[Mariusz_B]

This is one of the very few photos of a street photography that I ever took.. after some battling I decided to enter this photo into the contest...

I wanted to show an emotion of this old long suffering man who was resting with his crutch on a bench on the side of a busy street. People were passing by and seemed not noticing him at all.
I took 1 photo on which you can see all his appearance but I didn't like it - it was too obvious and ostentatious. I decided to go for a closer shot where I wanted to focus on his face while he was sleeping there. What struck me was the fact that although he was napping - his forehead and eyebrows were lifted like he was going through some excitement or amazement. It got me absolutely hypnotized with all the deep emotions written all over his face so I got really really close...

When I was about to shot I realised that he was slowly waking up !! Imagine how devastated I was while composing as his eyes began to slowly open and they looked like someone's who has blinked in the shot !

I resisted the urge to click and run ( I knew he wouldn't be happy seeing me there !) and waited for his eyes to open wider. As the cobwebs began to clear from his eyes I took the shot above - and literally a split of a second he went ballistic realising that there was a fellow with the camera right in his face ( ok it was maybe 1,5 meters away ) .. so we immediately had to run... When I see this photo I am fully aware that I sort of not only composed the frame but also the look in his eyes. The reality was : had I pressed the shutter a 1s earlier - and his eyes would've been closed while sleeping; would I click 1/4th of a second earlier - and his eyes were half open.. .This was either to NOT have the shot at all ( with him napping with deep emotions all over his face ) - or to wait and get a different look

I know I was a bit naughty back there :P - but I really wanted to talk to the person! Sadly it was not possible immediately after I snapped the shot, so I took a nice sized print of this photo and went in the same place next week - hoping that I would meet him and talk to and hand the print over and somehow clear the air so to speak :P - but sadly I never met him again .

The title is reflecting what I saw in his face while he was sleeping and I am very happy that this photo I eventually took is actually showing all these emotions also through the look of his eyes.

>>-manntax-->

Maybe a bit cramped, but it is a sensational portrait.
I nominate this one!
Mariusz B

---------- Post added 05-31-14 at 04:39 PM ----------

Łukasz - gratuluję, świetna praca!
Mariusz B

[skibuddy]

Great black and white portrait I'll joinwith all the others an add my nomination

[manntax]

Maybe a bit cramped, but it is a sensational portrait. I nominate this one! Mariusz B
--added--
Łukasz - gratuluję, świetna praca! Mariusz B

Dzieki serdeczne

I actually totally agree with you - I really wish I had a square format camera back then - sadly the framing was what it was - the photo is basically cropped by tiny fraction at the bottom and top - sides are uncropped - so I had no way to add some extra space in cropping. I could have framed it loosely but the whole situation lasted no more than 2-3 seconds so I rushed a bit.
Thanks for your comments!
,,,
' >' manntax

[Mariusz_B]

Dzieki serdeczne

I actually totally agree with you - I really wish I had a square format camera back then - sadly the framing was what it was - the photo is basically cropped by tiny fraction at the bottom and top - sides are uncropped - so I had no way to add some extra space in cropping. I could have framed it loosely but the whole situation lasted no more than 2-3 seconds so I rushed a bit.
Thanks for your comments!
,,,
' >' manntax

The value of this photo is in its naturalness - there's no posing, ambient light ... Someone will say snap shot, but the concept is not in this case inadequate - not everyone will shot so precisely, here you have to have a good eye.

Mariusz B

[manntax]

The value of this photo is in its naturalness - there's no posing, ambient light ... Someone will say snap shot, but the concept is not in this case inadequate - not everyone will shot so precisely, here you have to have a good eye. Mariusz B

Yes the shot was totally unplanned and what's more important there wasn't and never will be a chance to have another go - so in that sense this photograph means so much to me that it somehow has become very personal and valuable - even with all the possible flaws. I really appreciate your kind comment - thanks a lot!
,,,
' >' manntax

[Mariusz_B]

Yes the shot was totally unplanned and what's more important there wasn't and never will be a chance to have another go - so in that sense this photograph means so much to me that it somehow has become very personal and valuable - even with all the possible flaws. I really appreciate your kind comment - thanks a lot!
,,,
' >' manntax

Every photographer has their own Foto, which for some reason especially valuable. I like one pictures in front of which I could easily find the point from which to shoot, but I had a serious problem with very little light.
K 10 do not have to more the possibilities, but something came: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/174-pentax-k-3-photo-contest/262352-people-zdzicho.html
(Now after time, so I guess entering the address is not a sin)

[manntax]

Every photographer has their own Foto, which for some reason especially valuable. I like one pictures in front of which I could easily find the point from which to shoot, but I had a serious problem with very little light. K 10 do not have to more the possibilities, but something came: Zdzicho (Now after time, so I guess entering the address is not a sin)

K10D is my first and current digital camera of choice - it has it's limitation but I personally am used to them growing on film photography.
I have no doubt that this portrait that you've linked is of a special value to you ( is it your relative ? ) - I think I saw it briefly in the gallery view when browsing - but in 2000+ entries it was easy to get lost, which probably happened in this case. Although it is not something that would give me thrills - just casual portrait - I think you did pretty good with keeping stable that telephoto lens at 1/25th of a sec in low light !

