Brick Lane Boys, a photo from London, England

Photographer's Note

Quickly bored with the tourist hotspots I headed to Whitechapel and the asian market and from there walked to Brick Lane. It was disappointingly quiet during the daytime but would have livened up at night. This is the place to go for a curry in London and the road is peppered with curry houses.
This was the day that London launched its community bike hire scheme, with cycle ranks installed across the city. Otherwise known as Boris' bikes after London's posh oddball mayor Boris Johnson.Mr Johnson desribed the scheme as communistic -as if this particular toryboy would know anything about communism or socialism- pah!( I came across a photographer's blog recently where the blogger described his first outing on day one of the scheme and how he came across Boris, and describing their parting of ways as'he fopped off'. That cracked me up and I only wish Boris and his motley crew of conservatives and Liberal Democrats would all jolly well fop off!)A Rastafarian cyclist whizzed past me here, dreadlocks flying, for me to realise, too late, that he was on a Boris bike.But all was not lost as these boys came up behind and I turned and took a compensatory shot.

broglia, saxo042, macondo, clio, Royaldevon, AROBN54 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

broglia (3604) 2010-08-17 14:33

Hi Bev, hope you enjoyed your trip down to London. This shot is rather special. I am particularly enjoying those large blocks of colour which compliment eachother so well. The two boys are nicely placed too.

All the best, Bob

saxo042 (38078) 2010-08-17 14:42

Hi Bev,
First of all, the colours in this picture are very harmonic and very beautiful with the gray, the beige and the red fieldsThe composition is also very fine, with these two white clad boys walking along. But then I am a bit confused! It looks like a big hole in the street (well anchored to the lower right corner of your photo) and it looks like the boy is walking right into this hole, without any idea where he is walking! This is a very good picture, it really makes me curious of what is happening here;)
Kind regards
Gunnar

macondo (20449) 2010-08-18 0:51

Hi Bev.
I thought it must have been Morocco or some such, although the graffiti tags suggested the indolent, anti-social youth of a so-called 'modern/developed/western' country (should I have added 'democratic'?). What I like, apart from the confident striding out of the boys, is the strong colour, and light, and the way your placement of the subjects gives them so much room to march into on the right of the photo.
Loved your note, too. We just got our own Melbourne bike scheme with spanking new blue bikes. But nobody is using them because the government is insisting on users wearing helmets - just the sort of thing you'd be carrying around in your handbag or laptop case on the off chance...
Anyway, thanks for the humorously ironic comments. There are Borises everywhere, sad to say. Foppin' hell.
Regards,
Andrew

clio (27961) 2010-08-19 6:11

Hi Bev,
With my bad English, it is difficult to read your note but what I understood is funny! It's a pity that you did not manage to shoot rather fast for the cyclist but I like this composition with these two children dressed in white in this geometrical and graphic street. You play well with lines!
Have a nice day
Diane

holmertz (92890) 2010-08-19 11:44

Hello Bev,
Some fine pictures are a combination of sheer coincidence and quick eyes, and I guess this is one of those. Above all the combination of mild colours is very attractive, and I even find the graffiti quite suitable in this environment. I also like the walking style of the nearest boy as he crosses the street carefully looking out for approaching cars.
Kind regards,
Gert

Royaldevon (75468) 2010-08-21 0:55

Ha, ha, Bev, I really enjoyed reading your notes. It is unusual for people to bare their souls so plainly on TE! There is a 'scheme', all well intentioned, raising its head on a frquent basis, all over the country. How we lament at the waste of public money!!

Love this shot!
It is so strong! So determined! So purposeful!
As Gaffer would say, there is a strong f/g triangle, in fact, there are strong triangles all over!
Sharp, interesting and beautifully lit.

Have a good w/e,
Bev :-)

AROBN54 (11475) 2010-08-23 11:58

Hi, Bev,
there is SO much to like about this shot. The strong graphics, the composition, color, light... I like the way each boy is looking in a different direction and the way they seem so resolute crossing that street. I love your street shots. I have become very timid about photographing strangers and I admire your shots. Just excellent. Great note, too... Many thanks and warmest regards,
Shelly

iainsp (3298) 2010-09-04 11:24

Hi Bev,

Not sure what attracted me more - yet another of your great photograph of kids (I love the self-confidence of the lad in front as he crosses the road) or your anti-Tory rant - since one cannot have too much of that.

marietom (34611) 2010-09-05 0:41

hello Bev,

de beaux murs, et une belle composition, avec ces enfants qui paraissent très décidés... je ne sais pas où ils vont, mais eux ont l'air de le savoir.
Belle image
Bonne journée
Marie

BennyV (32570) 2010-10-05 11:43

Hello Bev,

Your recent Brick Lane post lead me to this one. A great self-assured young walker and a terrific backdrop with beautifully matching colours. Even the graffiti looks good:) I also like the patches of shadow, even though there seems to be some noise there. A striking shot. Cheers.

Benny