Image Girls

[Don Ellis]

I was standing at a crosswalk at lunchtime today and noticed the posters on the building behind me... so when this lady stood in the shade, waiting for the light to change, I took this photo blind from waist level. For me, the interest is in the posters, which she nicely centered herself on, and her pose and the fact she's looking a little image-y herself.

Sigma DP2... click for slightly larger image... this was pretty heavily cropped.



That's a wallet and paper-wrapped lunch in her left hand -- with her mobile phone sandwiched in between.

 

[D upton-Hackett.]

Just 2 words..... Astonishing quality.......

Derek.

 

[Streetshooter]

Don...that really works.....
Don

 

[bbodine9]

Don,

Very nice candid shot! Can you provide some camera setting details and distance to the subject when taken? Thanks!

 

[Don Ellis]

Just 2 words..... Astonishing quality.......
Derek.

Which is why I seldom pick up any other camera these days. Thanks, Derek.

Don

 

[Don Ellis]

Don...that really works.....
Don

Thanks, Don... I'm always as surprised as anyone else. One other surprise was the post-processing. Looking at the entire (messy) photo, I just cleared the standard crop parameters and cropped it as tight as I could to keep the interesting bits in-frame and the boring bits out. When I got around to looking at the final image, I saw that it was 4:3 exactly (or 800x600 reduced)... which was as serendipitous as the shot itself.

Don

 

[Don Ellis]

Don,

Very nice candid shot! Can you provide some camera setting details and distance to the subject when taken? Thanks!

Thanks, Bruce... ISO100, f/4, 1/125s and no more than 10 feet. I had it on standard focus, as I recall, but normally when I'm walking along the sidewalk and shooting from the hip, I use Manual Focus at 7 feet and f/2.8 for the speed and interesting effect.

I've found that that's the distance you need at 41mm to keep the person in frame and about the right size. If they're any closer than 7 or 8 feet, I get waists instead of people.

Don

 

[smokysun]

don, fine seeing and fine cropping. there's always something classic about a human figure against a telling poster. the comparison between the real and ideal takes us back to the thirties. we'll never look as perfect as the airbrushed. or live as long.
wayne
www.pbase.com/wwp

 

[hilld]

Terrific photo, and how clever to have seen the shot -- and executed it so well.

 

[Streetshooter]

Thanks, Don... I'm always as surprised as anyone else. One other surprise was the post-processing. Looking at the entire (messy) photo, I just cleared the standard crop parameters and cropped it as tight as I could to keep the interesting bits in-frame and the boring bits out. When I got around to looking at the final image, I saw that it was 4:3 exactly (or 800x600 reduced)... which was as serendipitous as the shot itself.

Don

Hmmmmmmm
4/3rds..... Me thinks someone is seeing like the E-P1.

 

[Don Ellis]

Hmmmmmmm
4/3rds..... Me thinks someone is seeing like the E-P1.

No, someone is seeing like the Canon G1, G2, Pro 1, and G9.

Actually, my motto is "crop to a standard size" -- whether that's 5:4, 4:3, 3:2, or 1:1 -- whatever the original size of the image. It is rare that I free-crop... so when I do, I don't worry about it.

As for the E-P1, I'm not a fan of changing lenses. When I was shooting film years ago with two big Nikkor lenses, I got so sick of changing lenses that I bought another body so each lens would have it's own. Then I could just dip into my bag and grab the one I wanted.

Cheers,
Don

 

[Don Ellis]

Terrific photo, and how clever to have seen the shot -- and executed it so well.

Thanks very much... if I ever put a PR department together, you're hired.

Cheers,
Don

 

[Don Ellis]

don, fine seeing and fine cropping. there's always something classic about a human figure against a telling poster. the comparison between the real and ideal takes us back to the thirties. we'll never look as perfect as the airbrushed. or live as long.
wayne
www.pbase.com/wwp

Funny... and very true. Thanks for the nice comment, too.

Cheers,
Don

 

[SimonL]

Funny thing about street photos.

It's the backgrounds that make a good photo great.

 

[Don Ellis]

Funny thing about street photos.
It's the backgrounds that make a good photo great.

What's even funnier is that I walked past that exact spot today and "Images Girls" posters have been replaced by "Bikini Babes" -- I waited around for awhile, in vain.

Don

 

[Johannes01]

well..you pick up a funny story.The street backgrouds are so nice.How clever!

 

[jhonnydeep]

Its great collection dude..

 

[Lili]

Splendid Street shot! I think you are right to concentrate on one camera and lens. When it becomes so familiar its transparent you can then truly see

 

[Don Ellis]

Thank you jhonnydeep and lovely Lili -- what a surprise to see this thread again. I appreciate your comments.

 

[fordfanjpn]

I'd keep an eye on that "Bikini Babes" poster if I were you. You never know!

Bill