Tattoo Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

The scene here is a street performance to draw attention to a festival in August. During this show, I also took this one.
The similarity between the woman's top and her tattoo were too obvious to ignore, so I took a picture with the focus on their backs (a bit Luko-like, but I did not know that back then ;-)), showing the scene they were looking at. But suddenly the guy with the suitcase on his head looked their way (or maybe mine), and I think if I'd known that, I would have chosen a deeper DoF.

Still following Jose Elias thread: Are we ashamed of ourselves?, this is another streetshot from Rotterdam. It was a shot taken when my new camera was only a few days old, and I sure wanted to put it at work.

I did not know which one to choose, the full colour one, or the partly desaturated one, so one is in the workshop.

Michael_Gan, RGatward, snuggleaphagus, lestans, Porteplume, Maritsa, spence, nwoehnl, pamastro, bertolucci, cmartos has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Ebbe (9571) 2005-03-12 15:51

Very funny stuff Rinie! The desaturation job works fine to lift out the important parts and you got a very deep perspective. A strong feeling of taking the couples place as spectators to the artists but at the same time one of the artists is looking back on us so - who are spectators and who are artist?

The tattoo seem to grow out of her shirt pattern, a bit scary, I think I will stay away from shirts with such patterns from now on.

RGatward (19737) 2005-03-12 15:58

Personally I think this level of PP is probably best on TL, at least as far as TOS is concerned. I also think the straight shot is such a strong that it works best as it is, so I prefer the WS, but both great. That tattoo/top combination s really amazing, I wonder which she got first. Rather sad to think that one day the top will wear out and the pattern no longer available, unless she makes it herself.

Michael_Gan (2768) 2005-03-12 16:08

Hey hey Rinie! Also digging up some older pictures? I like the desaturated version of this picture better than the full-colour, because the exchange of looks between the performers and the two spectators is emphasized much more in this version. Besides, the overall dark cloths of the main characters in this picture are a very good combination with the B&W of the surroundings. You write about the similarity between the cloths and the tattoo of the woman: I have to admit that I had not noticed that at all. I think that is of secondary importance in this picture, but still a nice detail. Would be worth taking a seperate close-up picture of, I guess. I like the DoF as it is. Maybe focussing on the performers and keeping the spectators slightly out of focus would have been nice too! Cheers, Michael. Oh... I almost forgot: I think this is a very nice daily life picture!

snuggleaphagus (4138) 2005-03-12 16:12

The continuity between the shirt and Tattoo is weird like she is being slowly wrapped by the vines of her shirt. Almost like a scary movie.
The desaturation is so very well done with the spots of red on the performs being perfect to still capture some of our attention.
Great framing too.

lestans (15406) 2005-03-12 16:19

How many things to watch in this shot! How rich! perhaps too rich, so you took off colors: well done.
I like the two heads, so similar, and the lady's shoulder strap that continues male'shoulder: it is a great composition!
Very very good.

eleparc (24059) 2005-03-12 16:40

great fun shot Rinie! i like the contrasts of these two groups of people...:-) and also the fact that you kept them only in colors.. have a nice weekend

Eric

Porteplume (3255) 2005-03-12 17:00

You got that couple sooooo perfectly sharp, and you PP work is very clever, giving attention to the actors & spectators.
And yes, it's very obvious of the little flower growing on her dress and ending as a tatoo on her shoulder.
A great observation Rinie. You really are a good street reporter!

So... That "photographing from the back habit" was a trend before Luko? :o)

Maritsa (358) 2005-03-12 17:18

Wonderful job Rinie. I like this daily life scene! Very nice and authentic!

retesh_gondal (173) 2005-03-12 18:24

a funny moment...but i must praise your effor in bringing the final output...i really your colour selection on objects that need focus and rest desaturated ..very nicely executed composition!

spence (1679) 2005-03-13 4:09

Hi Rinie - I really prefer this desaturated version. Great pp. Though the colour one is also interesting, it's a bit busy imo. What makes this a strong shot for me is the direct look from the performer. Your pov is extremely well chosen - well done!

everlasting (10894) 2005-03-13 5:11

Hi Rinie, I prefer this to the ws. the connection between the couple watching and performers is emphasised here. As for the tattoo, I wonder if she realizes this or is it just a coincidence. Certainly didnt escape your sharp eye.

nwoehnl (118) 2005-03-13 12:17

Hi Rinie. A very interesting street scene with the performers and market setting in the back, and an excellent foreground detail provided by the couple with the attention-drawing tattoo displayed by the woman. The partial desaturation must be a really tedious work on this one, and while I often consider the effect too much of a gimmick, I have to say that here it is really spot-on and does a lot to enhance the scene and put focus on the important elements. Very good one.

