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Gratitude for my bed...
Photo Location: L.A. 
Posted By: slackercruster, 06-18-2012, 05:46 PM

Forgot I had this one. Have not seen it for 40 years till last night. Makes me grateful for my bed.



L.A. 1970's / Nikon F / Tri-X Pushed

I should be done with my 'L.A....1970's' thread soon. I'm hoping by August. My goal will be to have them all spotted, no more excuses!

Last edited by slackercruster; 06-19-2012 at 06:30 AM.
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06-18-2012, 06:05 PM   #2
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I really like this one.
06-18-2012, 07:48 PM   #3
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I'm curious, how does this photo speak to you? To me, it seems exploitative, as some of your other work, with little acknowledgement of the human qualities of the subject. Grateful for your bed? Comeon, you're light years beyond a bed if you have a DSLR to shoot people in more dire straits, and internet access to share photos of them. What is said of the man in the photograph, beyond the fact that he has no bed?
06-18-2012, 07:53 PM   #4
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See, I think there's value to these kinds of shots, because it puts a face (well, not in this specific case) to a problem.

06-18-2012, 07:53 PM   #5
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Philo...at the time was not interested in a bed. Took it for granted. 40 years later am grateful for a bed.

Exploitive? How is that? I never made a dime from my pix.

I shoot what I like, I shoot for me not you. If this pix is exploitive to you, so be it. It is not my place to sell you on my work. A photo should speak for itself. If my photos shout exploitive to you then that is their message and I'm OK with that. Just don't call them snapshots or I will have failed.

Last edited by slackercruster; 06-19-2012 at 04:43 AM.
06-18-2012, 07:56 PM   #6
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Great shot! It is something many of us have seen many times...too many, but it is a fact of life, even today.

I'm not much on philosophy, I leave that to Otis..and he is damn good at it......but I don't care if you have a DSLR and a million dollars in the bank ( a million ain't what it used to be anyhow!) you are never too rich to be thankful for having a bed or anything else you may be fortunate enough to have. I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams.....and there is not a moment in the day that I am not thankful for the good fortune that found me.

Regards!
06-19-2012, 04:37 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Philoslothical Quote
I'm curious, how does this photo speak to you? To me, it seems exploitative, as some of your other work, with little acknowledgement of the human qualities of the subject. Grateful for your bed? Comeon, you're light years beyond a bed if you have a DSLR to shoot people in more dire straits, and internet access to share photos of them. What is said of the man in the photograph, beyond the fact that he has no bed?
I can see what you're saying, and agree in some sort of sense. People love looking at pictures like this because they're dramatic and emotional. People love seeing other people suffering for some weird reason. I agree that taking a photo of a guy with his head in his hands sat on a street seems to be ignoring the fact that the subject is human too. I would NOT want to be photographed in that situation. Then again my unwillingness to capture moments like these makes me an extremely poor street photographer.

If you want good photographs, you basically have to ignore the fact that your subject is human and not care if they don't want their photo taken.

That said, it's a fantastically well composed shot, and no doubt scores of people will like seeing how dire this guy's situation is. The question is, if slackercruster hasn't earned anything from it and the photo will never affect the guy in any way, why is it bad? It made slackercruster happy to get such a good shot, so this photo has only made people happy or entertained, it didn't ruin the guys life or anything.

06-19-2012, 04:44 AM   #8
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sobering ... amen to the title of your composition... well done, and thanks for posting, dave m
06-19-2012, 05:07 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Philoslothical Quote
What is said of the man in the photograph, beyond the fact that he has no bed?
That's for the viewer to decide. I find this a compelling piece of street photography, that tells its story without being expoitative (simply because the subject's face is hidden, and not, it seems, because he was aware of the photographer). Like much good street work, it raises uncomfortable questions about the viewer's implicit cooperation in this ethically difficult aspect of photography.

QuoteOriginally posted by Mareket Quote
I would NOT want to be photographed in that situation. Then again my unwillingness to capture moments like these makes me an extremely poor street photographer.
I, too, am unlikely to ever be much of a street photographer, for much the same reason. But I find this photo, and street work in general, fascinating nonetheless.
06-19-2012, 05:08 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mareket Quote
I can see what you're saying, and agree in some sort of sense. People love looking at pictures like this because they're dramatic and emotional. People love seeing other people suffering for some weird reason. I agree that taking a photo of a guy with his head in his hands sat on a street seems to be ignoring the fact that the subject is human too. I would NOT want to be photographed in that situation. Then again my unwillingness to capture moments like these makes me an extremely poor street photographer.

If you want good photographs, you basically have to ignore the fact that your subject is human and not care if they don't want their photo taken.

That said, it's a fantastically well composed shot, and no doubt scores of people will like seeing how dire this guy's situation is. The question is, if slackercruster hasn't earned anything from it and the photo will never affect the guy in any way, why is it bad? It made slackercruster happy to get such a good shot, so this photo has only made people happy or entertained, it didn't ruin the guys life or anything.

