Red Light

[davidc]

exif -

1/40th sec
f1.8
50mm
iso 2500

Interested to see what people make of this.


Red Light by cedarsphoto, on Flickr

What I like -

The colour - I like the red in the corner offset by the blue/purple in the other one. I had hoped it'd have pervaded the scene more but the street light yellow/orange is more prominent. I can predict the red/bright edge comment ahead of time but would argue in this case something as mundane as a red traffic light is known/recognised/ignored and focus returns to the people. Had it been a bright red starburst I'd agree it would be distracting
Getting the man sharp in low light and still having the motion of the car/city behind him
The angle. I tried it properly levelled and it just didn't work for me. It is not, after all, a record shot of a street where being level might be critical
The bokeh in the trees

What I'm not as keen on -

The subject, which I'm pretty sure was prostitution, did make me think twice about posting it.
The reflections on his visor - though it does grant the chap a degree of anonymity I guess!
Most of all I'm not sure if the "hook" is strong enough. Because I know the context it's obvious to me but without the title I feel it's a bit more ambiguous? I'm not sure that the narrative is as strong as I wanted to convey.

[Mike Farley]

Sorry, Dave, this is not doing a lot for me. Clearly not a "camera club style" shot, what I always ask myself with something of a more contemporary nature is whether it is something I would expect to see on display at somewhere like The Photographers' Gallery or the Tate Modern. Well, they do put some weird stuff on the walls, so you never know.

You have already anticipated the comment about the red light. Too prominent and totally in the wrong place. Possibly it would have a raison d'être if we could be sure of the woman's profession. You were there at the time and are not completely certain, so it is unlikely that the viewer will make the connotation. As it is my eye goes away from the main subject to the top right hand corner and I have no idea why you want it to be there.

I suppose that there is some interest about the interaction between the two principle subjects, but I am not finding enough to keep me engaged. There is no particular narrative which I can discern, something which you say is a concern for you as well. The figures also overlap and a bit more separation might have been better. Part of the bike is visible on either side of the woman's waist, which looks odd. Then there is the colour. It's all a bit garish for my taste and without the red light would be an ideal candidate for a mono conversion. I do like the slightly high viewpoint and don't mind the angle. The moving car behind the people is OK, but the vehicle going out of shot on the left is another distracting highlight. Moreover my eye will instinctively follow it, so again you are directing it away from the main subject. Possibly the bright area behind the man could do with toning down a bit, but it does add atmosphere. Yes, the man is sharp, but should the woman also have been in focus?

It is good that you are trying this type of shot, both this and "Lost and Alone". Maybe there is less paranoia in Singapore about street photography than we have here in the UK and people are more comfortable with cameras being around? Or perhaps you are seen as a tourist which makes the camera more acceptable?

[davidc]

It's fine, I wasn't sure if it was doing a lot for me either

Though I disagree on some things - the "bright spots at the edge of the frame" being a rule I'm happy to break if need be, I think it's massively overstated as a problem in many cases - I think I pretty much agree with everything else including the bits I hadn't noticed (like the bike on both sides of the woman and the car on the left). One for the bin I suspect.

[Mike Farley]

One for the bin I suspect.

The shot has now disappeared from flickr. Did you end up discarding it?

Though I disagree on some things - the "bright spots at the edge of the frame" being a rule I'm happy to break if need be, I think it's massively overstated as a problem in many cases -

Sure, it is possible to break these "rules", but there has to be a reason to do so and I do not think that the majority of images which do so are strong enough to withstand the visual conflicts it introduces. What is good is that you are prepared to experiment. Most of the time it will not work out, but there will be occasions when it will, although this was not one of them for me.

One further thought I did have is that Singapore has a reputation for being well ordered and I would expect its laws to prohibit street solicitation. If that indeed is what is going on, the people involved are likely to quite wary of any cameras being pointed in their direction. Discretion would be advisable in such circumstances in assessing whether taking a photo is worth the risk. If you are venturing to areas where this is going on, it would be worthwhile having someone with you who can watch your back.

[davidc]

I did take it down from flickr yes, hadn't twigged it'd drop from here too. If I remember I will upload a low-res copy for posterity.

As for the "solicitation scene", there's a part of town where it's not so much tolerated as "kept an eye on". People at work have told me to stay clear because it's extremely seedy so, naturally, I checked it out. Church Street is about a million times worse and heaven forbid I compare it to Soho Granted it's early days still and I've hardly pushed any boundaries or anything but I've never felt anything less than absolutely safe, even toting camera kit. Then again, Gulliver didn't feel particularly threatened by the Lilliputians, an analogy that feels acutely apt sometimes.

I suspect different cultures have different standards! We were actually looking around that area early on for a place to live. I must point out, we've found somewhere else in case people are wondering what I do for a living

[Mike Farley]

As for the "solicitation scene", there's a part of town where it's not so much tolerated as "kept an eye on". People at work have told me to stay clear because it's extremely seedy so, naturally, I checked it out. Church Street is about a million times worse and heaven forbid I compare it to Soho Granted it's early days still and I've hardly pushed any boundaries or anything but I've never felt anything less than absolutely safe, even toting camera kit.

It looks as though the authorities have taken a pragmatic view, rather than force it underground where it could beccome a bigger problem and overly consume resources. Given the nature of the business, it can attract unpleasant types and I thought better to post than sit here being concerned you are taking unnecessary risks.

Then again, Gulliver didn't feel particularly threatened by the Lilliputians, an analogy that feels acutely apt sometimes.