flydragon (0) 2005-03-13 15:53

hello Rinie
very nice one
i like this composition
also you PP here.
i like the gaze from the guy to hte couple.
also the tatooe flower with the clothes
well seen Rinie ,o)
regards
••simon••

danielswalsh (13297) 2005-03-13 22:19

Nice shot Rinie;

Superb PP done on this shot. You've seemlessly selected the people in the shot from the backdrop- for the desaturation contrast effect. Well done......
"Hold on, is that color I see in your frame Rinie!" ;-)

- Dan

avigur_11 (21271) 2005-03-13 22:43

VEry nice work of desaturation, Rinie. This picture is very rich with details, and it really would have been to busy without the DS of the bacground. The pov behind their backs is also great. Very good work, and excellent compo.

Kenny10pin (19301) 2005-03-14 19:31

interesting picture, I like the colour seperation, very nicely done, I like both the forground and the background of people, well done

pamastro (7213) 2005-03-14 22:09

And now from Mongolia back to Holland. I was talking about a counterpoint in your last oneo and this has that also. There is a nice connection between your couple here and the man with the briefcase on his head. It's very comedic, in fact. They seem to be staring at him as if what is he doing and he seems to be staring back as if what are you looking at and what's that tattoo. The desaturation very subtley focuses our attention between the people here creating an electric line between them. And I say subtle because at first I didn't realize it was partly desaturated. Only after a couple moments did I realize that once my eye wandered beyond the subjects. So I really like this version with this strong focus. The DOF is nice, too, not too blurry but just enough to sort of put him in the distance. Very well done.

I'm really inspired to go out in the summer with my film SLRs and see what I get after some testing around I did tormenting my friends and taking candid photos of them while we were out.

bertolucci (11976) 2005-03-15 14:16

Hi Rinie, wonderful job, this! Really well spotted the sim of the patterns - love it. I like the partly hidden visual communication between the two couples. The desaturation of the BG works great here to single out the objects and their interactions (I prefer it above the original version). Lovely work and it's also great to see that there's indeed life in people photography before Luko ;-)

cessy (13647) 2005-03-16 3:12 [Comment]

Show Comment

cmartos (6086) 2005-03-16 3:28

Hello...that's me gain :-). As for the two versions I prefer this one, no doubt at all. The spot on hr back is much more explicit. I like the POV and DOF here, really excellent IMO, which "fuzzy focuses" on what they are looking at. That said, I still think that your first thought was not bad at all, I would be very curious to see your picture. But again, that's a very fine catch, and the desaturation work is great.

Luko (13880) 2005-03-16 12:38

I enjoy Paypal or Bank Transfer payments, Rinie, thanks. Btw, I also bought 2 houses to put on the "sharpening script" and "3 people on a photo" neighbouring cells in the TrekEarth Monopoly game, if ever your pawn falls on these, I'll make you a discounted price. Pffff.... ;D ...

Well, I'll join Richard's and Norbert's opinions on partial desaturation because I feel that photographying is mostly a game of previewing. From experience I can admit previewing in color OR in BW is possible, I never met BOTH in a single image.
Partial desaturation is more often used like the spices you put in a dish to mask a bad taste... You say that full color is messy, which I agree, why didn't you crop (left side mostly) or pepper a plain BW conversion with contrast or other types of enhancements?

I'm quite perplex at these people who would not crop (though they don't have a 100% viefinder) but prefer to desaturate (yes, I'm talking about YOU Rinie, don't look back over your shoulder ;-)...).

PS : You wouldn't even guess how many back shots I have in my archives but am reluctant to show because of that reputation. :0( ...

tongapup (1574) 2005-03-17 23:47

OOooooo noooooo! Partial desaturation! I like you, Rinie, so I'm trying to hold back, but... ooooo noooo! I mean, I know exactly why you did it, and maybe if I were the kind of person who accepted this technique, I would say that it was an extremely judicious use of it and it really worked quite well... but -- noooo!

Anyway, I am glad you posted the full colour version; it's true it is a bit busier and harder to focus on the lovely surreal scene of the man with a suitcase on his head. But being the masochistically Calvinist kind of person I am, I would have chosen it anyway and then lumped the paltry 3 points it would have earned me...

pitai (3925) 2005-10-16 17:58

Hello!

A very fine composition. You had used very efficiently the B&W background to keep the attention on your main subject. I also like the luminanse and sharpness.