Light in the darkness Photo

Photographer’s Note

Every city has its dark sides. That is especially true by the end of November when the days are gray... when darkness creeps very early... when every darkish silhouette might seems like a potential threat...

That's when you need some light.
Or even better, when you need to become the light itself...

Don't worry, young woman, spring will eventually come again!

Taken in a regular street in Montreal, by the end of a November day, when water coming from high above has a hard time to decide if it should be rain or snow!

kdialyna, xavshot, faubry, meltemi, tcht, mpdre, riclopes, Merline, pasternak, alainh, noborders, BitterMoon has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

maglex (1536) 2008-02-12 7:37

Hi Claire, I see her as the light of Montreal at this very moment :>...I like the effects of the wet ground on the overall photo, nice. Thanks for sharing...

Alex

horatiuTT (4566) 2008-02-12 7:38

Hi Claire,
now that I know :p ...I must say that this is a wonderful elegant
classic presentation.A woman walking alone with the umbrella,
an interesting view,always attracting looks and curiosities from
men.Great capture,I love the light and the impact made by the
wet pavement.Stay well my latest friend on the list.
H'

jpphoto (465) 2008-02-12 7:41

Hello ,
Excellente prise de vue , en N/B j'adore A+ jpphoto

jjcordier (24028) 2008-02-12 7:46

Claire
Tes images sont toujours d'une extrême originalité et témoignent toutes de ton grand talent. Celle-ci n'échappe pas à la règle!
Amicalement
JJ

messenger1 (1029) 2008-02-12 7:49

Hello, Claire -
This is a great B&W. The soft focus conveys the mood and movement perfectly. Her expression says it all. The reflection of the wet sidewalk illuminates her lower body. Well done.

meltemi (9744) 2008-02-12 7:57

Hello Claire,
an exquisite interplay of light and shadows here, with the girl's interesting expression shown beautifully amidst the rainy day. It's truly romantic and beautiful, the blur in her legs is just right it makes us enjoy the dynamism in the composition.
Impressive image.
Kind Regards.
Stella

Leilani (1371) 2008-02-12 8:10

Hello Claire, I like the contrast and movement in this shot very much. Your point of focus was well handled with her face relatively clear compared to the blur of the rest of the scene. Rgds, Leilani

mimagica (617) 2008-02-12 8:23

Hi Claire,
This photo is original and very nice.
Regards
Michelangelo

wolf38 (12463) 2008-02-12 8:51

Hello Claire. A large black framework. Therein a young woman with white umbrella in the midst of an island full light. It moves easily, nearly floating. That is everything. And nevertheless is the photo, is light and shade fascinatingly. One looks for a higher meaning and thinks of the surrealistic motives, which were some decades ago in mode. For me this photo is a beautiful LIGHT PICTURE. Best regards, Wolfgang.

totoamoto (2260) 2008-02-12 10:11

Salut Claire..
Une photo floue..belle.. c'est excellent..
Photo étrange.. très originale..
Bravo.

rbassin (4153) 2008-02-12 10:15

Hello Claire,
Excellente prise de vue N&B, le flou est bien maitrisé et contribue au dynamisme de cette ambiance.
Bien vu le jeu de la lumière et des ombres.
Roland

xavshot (61805) 2008-02-12 12:05

Bonsoir Claire
tu ne postes pas souvent mais c'est toujours un grand plaisir et un joli cadeau que tu nous fais quand tu nous présentes une photo. Bravo pour ce superbe n&b.... la conversion est superbe et le mouvement de l'ensemble en fait une photo très vivante. J'aime beaucoup.
Bravo
Xavier

kdialyna (3068) 2008-02-12 12:42

Extremely busy that days and you upload such a photo?
What can I say?
I can not stop to see your picture, Claire.
I can not decide what I like more.
Definitely I decide that I like everything the same.
How you use the light, the 1/10 sec that gave the feeling of the movement...the beauty of your model and special the all idea that makes your photo unique.
Be happy my friend.
Kostas

mesutilgim (36180) 2008-02-12 13:55

Hi Clarie,
Wonderfull b&w capture ! Great pov and nice compo with wonderfull graphical effect.
TFS and
best regards
MESUT ILGIM

gilou530 (34617) 2008-02-12 14:21

salut claire
une image ou le flou volontaire dans une ambiance pluvieuse donne un coté un peu mystériodramatico, une N&B bien contrastée augmentée par un cadre imposant, beau travail c'est dommage que tu te fasses rare
amitié
gilbert

tcht (7280) 2008-02-12 15:28

beautiful scene, Claire...great tonality and atmosphere. and there's some good bit of reflective lighting from the water highlighting bit of her background. a lovely, successful pan.
Cheers
Cheuk Hin

mpdre (1585) 2008-02-12 17:55

Claire,
Quelle surprise! Cette photo est vraiment une beautee... un peu nostalgique, mais c’est comme ca quand on est sous la pluie... La fille est certainement la lumiere dans l’obscurite... J'aime beaucoup son expression pensive, son pied eleve lorsqu’elle marche avec la pluie qui se retrouve reflete sur le chemin...
Le cadre est parfait pour l’entoure dans un espace intime... Je l’aime beaucoup!
Andre

faubry (32191) 2008-02-13 1:32

bonsoir Claire, une tres belle approche de la lumiere encadree de noir... tres bien fait, et cette jeune fille elegante est ton ambassadrice,son gestuel et le flou sur ses jambes demontrent son intention a rentrer tres vite a l abri...encore une tres belle realisation de ta part, bonne soiree
amities
francine

