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Fun w/Digital M Images

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Lloyd

Active member
Gary: Love the backlight. Very nice

Mike: We've missed you! But it was worth the wait; these shots or really wonderful!
 

Mike Woods

New member
Thanks Lloyd, it's good to be back!

Woody, great demonstration of the isolation and rendering that lens delivers - I can only dream....I like the last one in particular.

Mike
 

Mike Woods

New member
Spent the day editing from the last 2 weeks away....I like this job almost as much as making the images in the first place.

Couple of quickies to keep things moving:





Mike
 

PatrickCheung

New member
Woody... you really know how to use that Nocti! I wish I had the focusing skills you had! Great work, the one of the man in the jacket is my favourite... it shows so much detail in the in-focus areas... and such nice fallout to the out-of-focus areas.

Mike, great work :) the landscapes are stunning and the street shots are full of life!

Today was an interesting day. Very eventful. It was Hillary's last day in Toronto, her dad was here for a few business meetings and to pick her up. He had a meeting downtown today, so I went to keep her busy, and to see her for one last time. I tried my best to be positive, stay happy, and act as if everything was normal, though I knew that in just a few hours, I wouldn't be able to do any of these things with her for the next three months. No more silly faces, no more hand holding, no more silly kisses and hugs. Hillary tried her best to be happy too, she laughed and smiled, though I could see that she was sad. I kept asking her why, even though I knew why. I tried to make things seem better, I told her that hopefully the 3 months will pass by quickly, that we could still see each other online... though it didn't quite cheer her up. It couldn't even cheer me up. I didn't want her to leave, and she didn't want to leave me.

Finally it came time for her to go, she left quick... her dad could only stop the car for as long as the traffic light let him. I gave her one last hug and sent her off. I tried my best not to cry or tear up. It was probably the hardest thing I've had to do this year.

I tried getting happy photos of her, though this was the best I could come up with. On the bright side... the Summitar is a sweet lens?



I also had an interesting experience today... it'd be cool to hear your opinions on this matter! Lemme copy and paste the story:

I took a photo of this man about 2-3 meters away from him. He looks at me for a bit, then turns away, doesn't seem to mind me too much. I get up and walk past him, then he man wearing dark clothes who's out of focus in the centre, scolds me.

"Hey buddy! Do you find the homeless interesting or something? Do you think they're interesting?"

"No I don't"

"Why are you taking photos of them then? You should ask for permission first"

"Yup, I'll ask next time" I'm getting a little nervous now, voice shaky... the guy looks like he's about to throw punches at me... or damage my camera.

"Do you find the homeless interesting?"

"No, I don't"

"Well, ask people next time."

He walks away... I'm glad he didn't throw any punches.

Then I hear the homeless man speak up, "Yeah buddy, that'll cost you five bucks." He's smart... he could care less if I asked his permission, he wouldn't have cared if I had just walked by without confrontation, though he cashes in on the opportunity.

"I'll give you everything I have in my wallet, I've only got a dollar" I hand him the dollar and show him my empty wallet.

"Thanks, why didn't you ask for permission? just do that next time"

"I used to," I explain, "though some people aren't so nice about it."

"Well, I'm a nice guy, you should've asked, I would've let you." he says.

Well.. what do you guys think? Is photographing the homeless rude? Is it an offense to them? Does it make them feel lower than other people? Can all that be remedied by asking for permission?

I usually ask for permission. When it comes to the homeless though, you need to becareful. Some of them aren't the nicest, safest people to deal with. I usually snap a photo, give them a buck or two, smile, and say thank you. They usually return the smile and thank you.



AND finally. I met stranger number 7 today.



I'll copy and paste the story

The story of Roscoe (the man in the first photo) can't be told in just one photo.

I was waiting for Hillary at Yonge-Dundas Square this morning. There was a preacher (the man in the second photo) with a megaphone, telling people that the only way to salvation was through jesus... that they would die and go to hell if they didn't go with the Lord... that if you weren't in the army of the Lord then you were in the army of Satan, and so forth. A man came up to confront him... swearing at him, telling him to stop shoving religion down people's throats. The preacher and the man argued, the man almost hit the preacher. The preacher called the man a devil, told him that the forces of Satan cannot harm him because he had the Armor of God. The conflict continued.

I noticed a man standing not so far away from the conflict recording it with his Blackberry. He noticed me taking photographs and said "it's funny how they change when they know they're being recorded." I look back and the two men have made peace... the preacher hands the man a pamphlet and he takes it. The man apologizes and walks off.

