In fact, I like the distance between the woman and the statue, also I like the fact, Kal only showed on side of the statue (It is like they are walking right pass by). To me, this image speaks about people's ignorance of the actual presence, instead depend so much on the technology to communicate.
I left a comment on Obsessions and Ignorance, which worked as sequence because of your editing. This one works as a single shot, but it worked because of the frame to frame movement, concealing and revealing that was going on, not because of the way the image themselves were executed. Execution problems still dilute this image somewhat.
I stood on this spot for almost 40 minutes, I took quite a few shots, and this one was the best, since it was the only one that mimicked the statue. The chinese like to text, so many of the images had people texting (as per the image "Obsessions & Ingnorance"). I did set up the frame, but there really was no ideal loaction. To my left is a piller , and escalator and to the right the crap you see. The only idea would have been to close in even loser using a longer focal length, but the few times I tried it, the people were too out of focus. This was the best I got, and of all of the images I took, only two people were actually talking, the others texting. By the way, what was your view on "Obsessions & Ingnorance". I was looking for a specific meaning in that image, but you didn't comment. Did I not succeed? Thanx phil, for the constant advice and testing.
I guess it was only a matter of time until an artist made a life sized sculpture of someone on a cell phone. Your waited for a real cellphone speaker to enter the frame and shot -- an incongruous concept, but there is too much extra junk in the picture to execute the image successfully. The woman at right should have been a bit closer to the statue, which would have enabled you to crop out the crap that is now behind her. I like the fact tha she is moving, and there is a self-absorbed feeling to her face. I wish we could see more of the face of the statue and compare the two responses. When you have an idea like this, set up the frame first, and make it perfect, so there is no extra junk in the picture. Then wait for the subject to enter the picture and shoot. Just as I did in my shot of the bronze photographer in Brataslava athttp://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/20740742
I set up the frame and waited for the street to clear. I only wanted one or two people at the most to be in my shoht, and I wanted them in precisely the spot you see these people. It took a few tries and a few minutes, but it finally worked. How long did you work on this shot? Did you get a number of people talking on cell phones within a few feet of this sculpture? If so, I assume this is the best of them. If not, you learned a valuable lesson. You must be able to "work" a shot, by previsualizing it in your mind, and then shooting it again and again as people come and go within your frame, until you get it right.
