<< Previous Next >>

REAL


REAL
Photo Information
Copyright: George Grabarczyk (Polonaise) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1770 W: 802 N: 3271] (16744)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1977-09
Categories: Daily Life, Transportation, Architecture
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): 18 years old +, Cities... My cities !, Dirty pictures, Urban flowers [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-05-12 7:06
Viewed: 1401
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 56
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Against the logic, against reason, against wisdom and current trendy fashion, perfectly aware that decisive majority of you, dear fellow members, will ignore this picture out of disgust for it's hideously poor technical quality and repugnant colors, I...Posted it!
Because there is no other like this on TE, and because it will create as much animosity towards as pure fascination within. And because it's TRUE. No fancy-schmancy digital camera, no super-duper lens, or good quality film, or much knowledge about photography. Or bookeh...or POV...or DOF.or...??? Just me, with my face against the hotel's window, heavily breathing and totally bewildered by fascinating scenes down there, where drizzle, and rain , and mud on the street created a view I still remember after almost thirty years. For I was in Istanbul, 1977, one of the most exciting cities of the world, and this was my first view of that mogul in the early, gloomy morning through the dirty glass of a hotel's window.
I've never seen the Blue Mosque, or Topkapi Palace.
Spent two days in the catacombs of Capali Carsi and on the crowded streets full of REAL people.

"There is some strange peculiarity in the cities - there is hardly any repetition of the same moment or scene." Jerzy B.

To you, my clever friend...

Color version (the one with the repugnant colors)in WS.
More dirt to come...

nicoz, Cuba-Junky, bantonbuju, kajspice, vinicio, roamermark, ktanska, david, plimrn, starbug, red45, kebek, ahmetgedikli, snoopyphoto has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekEarth members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekEarth members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To batalay: GreatnessPolonaise 1 01-31 20:16
To lumpycat: Who needs them... I do... I do....Polonaise 1 11-26 22:37
To kebek: REALPolonaise 1 05-28 11:09
To starbug: :-)starbug 2 05-13 17:51
To kensimage: REALPolonaise 1 05-13 13:54
To plimrn: REALPolonaise 3 05-13 12:32
To nygus: REALPolonaise 5 05-12 13:48
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • nicoz Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 252 W: 14 N: 305] (1963)
  • [2006-05-12 7:12]

Hi George,
I guess that logic, reason, wisdom and trendy fashion are not my cup of tea then...
keep it real,
Nicolas

Great shot, I like it for all the reasons you mention in your note.
I've been to Istanbul quite a few times, and its still like this away from the tourist areas, although they have some more modern cars now!
Its good to breathe new life into old photographs, nice one.
Ben

excelent shot indeed George :)
best regards from Down Under :)

...that is why i loved that picture from the very beginning, the real life of the city, of the vibrant, pulsing, steaming istanbul of the quarters which are not for young boys and girls from reach families... this is the type of place, this is the type of the post processing that enhances the feeling of that far-from-tourist-places site;
colour version also all right, those old transparencies have a specific charm, no doubt about it;
thank you for the clever shot, and for...
tc, j.

Very bad quality George, but this is less bad of the color version, at the end, the beauty of this image is just its bad quality and the recalls of the past time, compliments for the courage and for your large archive of images.
Ciao
Vinicio

Hi George,
I too have felt sometimes uninspired, when more original attempts receive silence as a response...
I'm not thilled about grain here. But I like everything else in this one: tone, chance to travel back in time, old cars, tight parking spots. Yes, realism.
Kari

I'm right there with you on the note. I just joined a while ago and while I have some good pics (and I am getting better I think) I look back at my collection and some of them mean so much to me for remembering that thrill of seeing something for the first time. The true spirit of TE. Nicely done George
Cheers
Mark

  • Great 
  • nygus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 196 W: 0 N: 598] (7914)
  • [2006-05-12 8:07]
  • [+]

powinnes naprawde , jesli jeszcze nie znasz, poczytac Jadąc do Babadag Stasiuka...

