Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/08/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Neil, Thanks for the additional explanation. The only thing is that none of that comes through in the photograph in question. I am actually familiar with Williamsburg, my Puerto Rican wife has an aunt who lives there, and when we lived in NJ 1990-95, we used to drive in on weekends to visit her. I found it quite relaxing: the women were cooking nice Puerto Rican food for us while we guys sat in front of the TV watching football and drinking beer. A very positive American experience :-) Sometimes I would drive over to Green Point to buy Polish kabanosy and other goodies. Cheers, Nathan Neil Schneider wrote: > > On Aug 24, 2005, at 1:20 AM, Nathan Wajsman wrote: > >> Neil, >> >> What is special about this picture? It is an old Hassidic man, plenty >> of those in New York. The image is not sharp, there is no eye contact, >> his face is partly obscured by the fence, and the composition is not >> particularly interesting. It reminds me of a picture of an exotic >> animal in a zoo. >> >> I realize that you probably found him interesting because of the way >> he looks, but this kind of picture does not convey anything about him >> as a person, nor about his environment. >> >> Sorry to be so harsh--but remember that this is a critique of a photo, >> not a criticism of you as a person. >> >> Nathan >> >> Neil Schneider wrote: >> > > > Hi Nathan, > I do not take your critique as personal at all, and as I said, I welcome > all commentary. Perhaps I should of included > a bit more info with the picture, but I prefer the viewer to interpret > what they see, rather than me telling them first. > > As a street photographer I try to document the everyday life around me > as I see it, and as others would if they > were looking where I was. > The gentleman in the picture is a Hassidic, and a Rabbi, who has spent > his life in Talmudic study. This was told > to me by another area resident who was familiar with the Rabbi, also > that he found it necessary to live behind a fence > to protect him from neighborhood vandals. A sad commentary of our > society, but none the less for making this > an interesting shot. The environment that he lives in is very telling > with the self enclosure he's chosen for himself > and his family. If you were to walk this same neighborhood in > Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, you will see bars on windows, > and other fenced in yards. Perhaps not the way we live, but as others > find it necessary. > > Again I thank you for your commentary, and encourage others to express > their feelings as they will. > > Neil > > > > "Predicting the future is mostly a matter of managing not to blink as > you witness the present" -- William Gibson > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- Nathan Wajsman Almere, The Netherlands General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507 Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com