*You've Got A Friend* Photo

Photographer’s Note

Hello Everybody.
Well, here we have the first snow...well, the first of any type of significant snow. Me and a couple of friends decided to go into downtown Annapolis a take a few shots...one came quite unprepared and quickly retreated from the biting cold...the other, quite over prepared ;?}
A shirt, then another, vest, jacket, scarf, ascot...hat, scarf for the camera, scarf for the camera bag...tripod, two types of film, one digital camera, one manual, money, women...etc.
BUT, most importantly, a good idea...BEER. Well, coffee then beer.
As the day wore on, the snow began to fall harder...we ducked into a small Irish bar and had a couple of dark beers. That was all that was needed to get me excited about attacking any prospective photo oppurtunity within sight...even out of my sight. I started first with those seated at the bar...trying to include people, not blurry, without a piece of the table that the camera was sitting on...not quite successful.
We finally poured out into the street soaking up the crackling air that accompanies the first snow of winter...cameras at the ready and quite unsteady.

I did not mean for that to rhyme.

It was a great night, and a harrowing drive home.

ISO 1000

62mm.

Chris.

A recipe again...

Maryland Beaten Biscuits.

7 cups flour, 3/4 cups lard, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 cups water.

Mix ingredients together and beat dough with hammer for 30 minutes. Form into smalll biscuits and prick top with fork. Bake 20-25 minutes in 500 degree oven. There are various ways of beating biscuits. You may use a sad iron, flat of an axe, or the heel of your hand. You must beat until dough blisters and is smooth looking. Beat at least 30 minutes, and 45 minutes for company.

Mrs. Donald E. Jefferson

These biscuits are legendary in Maryland...good with some country ham sliced super thin...and a little horesradish sauce.

robertosalguero, sabyasachi1212, riclopes, Budapestman, atus, Clairedelune, syd1946, balatrek, vinicio, chc, tabora, parbo, bakes888, Dragonheart, veve, zeca has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

berek (28909) 2007-02-15 23:05

Hi Christopher,
creative work . good idea and good result. I like composition and b&W effect. have a nice day.
Burak
***

Polonaise (5636) 2007-02-15 23:24

What..? They don't have any vodka, down there, in Maryland to keep 'em warm ? (:-)))
Beautifully executed photo.
Paning at its best, with the great results.
It realy gives me a chill.

Keep yourself warm, Christopher.
g.

robertosalguero (110) 2007-02-15 23:47

Well it look as if your friends were moving fast, perhaps due to the chilly weather or maybe because they couldn't wait to get to the pub and drink beer. The picture is very good. The black and white serve well to create a colder mood. The note is very good too. I'm glad you are a good writer as well as a photographer. Thanks Chris.

Roberto

gpsony (478) 2007-02-16 0:00

Hi Christopher,

Lovely use of panning. Great work.

Cheers,
Guru

nocalgotstone (32) 2007-02-16 1:03

Christopher,

Great piece - intriguing and impressive.

Adam

goodwill (4029) 2007-02-16 1:41

Hi Chris,
Snow charms me a lot and your shot just makes me put on my shoes and go for the nearest Cofee shop. I like the effects of the motion blurr of the B&W shot of yours.
Have anice day brother.
Rajeev

hay_kes (28562) 2007-02-16 2:26

Hi Chris,
Very impressive B&W effect.Nice idea and composition.TFS.
Cheers!

hAyAti

landstar (19) 2007-02-16 3:31

Hi Christopher,
What a great work it is~!
Snow look more white.
Thank you for sharing a great pic and recipe~!
Regards,
DH Kim

partha (13657) 2007-02-16 4:20

Hi Christopher,
The blur gives wonderful effect. The snowfall is quite apparent.The body language of the persons reveals the chilly effect here.
Well chosen shot,perfectly composed and sweetly timed.
Partha

sabyasachi1212 (19546) 2007-02-16 4:42

Hi Chris,
Your previous post was super sharp and this is super blur, what a contrast in style (and weather) between two posts. If it was prose, this is free flowing poetry. Excellent work.
Best Wishes
Sabyasachi

riclopes (33003) 2007-02-16 4:46

I like it Chris. 1/5 with iso 1000?!?! Impressive result. It's a very moody winter picture. I especially like the way they have only the legs blurred as if they were puppets that move only the legs very quickly to walk, which is understandable, considering the very low temperatures. I like the general texture of the background: the shadows, the flocks of snowand the blurred window shops. The pano technique is very good here. Congratulations for this experiment!
Friendly regards,
Ricardo
p.s.- I find funny your inclusion of the recipes...and usefull ;-)

ninaL (19534) 2007-02-16 5:54

Hi, Christopher.
A very good one.
Impressive snowy and wet atmosphere, I can almost feel the wet snow on the cheek.
Good effect with blurry men.
Best regards. Grazyna.

rushfan2112 (2965) 2007-02-16 13:25

Chris, great low-light and slow-shutter shot. Love the movement and the feeling of *cold* as it must have been bitter out there! TFS. Paul.