Polonaise (5625) 2008-02-13 19:06

An extraordinary photography, dear Claire.
It could be pure, blind emotion on my side, but…
I’ll try to be as objective as I can afford…
IT’S JUST GREAT !!
You have to believe me, gal !
I’m one of few who know these things very well…
More well than I wish to…
I’ve never succeeded in this particular field…That’s what gave me this awful, painful knowledge (:-))))

The visionary field of photography… That romantic, ‘weather’ thing so present in your portfolio…

Go please from picture to picture in your very own gallery…
I don’t know anybody on TE who is able to ‘use’ the weather to such advantage…
Day or night, rain or snow, fog, mist…
You are there to use it as much powerfully as much delightfully and quite shamelessly…
When 99.9% of the flocks pack their cameras to their bags, you take out yours and go hunting…
It looks to me like you’ve never consider the ‘good’ weather as a time to produce the images. (?)

Your head is always full of great ideas, and somehow - you are able to realize those ideas with the incredible results.
I wish you dear Valentine, nothing less but snow, blizzards, drizzle, slush, hell and high water…
So help you God !!!

Kiss your hands

george

coco (27542) 2008-02-14 0:04

HI Claire.

Impressive and a really clever picture where the movement, the black and white and also that woman looks excellent.

WEll done.

riclopes (32821) 2008-02-14 2:29

Olá Claire, most beautiful dark picture and nice original frame that works so well here making this short light even more relevant. It also enhances the mistery mood - you are a secret detective and you are following a clue, while hidden in a dark spot. This woman will lead you there, since she doesn't have any idea of your presence. It doesn't matter if it's rainning or snowing because she has un umbrella. It must be also freezing but I see no gloves or hat - people living in Montreal love the cold and darkness or they wouldn't be living there :) On the other hand, there's more time to practice this kind of experiences and this result of 1/10s is inspiring. I'll have to try myself with the limitations of my camera.
My belated congratulations to you, Claire. I don't remember the day, but I remember you are a Capricorn, as my wife :D
ricardo

Merline (6574) 2008-02-14 6:42

Bonjour Claire,
tu ne postes pas souvent, mais c'est à chaque fois un régal depuis que je fréquente ta galerie...
J'aimerais en faire une comme ça un jour...que te dire de plus ? Tout ce que j'aime, b/n en fort contraste, lumière, ambiance, vibration, mouvement. L'essence de la photographie. Un dixième de seconde de la vie d'une jeune femme par une talentueuse photographe.

Je te remercie souhaite une belle journée
Michèle

polter (6026) 2008-02-14 10:32

Deep in thoughts she is.
Just like me. I'm thinking about this photo, about perfection of it's presentation and about light itself...
And light goes where it wants. But for sure YOU know it's ways. And you have natural skill for panning. Rain, darkness, fog, snow, smoke - if only there is a bulb or something... ;)))
It's enormous pleasure to look at this photo. But to explain the reasons of this pleasure is almost as difficult as to perform such a photo oneself :)) It's just a sheer beauty of photography I think.
Greetings and best wishes for today T.

ninaL (19250) 2008-02-16 8:31

Bonjour, Claire.
J'aime beaucoup l'ambiance qui se dégage de cette image sous la pluie ainsi que l'effet lumière sur le sol : on dirait une robe de danse qui bombe en tournant.
En revanche, pour une fois, je ne suis pas convaincue par le cadre noir ajouté ici...Pour cette photo-là, j'aurais préféré le format vertical ou horizontal et non le carré.
Amicalement, Grazyna.

MarcT (20981) 2008-02-17 8:36

Salut Claire,
Quel bonheur de redécouvrir une de tes bonnes mais si rares images. Pourtant on ne t'oublie jamais ;o)
A bientôt, j'espère.
Marc

pasternak (12930) 2008-02-18 4:15

Really good, Claire... the thick black frame at the sides is absolutely neccessary here as it increases the feeling of isolation of this woman with the white umbrella... the moment is fantastic as she is looking a bit undecided in her motion, just like the weather... but of course her umbrella is the stunner here!

Cheers
Alexander

woozbman (366) 2008-02-19 15:42

Hi Claire,

Good light falling on the umbrella and the street. Just the right amount of blur. She looks so intent on where she's going. I like the wide black frame for this photo.

