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Konica Minolta Users | all galleries >> KM Challenges >> #4: Alone - hosted by Ferenc Mogor >> #4: Alone - Competition > Lost In The Big City by Claudio Gatti *
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06-MAR-2004 Claudio Gatti

Lost In The Big City by Claudio Gatti *

Minolta DiMAGE A1
1/2s f/10.0 at 37.8mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Konica Minolta Users15-Mar-2004 23:51
Nice lines and balance of elements. Great use of long exposure--showing the passers by. Powerful image of someone who is tragically alone. Excellent work.

regards,
David Bourke
Claudio Gatti14-Mar-2004 18:25
Hi Guys,

Sorry for the long delay in answering, but I was away on business.

This is indeed a very very sad shot, which I struggled even to take. I previsualized the shot as "the entire city passing by, and ignoring the homeless person on the sidewalk". To get this effect in daylight, I used an ND8 filter. The bluring is mainly caused by motion of the subjects, but the shot was handheld with 0.5 sec exposure so some of it is also due to that. I took several similar shots on that day but this one, with the effect of the car, the pedestrians and the person looking out from the bar through the glass, was the one that I felt comunicated the idea the best. I had a few others with sharper focus on the main subject (see the gallery indicated above if you are interested), but none "spoke to me" like this one.

Claudio
Luminus 12-Mar-2004 03:31
Don't get me wrong, I really like this one too...but I feel it could have been much better if all those distraction were removed. As to focusing...didn't you notice that the ground, the cup, and the wall around the homeless man were out of focus as well? They don't move unless Toronto was having an earth quake. :P In comparison, the left side of the picture is much better focused. I don't know why this is. My guess is that Claudio only had a split second to take this shot (and really good timing too!!...the guy is just about to walk past the homeless, plus the guy in the cafe was just looking back...it's just too bad about the cars), so this was probalby taken handheld? The DOF at this distance (across the street) and F/10, 37.8mm, is some 15 meters, so it probably came from a slight hand shake on the right side. 1/2s at 37.8mm is pushing the AS limit.
Richard Bird12-Mar-2004 01:10
This one works well for me photographically. It is a sad shot though, with the homeless guy separated by glass from from the world of the haves and ignored on the sidewalk by passers by. Excellent pic.
Regards,
Richard.
José Medeiros 11-Mar-2004 15:30
I like it! I don't think that is a focousing problem on main subject - maybe his own motion in a low cam speed caused that "blur".
Luminus 11-Mar-2004 09:25
OOoooo...this could have been *THE* picture in so many ways. I really like the theme here. But. The main subject could have been more focused; the blurring of the people walking past was lovely and fit the theme perfectly...if not for the blurred car light; the timing of the guy behind the window looking back was perfect....if not for the distracting reflection of the SUV with the tail light.....etc etc.
Jim Rickards 11-Mar-2004 09:23
Sorry I accidentally erased Jim's earlier comment...thank goodness for cache!! Here it is again! (Luminus)
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I had to study this to appreciate. The man inside looking out adds to it. The blur is distracting, perhaps it's too long, too bright. I think a blur to show the man passing is what you need here, but the red brightness (is that a vehicle light? It must be, for a half second exposure)of the blur on the left almost makes you miss the man passing. Good choice of subject for the theme.
Jim Rickards
Konica Minolta Users11-Mar-2004 00:33
All I can do is echo Jim's comments. --Michael Lampi