Budapestman (42020) 2007-02-16 13:48

Hi Christopher,
This is a hard and cold days, night photo! :)
This is a full of life and expressive impression, indeed. The note is also excellent. Very nice composition and good choice the B&W. I like the atmosphere and the idea. Superb genre photo. Have a nice weekend!
George

atus (15476) 2007-02-16 18:03

Hi Chris,
very well captured shot of a nice effect and great impact. The hardly falling snow is clearly visible with this excellent b/w, and the blurred legs of the men symbolize perfectly their own "locomotion". Great one as usual, my Friend!
Tfs and have a great weekend!
Attila

Clairedelune (4885) 2007-02-16 18:49

Hi Chris,
Panning is one of my first love in photography. Snow is my last (for the time being!), and black & white is one of my next! :) So, I am totally spoiled here.
I love it. The speed, the cold, the snow falling... It would have been easy to be too "static" in a way, you see, two guys walking on a parallel line as you. But that is not the case. There is movement, there is action, there is snowflakes flying all over the place, there is the legs blurred just enough. It's cold for the fingers, but oh! the fun we have, isn't it?
Claire who lives in a snowy and cold city! ;)

syd1946 (17913) 2007-02-17 2:05

Hello Chris,
i like this very much!May be is the kind of shot I was trying to do in my last photo-sessions.There was a bad result fo me!But for you works so well,this motion,the whole scene.I feel it as a very dramatic moment with the b/w works again.I really like it Chris,
All the best to you,
Thomas

balatrek (7419) 2007-02-17 9:57

Hi Christopher,

Interesting and dynamic image, The atmosphere that has this work is impressive, the black and white one is the best election, increases to the intensity of the resistances and the sensation of cold. Good work!

Regards
José

Angshu (33697) 2007-02-18 22:39

Hello Chris
My friend, we were neighbors in my last post, but I can't even dream of matching this. The panning is so effective here, especially on the legs giving that feeling of animation films (frame by frame). The rest, except the upper torsos of the two men, looks like I'm watching outside from a train window And your note, well only if I could write so well. I think Sabyasachi wrote the best in his critique. Your versatility makes me envious
Regards
Angshu

vinicio (22412) 2007-02-20 3:26

Well catched Christopher, an excellent and beautiful shot of people under the snowing weather, I like a lot the idea and this result, compliments, inspiring image.
Have a nice day
Ciao
Vinicio

faubry (32323) 2007-02-20 5:15

hello Christopher, i like realy this image, very good paning, and beautiful BW . good apetite also....
soon
francine

chc (1468) 2007-02-20 12:51

Superbe Chris!
I like the blurring effect you reached while keeping the faces out of blurr. THe snow adds a special atmosphere and graphism. Well done,
christophe

tabora (13638) 2007-02-20 13:13

Bonsoir chris,
Le flou donne un superbe effet un peu irréel, mais donne un très bon résultat.
Beau noir et blanc
A+ Jospeh

t0mmm1 (5434) 2007-02-20 14:24

Hi Chris,
wonderful panning photo. I like the catch here... the head is sharp (as we all should be after drinking a beer) and the legs are fluffy (don't know if it means something, but you'll surelly understand ;)))
Have a nice day,
Tomi

Manamo (3474) 2007-02-20 22:36

Hello Chris!
I like the experimentation part of this picture. It's a beautiful panning pic. Both men with the hands in their pockets, the line above their heads,snow falling that we can see in the dark zones. I like the movement in their legs too.
However, it lacks what I would call power...I don't know how to say that in any other way..or it is me who's not deep enough to see...I don't know:D
I saw the argument you have with this guy in the forum. My advice is to not take it too personnally and not engage yourself too much into this. You have nothing to gain in this kind of situation...
All the best!!
Marc

parbo (10970) 2007-02-21 20:38

Hi Chris,

Wonderful result is after couple of dark beer. I never tried this especially but your story invites to do this immediately. I like your blur scene a lot in spectacular B&W format as before. Of course your new way of ending each story with e recipe is great too. I just came from downstairs after finishing dough kneading with my hand by requested ministry of interior our house ;) Congratulations.

Friendly Regards,

Ertugrul

bakes888 (18239) 2007-02-24 13:34

Hi Chris. I always enjoy visiting your gallery as you have such interesting photos. This one is no exception and accompanied by such an interesting note also. Great photo. You can almost feel the cold and I feel sorry for he guy at the front, I’m sure he needs a hat ;-). Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

Dragonheart (8393) 2007-02-24 23:49

Hi Chris,
Seems like both these creatures are doing break dance in the cold :-) Excellent shot, with very good feeling of motion and atmosphere.
Well done
Thanks for sharing
Best wishes
Vivek

Scharan (13951) 2007-02-25 17:31

Olá Christopher

Uma foto simpática e divertida. Excelente idéia, muito criativa; ótima opção de cor. Parabéns!!!
Grande abraço,
Vera.

Furachan (0) 2007-02-26 20:04

Hi Chris, nice clarity through the blur here, a "panning" shot? The motion blur around the legs is particularly effective. Cool moody winter shot.
Cheers,
Francis

veve (4149) 2007-03-05 12:10

Hi Christopher,
Very fine B&W picture!
I like the effect of this motion!
Good framing and fine contrast black-white!
Well done!
Best regards,
Veronica

zeca (20026) 2007-03-05 22:06

Hi Christopher!
Very nice, creative and artistic picture! I like the composition!
Regards,
Zeca