And lastly - even though the round 1 of competition is closed - the total amount of nominations doesn't mean too much because all entries will be reviewed by the judges and the finalist will be announced from their own choice - so fingers crossed for your entry too!
,,,
' >' manntax

---------- Post added 06-01-14 at 12:27 AM ----------

I nominate this photo. Effective portrait.

Nice portrait! Nominated of course!

Great black and white portrait I'll joinwith all the others an add my nomination

Thanks guys for all the nominations and your comments - much appreciated !!
,,,
' >' manntax

[bnishanth]

One more vote..!!
This picture has a hidden story for sure..

Cheers
Nish

[manntax]

One more vote..!! This picture has a hidden story for sure.. Cheers Nish

Thank you for your nomination !
,,,
' >' manntax

[Des]

Nominated. Excellent portrait. Shows again what a skilful photographer can do with a kit lens.

[-Spooky-]

... Now his dignity and the humanity that emanates from this picture so powerfully are visible and perhaps influential to so many viewers.

Had he slept without an interruption ? ...

I find it disgusting that you trampled his dignity and humanity by invading his space, treating him like a circus side show act, and ran away when he reacted. What I see in this photograph is a man awaking to find out that someone is kicking him while he is down. I really hope you never try to show us the "dignity and humanity" of anyone else. You do NOT have my nomination. You should have been disqualified anyway for making a second account for anonymous whining purposes.

[manntax]

I find it disgusting that you trampled his dignity and humanity by invading his space, treating him like a circus side show act, and ran away when he reacted. What I see in this photograph is a man awaking to find out that someone is kicking him while he is down. I really hope you never try to show us the "dignity and humanity" of anyone else. You do NOT have my nomination. You should have been disqualified anyway for making a second account for anonymous whining purposes.

Looks like someone hasn't slept well ?
Firstly the account that was created has been banned as expected and served only purpose to point the moderators a hole in the nominating process - at which I succeeded as the rules have been changed and nominations are only half of the chance for the photo to go to the second round.

Now, you see if I wanted to I could have simple said an official version of MOST of the street photos , which is : "I saw this poor fellow on the street , in public and there was something captivating in his face - I took this photograph to preserve that moment". I choose instead to say the truth, which is often unseen in street photography - when someone snaps the photo - the moment freezes and is being captured for all to see - what NONE but photographer sees is the reaction AFTER the shot is taken - I suggest you instead whining in frustration, in someone's thread - go out and shoot and see for yourself what the real deal is !

I admit that it was somehow disturbing when he woken up - but it was in crowded places, a person sleeping, that drew no one's attention by mine, so I wanted to capture his presence there while he was sleeping. It wasn't my fault that he awoke and I captured this unique moment . I admit I got scared when he started to shout so me and my friend just ran off - but I was younger and inexperienced in shooting in the streets - I had my camera only 2 months !

Now I will gladly sit back and browse through the collection of your fine photography art - perhaps I'll find there some inspiration on how one should do the street photography
,,,
' >' manntax

[-Spooky-]

Looks like someone hasn't slept well ?...

My response was not one born of sleep deprivation. In any aspect of the image making world there will be people who like your work and people who do not like your work. If you have not found out yet, you will find that words can have a major impact on the way a person reads an image. When I first viewed your image a few weeks ago, I did not know the backstory, and in all honesty I thought it was an interesting enough photo to come back to for an honest look. The story killed it for me.

[mosfet32]

I nominate this photo. Great story. You can clearly see the beginnings of being surprised in his eyes (and thinking he is going to kick your butt!). Well done. Nice that you did not post-process the heck out of it.

[manntax]

My response was not one born of sleep deprivation. In any aspect of the image making world there will be people who like your work and people who do not like your work. If you have not found out yet, you will find that words can have a major impact on the way a person reads an image. When I first viewed your image a few weeks ago, I did not know the backstory, and in all honesty I thought it was an interesting enough photo to come back to for an honest look. The story killed it for me.

I don't mind critique - as long as it is constructive and on the subject. And I don't mine you not liking my photo - or even backstory for that matter. If photography is to be of any value - it needs to be extraordinary in some way - mushy-mashy shots of a wall we all have done enough while testing the lenses….

The person photographed was purposely in that crowded streets - the Portobello Road is a well known place with thousands of people and this fellow was there seeking for attention , perhaps subconsciously calling for it - yet no one would stop and notice him! I dared to act differently and I am glad I did - besides what so terrible have I done ? I simple framed and took a photo of a person who slept in the public - he was awoken by the noise of the crowd around - if you call that disgusting I wonder how one would manage to survive to the adulthood with such sensitivity…
If you don't care for the world you live it - move on with your eyes closed and I suggest you stop browsing the Internet as well - there are plenty of street photographs that would make you look for a cover if the circumstances of taking them were honestly described.

I appreciate a constructive critique , or even genuine concerns - your reaction is neither of those! My photo is controversial; is provocative; is making the viewer react : stop and think… and that's exactly how over 60+ persons have seen it , leaving either nominations or comments.