I did this shot today "from the hip" without looking through the camera. Then I began an interesting exercise - to find the best crop from the original image to make the most interesting, or most dramatic photo. The original image, by the way, is four times larger than this final crop. I don't think I have ever spent so much time trying to figure out what works best. And that may be because I like to experiment on the blog, and I don't really experiment with my work photos. I mean, I experiment a little bit, and I *should* experiment a lot more with new ways of seeing and new ways of composing images. But sometimes it is really difficult to completely break out of the box. I guess you could say it is a difficult exercise.
I'm puzzled. Why this man? Why this angle? Is he ugly? Is he scary? Did he turn away from you because he didn't want his face photographed? Is this for a story about overweight people? The cropping seems to imply that. I'm bothered because I think large people often don't enjoy having their picture taken. Did you have his permission? Maybe more information about the man, or the story, would've made me feel less uncomfortable about this photo.
ReplyDeletei agree with anonymous that this photo is difficult to look at, but i think art is supposed to make us uncomfortable at times, to jump-start our thinking. your composition focuses me, at least, on the difficulties that obesity brings to the individual, and i am glad you were sensitive enough not to expose this man's face.
ReplyDeleteTo Ginger: Seriously? This composition focuses you on the difficulties the obese face? This man is walking down the street just like other able-bodied people. Maybe that's the context in which he'd like to be thought -that while he may be quite overweight, he's still someone who can function without help and contribute successfully to society without people looking at him and thinking only of his "difficulties." You must be someone who is able to manage your weight without effort. Good for you.
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