George you are an enigma on TE. Everytime i come to your gallery im amazed. I love the colour version here it like stepping back in time. i can almost smell the petrol fumes and wet tarmac and hustle and bustle. Photogrpahy has changed the way i look at things. A year ago i would have said hmmm a street so what? Now i can see and feel things from a photograph that i never thought possible. The thrill waking up the first morning in a new place is what makes me travel. you have captured that in your note and image perfectly
Cheers
Peter

Czesc - ale zapodajesz kwiaty - cudne i pelne uroku zdjecie z tamtych lat - dzieki za taka seryjke
Pozdrawiam
Tomek

  • Great 
  • david Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 424 W: 284 N: 640] (3962)
  • [2006-05-12 9:32]

i like it when you go against the 'grain' ... :)

although not a technically brilliant photo, i respect your attempt to do something different. i think trek earth can be a little predictable. i like your graininess and i like your note.

for you, this shot has significant value. thanks for sharing that!

Hello George,
Is this the street that connects Taksim Square and the Domebache Palace? It seems familiar and my uncle is living near there now.
I really like it, its a very storng documentary style photo, you show us hte city at its raw best, the noise actually adds to the photo.
Really well done
Regards
Daniel

  • Great 
  • plimrn Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3749 W: 232 N: 5033] (15921)
  • [2006-05-12 12:54]
  • [+]

Well George,
Somebody has to post the historical perspective, my photos from that era are all of the type proscribed by the agreement. :-)
Regards, Pat

  • Great 
  • magdaj Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 137 W: 3 N: 81] (1111)
  • [2006-05-13 12:58]

Witaj George:)
No no no zdjęcie troszkę lat ma na liczniku.
Ogólnie bardzo mi się spodobało.
Ma w sobie atmosfere tamtych czasów choć nie pamiętam ich:)
Pozdrawiam i życzę miłego weekendu :)
Magda

It's a wonderful gritty portrait of urban life, George! The blocked canyon-like street, the maze of shops, the traffic congestion--all placed along a strong diagonal from a high POV that lets us see everything. The framing is what makes it art. Well done! Regards, Ken.

Wiesz co Jerzy,z calym respektem dla twoich fotograficznych umiejetnosci, przy takiej notatce moglbyś wstawić puste tlo a i tak by mi sie podobalo. bo najwiecej widac w tym co piszesz.
prawdziwe zycie i prawdziwi ludzie, to swoja droga, ale powiem ci ze ta kolorowa wersja wcale nie ma odrazajacych kolorow, a wlasnie ze ta kolorystyka jest jak dla mnie duzo fajniejsza niz sepia w tym przypadku. te wyblakle kolory (i specyficzne odcienie) to wlasnie prawdziwe oblicze lat 70-tych, takie kolory sa na starych rodzinnych zdjeciach ktore przegladam raz na parę lat, i one nadają tej atmosfery tamtych czasow, dlaczego ich wlasnie nie wyeksoponowac jako plusu?dobrze ze moge sie nimi delektowac w workshopie:-)
pozdrawiam
O.
dlaczego olany Jurku?:-)

  • Great 
  • faubry Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3593 W: 354 N: 4310] (28079)
  • [2006-05-14 6:46]

very good first shot at Istambul!! you are right! each people must have right to talk and made like he wants.... i like this antic image! good sepia colors, bravo for your creativity! thanks
francine

  • Great 
  • Ber Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 385 W: 17 N: 279] (6416)
  • [2006-05-15 6:53]

Az sie boje liczyc od ilu lat Ty czarujesz obrazem i slowem. Serdecznosci moc

Another one before my time! Who cares about technics with such a composition - well, I don't, in any case :] It looks so darn somber. Could be a street in Brussels, watch them cars moving along like ants and houses propped together...'t is real dirt =)

Dirty smooch,

Natalka

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 77 W: 0 N: 160] (1617)
  • [2006-05-21 15:37]

