's anything to be proud of.
This might well be the most interesting shot in this challenge, however - I'm just expressing the thoughts that spring to mind from it - and anything that prompts thoughts like that has to be a good photograph. I just want more documentary (which we get little enough of here), and less 'study' - of which we get far too much, though rarely with this kind of love.
Oh my god I thought the Dog was santas beard at first. I had to get my head closer to see what was going on or if it was my eyes. This could have been a top notch image in Black and white with some dodge and burn you would have set the focus element towards the santa. In color there is just too much other things going on behind him and around him. (6)
There is something about the colors in this photo that makes me go back to it over and over again. Although a tad dark, I find it fascinatingly appealing. Bump again. (can't bump any more - reached the top)
LOL, I love the dog on his lap. It looks as if some significant post-processing was done on this (highlights on man's face, etc.), and I think you did it well. Good luck.
Best in the Challenge so far. You have really captured the greasy feel of old downtown. The dog in his lap is what wins this for me. Not because I love dogs, but because it adds unexpected interest. The light on the mans face is also very compelling. His mouth being slightly opened is excellent.
This is a very powerful photograph. It's nice when something like this can invoke emotion. There's not a whole lot of issue one can find with a great candid pic like this.
I think this is closer to the truth kids...If I worked year round on the project I had to complete by Christmas...I'd be looking a little puffy under the eyes too. Don't forget little Rudolf there! PSSSSSST...Rudolf the Reindeer is a myth...Rudolf is actually a dog!! Rudolf manages Santa's Naughty and Nice list...it's true...Mrs. Claus started what is now known as the 'The Red Gate Rumors' at the North Pole. A story about a reindeer that saved Christmas with his glowing red nose. How ridiculous!! Great Capture!!
WOW!!!!
Only marked 37% so far but this stands out way above the rest.
I love this shot so much.
It is perfect on so many levels.
Well done.
Good luck.
10
DAMN! There are some good shots in this challenge! This is outstanding! Perfect tack sharp focus and I love the deep dark tones. Beautiful character portrait. 10
Not many would find this interesting - but I think that this is an excellent capture of street photography. The main subject shows age and weariness in his face and eyes. This homeless santa does not entertain children on his lap - instead his faithful companion sits upon his lap offering comfort and companionship. The lighting and hues are also good that your eyes are captured by all the textures and rich hues in an otherwise stereotypically imagined scene of dreary dinginess. Great capture!!!
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