Réjean Nantel says:
Hat (Hope)
Notice here that you do not see the beggar, there is just a "hint" of his presence, the "Hat". What to exclude in a picture is as important as what to include. That is why this image is a strong storyteller.
This picture is very narrative. You feel that the HAT represent the HOPE of a better day.
Réjean Nantel says:
Got Him!
Yes, just like a She-Devil.
Observe what makes her like so.
Yes lighting is important but it is not the creator. The "hand" is. The way the fingers are wide open and just about to nailed (just like claws) into the man's flesh.
So "pose" is the key element here.
I would suggest you look-up the works of great fashion photographers, some are experts in using "poses" for storytellers.
Réjean Nantel says:
Feeling Observed
Those windows looks like binocular's eyes. Here architecture speaks to you, it is looking at you.
Do you feel "observed" ?
Author's Observations, from TikTak Images:
The Willard Intercontinental Hotel, Washington D.C., USA - Beaux-Arts architectural style.
The present building dates back to 1901, but the hotel location went back to 1810’s when it was called The Tennison’s Hotel.
For decades, this hotel have had many distinguished patrons including U.S. Presidents as well as foreign dignitaries since the hotel is within walking distance to the White House.
It is rumored that the term Lobbyists came from this hotel. In the late 19th Century, U.S. presidents would make frequent visits to this hotel for relaxation while the White House was under construction. Because the public was aware of these visitations, they would wait for the presidents in the hotel lobby to make the sales pitch for their causes, hence the term Lobbyist was coined.
I took this picture because I thought how appropriate that these round windows are looking out onto our nation’s capital. They are like the eyes watching all these politicians and power elites moving about making decisions that affects everybody else around the world. My black and white image is meant to solicit the solemnity and power that pervades this capital city……it feels like this everywhere I walked in the city.
Réjean Nantel says:
What am I gonna ask for when I meet Santa Claus?
See how a portrait can tell a story. Well a portrait and its reflection.
The boy looks through a showcase window and spots something he much desires and wants to acquire. What strengthens the story here is that we, the viewers, don't see the desired object. The suggestive power is thus emphasized because it's not a giveaway. It's the 'suggestion' that enlivens the 'story'.
You can create many stories with this one.
I thought I would go along with the color scheme, red and green, to go with one that reflects the Christmas season.
Réjean Nantel says:
We must not forget !
"Manzanar Japanese American Internment Camp" was just one of many internment camp. Yes, it happened, right here, in America.
Telling a story is a photojournalist's strength. Remember that a "story" can be an "event". And remembering events is called "History".
Author's Observations , from TikTak Images:
Manzanar War Relocation Center, California Owens Valley, USA
Currently The Manzanar National Historic Site, California Historic Landmark #850 & A U.S. National Historic Site
As the result of the Presidential Executive Order 9066 in 1942 when the U.S. just entered World War II, Manzanar (apple orchard in Spanish) was one of ten camps built in western United States to house over 110,000 Japanese Americans who were forced to be relocated to these camps. Manzanar is the best known and the most well preserved camp that is currently a national historic site and is being overseen by the U.S. National Park Service. The last internees did not leave the camp until 1945, when the threat of Japanese “spies” and “saboteurs” was not even a national consideration.
This shot is taken of a transparent screen hanging in the cafeteria bungalow at the camp. The black and white image is already on the screen. I took the picture with the stark light fixtures and unpainted wood planks in the background to show the dichotomy of the situation at hand. On the one hand, people are trying to lead normal lives as best as they can against the environment that was forced upon them. I am drawn to the expression of the gentleman on the far right, which has the look of lost, hopelessness and isolation. It’s rather haunting.
Réjean Nantel says:
"Where's Dad, ain't he coming with us!"
A "captivating" moment.
Where the obversed attract the observer's attention. Your eyes just want to wonder out of the frame at the left (to see what's the point of interest).
We all know they're looking at their master - even if we don't see him.
Réjean Nantel says:
It's Me!
This simple elegant composition directs the viewer's eye straight to the two window openings.
A play on light and dark does the trick, nothing more.
He looks like one of those construction set Lego toy's head.
From that vantage point, we only see what looks like his 'eyes'. He's just about to be the main point of interest but he's not quite there yet. Thus we feel he outcries 'It's Me' (I'm Here).
Réjean Nantel says:
"Let's see, what's on the menu today!"
Notice the cat's stance and how he looks through the opened window.
The inclusion of the negative space, the bottom windows, just strengthens the height of the cat, as if he was about to jump. Maybe there's something motivating inside, like a 'meal' of some kind (dead or alive).
Author's Observations, from "ollismove":
As you can imagine, it was more like a snapshot because my influence on the cat was rather marginal. ;)
When walking through the city I spotted the cat that was just taking a sun bath on the ledge, which is why I could take my time framing the subject.
Just after having done my first shots, kitty magically arose from its sleep, possibly woken up by some delicious smell from inside, and the stretching seemed like an anticipating "Alright, let's go!".
The white cat, the similar colored wall, the dark windows and the shadows from the trees made it an instant greyscale conversion for me. Furthermore, I like how the cat draws the eye on itself and disrupts the symmetry of the picture.
And I must admit having a weak spot for these fluffy furballs. ;)
Réjean Nantel says:
Choosing You
See what we can learn from this one.
It is obvious that the author planned this shot.
He chose his PoV and waited for someone to cover the "for" lettering. By doing so he changed the whole meaning.
The hidden secret here, is "planning". Take advantage of what is going to happen.
Réjean Nantel says:
Halloween (Frozen - Who's Out There!)
There is something hidden in this one. It is not just a picture of a mother and a daughter walking on "Halloween".
Yes, it has that creepy mood but what makes it stand out is the way the mother is "standing still", frozen by the light. The daughter, unaware of the potential danger, just wants to continue Trick or Tree.
A very imaginative storyteller.
Réjean Nantel says:
Romance, A little Tango
Ask yourself what creates the "romance"?
No it is not only the kissing and dancing.
It is the PoV.
We are drawn into their intimacy through the window. A real romance can happen only when two people are alone, without observers. We are lucky to witness such a special moment.
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