Yes, I guess that is how it is. You gave a good summation Mareket.

Actually I didn't think all that much when I was street shooting in L.A. back in the 70's. My only thought was "will this subject make a good photo." I guess I would shoot first and think later in the darkroom.

I would be wandering the street and alleys of downtown L.A. There would be a guy sleeping on the sidewalk and I shot him. The next block some old buildings caught my eye. I looked up and a pigeon flew off a ledge, so I shot it. A few steps away a rusty lock was attached to a chain link fence and I shot it. I crossed the street and a little girl peeked out from her car window and I shot her. Some guy is hanging out the window from his skid row apartment. I call up to him and ask if I can shoot him. He invites me up and I shoot him.

This is how it is on the street, you wander around and shoot whatever catches your eye. Hopefully you get some keepers. But the vast majority of what you may produce is trash. If I would get 1 keeper from a roll of 36 I was very happy. Sometimes roll after roll of shots were trash. All these shots I mentioned above were actual photographs I took and are in my portfolio. But there were taken over a long period of time and not all on the same day as I make it out to be in this post.

Ruining someones life is where I would draw the line. Most of the people I post here are dead by now. But I always consider how my photos would affect the subject if I post them online. I especially gave that question a lot of thought with a neo nazi photo I am going to put in my upcoming 'L.A. 1970's' thread.

I was thinking the most exploiting of togs are the newbie / poor quality togs. They grab a family member or a person to shoot with the selfish hopes of learning to be a good tog. They do not produce anything worthwhile or their experiments fail. And the subject has had their time wasted by the exploitative efforts of the tog. But...togs have to learn someplace, so we all have exploited our poor subjects one time or another trying to be better togs.

Shooting homeless people is one of the least exploiting of all genre's of people photography there is. With homeless people, they have nothing else to do. They are on the street, I am not wasting their time. And such photos may also bring attention to the homeless and help send some chartiable $$ to that area of social need. So, homeless photographs exploit the subject less than the newbie tog does with their family and friends they corral to experiment on.

If you want to be a better street tog, go out and practice Mareket. Toughen up, hit the streets, shoot first think later. You will get used to it.

Good Luck!


P.S....am packing up and taking off shortly. Will not have net access very well. Sorry I can't get back to any other replies for a while. Will be back early July. Keep blasting away guys!

Last edited by slackercruster; 06-19-2012 at 06:28 AM.
06-19-2012, 06:28 AM   #11
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What Slacker did with that photo was to put a human face on suffering. He reminded everyone who sees it that they should be grateful that they have a roof, a bed, et all. That's important. What we don't see we can just ignore. We can think "Oh it won't happen to us." and probably it won't. But you never know maybe it just might. I've never actually been homeless but I've darned close to it a couple of times. I don't take anything for granted anymore. The guy in this photo? He could be your brother, your son, your father, your whatever. "Wherefore but for the grace of the God go I" isn't that how the saying goes? That's what this picture says to me. It reminds me how darned lucky I truly am.
06-19-2012, 09:04 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mareket Quote
...Then again my unwillingness to capture moments like these makes me an extremely poor street photographer.
Ditto. When I see misery, my inclination is to help.

QuoteQuote:
If you want good photographs, you basically have to ignore the fact that your subject is human and not care if they don't want their photo taken.
Paparazzi do this, and generally those photographs are terrible.

QuoteQuote:
That said, it's a fantastically well composed shot, and no doubt scores of people will like seeing how dire this guy's situation is. The question is, if slackercruster hasn't earned anything from it and the photo will never affect the guy in any way, why is it bad? It made slackercruster happy to get such a good shot, so this photo has only made people happy or entertained, it didn't ruin the guys life or anything.
Well, exploitation, by it's definition is the act of using others for one's own gain. It doesn't mean that the subject is necessarily harmed in any way, and also the "gain" does not have to be monetary. In that sense, Philoslothical's contention that this photo is exploitative certainly has a foundation.
06-19-2012, 09:24 AM   #13
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i like it.
06-19-2012, 09:39 AM   #14
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I probably shouldn't have commented on it. Something about it just bugged me (I think it was the title, honestly). A 40 year old pic of a not young, destitute man at one of the lowest points in life. There's a very good chance this is a photograph of a dead and utterly forgotten person. The way it was presented seemed to trivialize that. I was probably over-thinking it.

QuoteOriginally posted by Mareket Quote
If you want good photographs, you basically have to ignore the fact that your subject is human and not care if they don't want their photo taken.
This is one reason I just don't shoot people very often - I really don't enjoy shooting invasively. The other being that I tend to find other subjects more interesting. To each their own, of course.
06-19-2012, 02:49 PM   #15
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I think this is a wonderful photograph - a simple composition that tells a story.

Jer
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