I ask the man recording the conflict for his name, he tells me it's Roscoe. Roscoe used to be a friend of the preacher's, though he began to realize that the preacher was holding false witness to the Lord, and was shunned after he told the preacher that. I asked him what he thought about all this. "He's always here, forcing religion onto people. I think that if Jesus were to walk by today and see him, he'd tell him that he's not welcome into his Kingdom. The bible does say that you should spread the good news, but you don't force it upon people. Jesus and the disciples went around spreading the word, though they left in peace if people rejected it. I understand why he's like that though, I've heard the story of his past." Roscoe didn't agree with the preacher's methods and views, though he did respect him as a former friend.

"He gets mad sometimes, like he did with that man, though it's understandable because he's so passionate about his belief."

I found that Roscoe was kinda like me. "I used to come here everyday, just to see what goes on here. It was about two years ago when this place got filled up with christian preachers, the Muslims soon followed. It's interesting." He was right... later that day, I saw a Muslim man with a cart of free Qur'ans.

All in all... an eventful day.
 

PatrickCheung

New member
Gary! that's one delicious goose!

Oh my... Robert... I never knew that! I knew he had a gallery, though. I'll be sure to read that article and pass it on to my father. My father thinks he's an interesting (not quite sure if it's a 100% good kind of interesting) man. Beater wide angles, he didn't have. He did keep telling me that he had a lot of things though... "you want leica? I have leica. I have iiig, I have ii, iii, *points to a row of 5 barnack leicas*, look at this lens, zeiss 28 f8, so rare. look at this lens, Leica Viso 125mm/2.5, so fast, so rare. Canon FD 50/1.2, adapt to leica (he's mentioning the Canon A and B adapters)" but there's no rangefinder coupling, I tell him. "who cares?! it's fast!"

Oh my... what a guy. He looks funny, cleaned up and in a dress shirt and tie.
 

Hosermage

Active member
OK... this may not be everyone's cup of tea... but I kinda liked the treatment:


Here's a more normal one, with a flare... SOOC, except for cropping:
 

Shashin

Well-known member
I also had an interesting experience today... it'd be cool to hear your opinions on this matter! Lemme copy and paste the story:
He is called a bully. He uses self-rightiousness to intimidate you. After all, he knows nothing about you or why you are there. He guessed correctly that you were an amateur and could use your lack of self-confidence to get you to act the way he wanted you to act.

As far as photographing homeless people or disadvantaged people, that is a harder question. What is your motivation? Do you also point your camera toward affluent people? Personally, I would photograph the homeless if I were doing a story on the homeless with some chance that the images could be use to somehow aid them. I would also photograph them if I were doing a story of an area and they were part of the story. I would not photograph them just for the sake of getting an image. BTW, many of my stories are personal projects that are intended to have an outlet beyond my portfolio.

The funny thing is, I also don't believe in someone actually thinking the same way. Who knows what photographing a certain subject will do, both for the photographer and for anyone seeing the image--good things can come from seemingly random events. You are going to have to define for yourself the limits of your photography, although, from your reaction, you seemed to be embarrassed to be "caught in the act."

As far as bullies go, you are going to have to learn to deal with them in your own way. I try to be friendly and polite, and engage them on their assumptions--"Do you work for the homeless?" I will then explain what I am doing. But in this situation, if I were working on a story, I would also be engaged with my subjects.

(BTW, youth and enthusiasm is no match for experience and treachery.)
 

D&A

Well-known member
Hi All,

By the end of each day, I try to finish up by having a look at all the wonderful and incredibly creative and artistic images posted in this thread. A simple thank you doesn't do justice to all those that have contributed, The quality of many is simply astonishing and one of the best things about this thread is the diversity of cultures, images and photographic styles that's represented. This doesn't even cover the interesting stories that often accompany many of the situations captured. Thank you all for taking the time to post and to provide a cozy little place to which one can take a bit of time to sit and enjoy.

Dave (D&A)
 

PatrickCheung

New member
Shashin, thanks for the response :p

Bullying... now I didn't excpect that answer... though it did seem to fit the situation well. He walked by the man in need without even looking at him, let alone helping him out. It seemed like he just wanted someone to vent at. Interesting.

Photographing the homeless isn't something I always do. I like photographing people that I find interesting. I find that being engaged with the homeless is a much easier task than engaging those who are well off. The people sitting on the street asking for change usually have a story, they're usually friendly enough to tell it (though I have ran into a few that aren't so friendly). Taking photos of those who are well off... it's much harder. They often look away, want no relation with you, and god forbid they have to waste their time talking to an annoying, nosy photographer. Point is, I find that I have an easier, more enjoyable time photographing the homeless, thus, I put out more keepers doing so, and I'm more inclined to photograph them. I don't usually take photos of them just for the sake of an image... likewise, I don't do that to anyone else. Save those "decisive moments" :)

Dave, thank you for looking at our work here! Post more of your own work as well, add to the mixing pot!
 
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