Czesc Jurek!
Trafiles w moje drugie ukochane miasto :-) Bylem w Istambule dokladnie tyle samo dni co ty, ale zdazylem zakochac sie w nim bez pamieci. Tylko muzyka, szarpana, turecka, pulsujaca moze wyrazic moje uczucia wobec tego miasta, bez sensu jest wiec cos pisac wiecej o tym.
Zdjecie czy notatka? Jak zwykle problem nie do rozstrzygniecia. Do zdjecia mozna dopisac 1000 historii, do notatki mozna dodac 1000 zdjec. Jak zwykle lubie porozbierac takie zdjecie na kawalki, ilez na nim szczegolow, ilez poczatkow nienapisanych ksiazek. Wystarczy sie skupic na tym Mercedesie - symbolu statusu i wladzu lat siedemdziesiatych. Kto nim jedzie? Bogaty handlarz? Agent KGB majacy w hotelu spotkanie z Libijczykami? Mafioso wracajacy z egzekucji niewiernego podwladnego? Nie trzeba wiedziec na 100%, wystarczy samo zdjecie.

  • Great 
  • maki Gold Star Critiquer [C: 800 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-05-23 14:54]

Hej,
To miasto zawsze wywieralo na mnie wielkie wrazenie. Zaluje, ze nie moglem go widziec wczesniej, na pewno bylo jeszcze ciekawsze. I dlatego to zdjecie jest ciekawe...
pozdrawiam z Mostaru.
maki

Seems you were wrong. As I often say, it's the compo that rules, and in fact, I think the grainyness of this works with it. As you say a fascinating shot from your (really interesting) archives.

  • Great 
  • kebek Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 991 W: 55 N: 1081] (5424)
  • [2006-05-28 11:05]
  • [+]

Serwus Jurek !
Przybywam w rewanżu. Ale nie będę czarował :)
Szczerze napiszę, że miniaturka tego dzieła wogóle nie rzuciła mi się w oczy. I po raz kolejny zdarzyło mi się ominąć bardzo ciekawą Pracę. Dlaczego tak się dzieje - wyjaśniam: pracuję wśród setek ludzi, w cholernie hałaśliwym "środowisku" i gdy przychodzę do domu, chcę ten zgiełk mieć w głębokim poważaniu. Tu, na TE szukam więc miejsc idyllicznych, a nie warkotu silników i setek twarzy. Świadczy to także o mojej bardzo miernej fotograficznej świadomości, no ale tak już jest. Sam przecież pstrykam jeno widoczki.
Prezentujesz Jurku wyjątkową urbanistyczną (ale nie tylko przecież) wrażliwość. Czujesz się w wielkim mieście, jak ja w lesie. Chwała Ci za to, bo obok Twoich fotografii przejść obojętnie nie można. Ta jest znakomita przez brak tej flawless- jakości. I naprawdę odtąd nie można sobie wyobrazić tego zdjęcia ani w kolorach (co zrobiłeś), ani po odszumieniu go z noisu ( co pewnie niejeden chciałby zrobić).
Dzięki za cierpliwość. Jeszcze raz gratuluję intuicji do robienia ważnych Fotografii.
Pozdrawiam Cię serdecznie,
M.

bardzo fajne zdjecie, takie chropowate, to ziarno i sephia tworza bardzo ciekawy klimat, bardzo dobra kompozycja, ciekawa praca, klimatyczna

Hi George,
A good frame from past. Beauty İstanbul! I like it. Your note also very informative. Congratulations,
Best Regards.
Ahmet

Looks like you don't need any more points, George, but I give it to you anyway. Now you know the feeling. best, janos

Dear George,

For the connoisseur of Istanbul, this will bring back memories. The texture inherent in the image is a reflection the variegated textures of life in Istanbul. There is no doubt this is one the great cities of the world, a veritable living museum! You've done very well, but then the note is what some of us just want to read anyway.
Warm regards,
Bulent

Dear George,
This one the second nice picture according to me from your Istanbul pictures. I like yor notes so much.. so nice natural feelings....
Why you dont come again Turkey... I believe that you will get so memorial pictures not only for you but also to us...
Best
Erbil Oguz

Hello George
You have taken me walking into the streets of Istanbul amongst the real people. Thanks for the memories, Marlene

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF