The Bottle Half Full Photo

Photographer’s Note

There are places I long for, places I would love to go so much to shoot pictures, meet people, see the world. Yet there are times one cannot travel much. These boys, playing at a nearby park, took advantage of what life offered at a given time. They found a tiny patch of snow--very unusual at this time of the year here--and still frolicked around, throwing snowballs at one another and falling weightlessly on the snow. They had great fun doing so, surrounded by the expanse of green grass; their bottle was surely at least half full...

ElSato, pasternak, Clairedelune, luisafonso, KevRyan, bantonbuju has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ElSato (824) 2006-12-25 21:39

Sarolta,

Really nice. The b&w is extremely effective, but most of all the use of light which the b&w enhances I think)... the way the light catches the snow in the air, the diagonal line between light and shadow from lower left to upper right, the long shadow of the boy in the middle. Very beautiful.

Lee

Polonaise (5629) 2006-12-25 22:07

Dear Sasa...
How many of us have the ability of turning some usual theme or scene into fireworks of feelings, and mood, and something much above the standards.
We look at it, and gaze, and stare and it takes a while to realize: It's just a park scene with fellows having a good time...Why did I stare at the picture for quite a while, then...?
That's what differ a photo from a PHOTOGRAPH!
A photographer from A PHOTOGRAPHER!
That little question makes the whole lot of difference:
Why did I stare at it for quite a while...?
-----------------------------

Cherish our hearts with your mesmerizing works, Sasa.
It's your gift for us, and we owe you... A whole lot !!!

George
My brand new concept of critiquing.
Works only when:
I'm tired.
It's late.
It's Christmas time.
My head is empty.
My bottle is half empty.
The photo is 100% worthy of attention.
I love the author of a photo.
Waiting for her/him to visit my site.
My own post is begging for an attention

RADEEH (2762) 2006-12-25 22:19

The tilt in the shot is intersting, it adds the mood of that place.
The lights are very well balanced.B/W composition is perfect here.
The frozed snow in the air is the highlight of the shot

Happy X-Mas

Clairedelune (4883) 2006-12-25 23:28

Sarolta!
Are you trying to give me snow for my birthday? Are you able to photography even before the day has come? Do you also have that power??? You are frightening me! ... Ok, if you wonder why I'm writing all that seemingly nonsense, it is just that the "date taken" is 2006-12-27 which is in 2 days. ;)
Well, if you really have the power to find snow, can you send me some bags, enough to cover Montreal?
If I saw very clearly the snow sparkling in the light, it took me a while to see the obvious: the snow ball! Not your fault dear. Only me who is too tired... Or maybe I just don't recognize snow anymore!
Yes, even in a green Christmas, there is hope. To find snow. To find light. You bring me that...
Claire
(Thank you Sarolta for your words in that famous thread in the forum... What can I say...)

Cpamoi (10317) 2006-12-26 4:09

Hi Sarolta,
excellent decisive moment shot!
B/W and tilt are great.

HAve a nice day

Raphaël

michiels (4170) 2006-12-26 5:58

hello Sarolta,

Very beautiful contrast and atmosphere. I also like the point of view you took. You have quite an impressive photomap. COngrats.
many greetings, inn

jinju (14265) 2006-12-26 6:40

The obvious visible beauty here is the light in the powdery snow. The emotional bauty though is here too, and thats eauty that comes from the innocent happiness of children at play. This is one heck of a great b/w Sasa, Im a huge fan of it. Oh, dont put the color version, ok?

pgorod (1122) 2006-12-26 7:40

You stopped the snowball in mid air! Wow.

It seems cameras are the only effective defense against snowballs! :-)

pasternak (13038) 2006-12-26 7:50

It is a pleasure to see a photo made two days after posting it, at least we know there will be some snow in Ottawa tomorrow;) Wonderful work!

Have a nice holiday season and a happy and fruitful New Year,
Alexander

coco (27612) 2006-12-26 9:39

Hi Sasa and Sasalandia.

When I've seen this photo I've remembered a song by Danny Elfman what says:

What's this? What's this?
There's color everywhere
What's this?
There's white things in the air
What's this?
I can't believe my eyes
I must be dreaming
Wake up, Jack, this isn't fair
What's this?

What's this? What's this?
There's something very wrong
What's this?
There's people singing songs

What's this?
The streets are lined with
Little creatures laughing
Everybody seems so happy
Have I possibly gone daffy?
What is this?
What's this?

There are children throwing snowballs here
Instead of throwing heads
They're busy building toys
And absolutely no one's dead

There's frost on every window
Oh, I can't believe my eyes
And in my bones I feel the warmth
That's coming from inside

Oh, look
What's this?
They're hanging mistletoe, they kiss
Why that looks so unique, inspired
They're gathering around to hear a story
Roasting chestnuts on a fire
What's this?
What's this?

In here they've got a little tree, how queer
And who would ever think
And why?

They're covering it with tiny little things
They've got electric lights on strings
And there's a smile on everyone
So, now, correct me if I'm wrong
This looks like fun
This looks like fun
Oh, could it be I got my wish?
What's this?

Oh my, what now?
The children are asleep
But look, there's nothing underneath
No ghouls, no witches here to scream and scare them
Or ensnare them, only little cozy things
Secure inside their dreamland
What's this?

The monsters are all missing
And the nightmares can't be found
And in their place there seems to be
Good feeling all around

Instead of screams, I swear
I can hear music in the air
The smell of cakes and pies
Is absolutely everywhere

The sights, the sounds
They're everywhere and all around
I've never felt so good before
This empty place inside of me is filling up
I simply cannot get enough

I want it, oh, I want it
Oh, I want it for my own
I've got to know
I've got to know
What is this place that I have found?
What is this?
Christmas Town, hmm...

Enjoy these days and continue with these presents for us.

Carlos.

(of course, the song says: "color everywhere"... but this is black and white)

cbrman (18703) 2006-12-26 10:12

Hello Sarolta,

Ta note fait partie intégrante de ta photographie et permet de guider l'esprit vers ce que tu a voulu montrer au travers de ton image !
Une superbe prise en noir et blanc !
A+

Dominique

brevbrev14 (370) 2006-12-26 11:58

Hi Sasa!
beautiful image!
full of joy and life!
i like a lot to see this game with the snow!
the shadows are beautiful!
ciao carissima!
Valeria

luisafonso (858) 2006-12-26 14:00

First of all your black and white conversion. So dense, so full of character. I always fall in love with such images. They look amazing on paper. Then the perfect placement of the kids, stretching across the frame, stealing all the attention from the beautiful surroundings. And the the snow and the light. Those white elements in front of the black background works so well. Forgive me for centering my critique on the technique, but this is a real hymn to light and the art of using aperture, time and framing. About the character, well, I guess you said it all so perfectly in your note. A great photograph.

vapours (7913) 2006-12-26 19:18

Certainly a ying and yang kind of photo Sarolta with the way that the almost over the top shadows and darkness of the right work with the white snow on the left. A place I wish I was at on Christmas Day, where we experienced a 40 degree day with a broken air con :~(

bantonbuju (48358) 2006-12-30 12:34

what a moment...
funny photo with strong title which fits the bill very well...
superb timing, and this IS the place which everyone would love to be in...
have the most wonderful new year, dear sasa!
best, j.

voightlanderfan (0) 2007-01-02 0:05