Best regards,
Lamberto

rbcy1974 (20742) 2008-02-19 16:55

Bonjour Claire
Vraimente belle cete image
j'iame bien les fortes contrastes et las reflectins dans le pave, ainsi que le movement de tout en tour de elle
tres bien fait
A+
Daniel

cam (8878) 2008-02-22 16:51

Bonsoir Claire.
Comme toi je suis très occupé en ces temps ci et pour pouvoir visiter mes amis, je ne dois pas poster.
Alors me voici, 10 jours après ta parution.Mais il n'est jamais trop tard pour admirer ton menu.
Une photo triste, car ce genre de temps arrive à grand pas, et l'hiver que j'aime tant, si beau cette année, nous quitteras.
La beauté et aussi l'atmosphère tient à la lumière qui arrive par en arrière, illumine le parapluie, se dirige vers les pieds et devance la dame, comme pour donner de l'espoir, que ce temps maussade n'est que temporaire.
Je n'ai qu'un seul bémol, car j'aurais apprécié plus de netteté sur le visage, je suis probablement tatillon, mais c'est l'endroit où mon regard vient se poser, surtout qu'elle semble jolie à regarder.

Un petit look à la Polonaise bien réussie, un bien bel honneur que tu lui rend.

Je te souhaite une bonne fin de semaine.
Charles

ben4321 (9781) 2008-02-25 1:57

Superb shot Claire, quite voyeuristic in a way.
The way her light-coloured umbrellas acts as a halo, separating her from the dark tones in the rest of the image works very well.
Very atmospheric with the darkness and the wet streets, with the figure just glimpsed in the background adding a certain air of menace.
Excellent work.

Cheers,
Ben

alainh (35341) 2008-02-27 21:02

Bonjour Claire
comme cette belle ombre, tu e fais rare et fuillante sur TE; mais tes apparitions n'en sont que plus intenses et plaisantes.
que dire de plus qui n'a été dit. etrange et belle image au flou savamment dosé. la bascule au noir et blanc rajoute un peu au mystère qui entoure cette belle passante. rares sont elles tes images, mais toujours un plaisir de le decouvrir.
une bonne journée à toi, Claire.
je te laisse, je vais tenter un lever de ton amie, la Lune, les conditions me semblent favorables !!
amicalement
alain

imagiste (62) 2008-03-07 12:34

Il y a encore une fois dans cette photo une négation de ce que l'on dit de la photographie, c'est à dire qu'elle fige le temps. On sent dans cette photo - comme dans plusieurs autres de tes offrandes à nos yeux éblouis :o) - un mouvement, une sensation physique de l'avant et de l'après. Dans un seul cadre, nous faire sentir ce qui bouge et qui vit, voilà l'un de tes talents.

Merci, Claire!

------------------------

Another one of Claire's rebelious shots at the supposedly "fixed in time" quality of photography. Here again, time is not limited to the actual moment of the shot: you feel strongly the "before" and the "after". How to convey life and motion in a single frame? Don't ask the videographer, ask Claire...

noborders (14215) 2008-03-10 2:21

Bonsoir Claire,

Il fallait que je voie celle-ci de plus près, déjà la miniature était tellement belle... J'admire la lumière et la légèreté de cette photo, tu as su saisir cette jeune femme au parfait moment et au meilleur endroit. Quelque chose que j'arrive rarement à faire !

Tes photos sont très belles, je me demande pourquoi tu n'en postes pas plus souvent (bien que justement, une nouvelle vienne d'arriver) - don't be shy !

Grand merci pour tes explications simples et faciles à suivre au sujet des listes... Très utiles !
A +,
Cath.

SteveH (3849) 2008-03-10 21:36

Hi Claire, the movement in the shot conveys well a feeling of gloomy winter and rain falling. B&W emphasises this too. well done. Cheers, Steve

keithl (4) 2008-03-13 12:17

Cracking shot.

Edgar_Delacroix (551) 2008-03-20 7:37

J'adore, on dirait une publicité glamour européenne.

bantonbuju (48334) 2008-03-22 2:58

"hard time to decide if it should be rain or snow!"
and this statement is perfectly, poeticly reflected in this sweet image...it's actually one of those which i'd love to hang on my living room's wall...
bw, j.

BitterMoon (2776) 2008-03-29 12:11

Hello Claire

I`m not worried.Still believe that she`s the "light" from the scene,the "light" from the darkest street of Montreal of a "Sweet November" day.I am hunting for such a "light" for years,such a beautiful and warming light,at the same time,trendy,glamorous,fancy.But I think "The devil wears Prada" :-),wearing black&white clothes and accesories(auch,the picture it`s in black&white,sorry :-)).
Now for real,I`m hunting for such a scene everytime it`s raining,worried all the time for my gear.Now,guessing that I`m the one who it`s doing the wrong thing,instead to find a spot,comfortable,where rain can`t reach and waiting for the "light" to show up.
About your photograph,it`s dynamic,moody,nice reflection on the wet pavement,classy,a beautiful daily life scene.

My kind regards

PS:Thank you for the tip and sorry (if you get me wrong)about the other discussion in the forum :-)