Hi,

I just joined DGrin after spending the past 2 weeks setting up my fsmugmug gallery, which has a long way to go...
I have been photographing the faces and places of New York City for the Past 7 years, though I have never published any work online until now. I am very interested in getting candid feedback about my work

TIA

Stephen

I shot this of a veteran I met in the east village and shared a cup of coffee with:



These two were shot during 9/11 memorial activities in and around the WTC site and Battery Park CIty.





Finally, a few shots from SoHo, one of my favorite places to shoot

Welcome.
You live in a target rich environment, so look forward to your posts.

I like them all but like the last one best as well as the artist in contemplation.
Oh and I'd like em more if you'd lose that watermark.

Thanks for the suggestion about the watermarks. I removed them as suggested.

I do like your photography, but there are some things you might consider if you continue to post in this forum:

1. We all understand why people watermark their images. However, if you are asking for critique, intrusively
placed or large watermarks are a distraction. If you must use one, place it in an unobstrusive corner spot.

2. While several people post a series of shots, it is my personal opinion that you get better attention if you
post only one or two shots at a time.

3. If you do post a series, number the images.

4. Post larger sizes. With fewer images, larger sizes show better.


These are not rules; they are my personal opinions and I'm low on the totem pole here, but ... well, you asked for feedback.

My favorite of the group is the SoHo shot of the man in the chair in front of his paintings.

Hope to see more from you.

Stephen,

Welcome to Dgrin . Of the shots you have posted, the first and last are the most expressive and have the best light. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

The last one stands out for me. What a face. Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to DGrin!

Haha, the first one looks like an older version of Mr. Bean!

I like the last three best. If you could have gotten closer in the second(of the last three), it might have been better IMHO.

Looking forward to seeing more pictures from you!

The last one works best for me. I like the leather hat and the "your gonna miss your knee caps" attitude.

Welcome to DGrin and this forum!

There is something to like in each of the shots. The faces are certainly interesting characters (especially "Wolfman"). Soho artist is well done. The officer on horseback teases with the blurry figure running toward her. There seems to be a story that was just missed in capturing the moment.

Looking forward to continued posts from you.

+1 for the last photo.

I like the clarity and DoF and the no-nonsense look on the man's face. He looks like he means business and doesn't want to be interrupted from it!!

Originally Posted by sdnydude Hi, I just joined DGrin after spending the past 2 weeks setting up my fsmugmug gallery, which has a long way to go... I have been photographing the faces and places of New York City for the Past 7 years, though I have never published any work online until now. I am very interested in getting candid feedback about my work TIA Stephen

Hi, Steven. You've asked for candid feedback, so I'll be candid:
You've got a good eye for faces, but you don't seem to be giving allot of thought to what you, or we, should think about them. That is, I see interesting characters here, but except for the artist/art dealer, I see them devoid of setting, or meaningful setting. And that makes me wonder what I'm supposed to think about them. For example, you give us a construction worker type leaning on a flag, and a mounted cop, and say that "These two were shot during 9/11 memorial activities in and around the WTC site and Battery Park CItY," yet nothing in either shot hints at that.

If I were you, I'd be thinking allot more about context and meaning, and applying your eye for faces and technical skills to photos that work with the characters you find.

You asked - - and I hope this is helpful.

Thanks to all for the terrific feedback. Your comments are constructive and very much appreciated. I find it interesting which of the shots appeal to different people and why, and equally interesting which shots are not appealing, since both scenarios provide me with insights that will help me improve my work.

Thanks and I look forward to being an active contributor to this community.

All the best
Stephen

Originally Posted by bdcolen Hi, Steven. You've asked for candid feedback, so I'll be candid: You've got a good eye for faces, but you don't seem to be giving allot of thought to what you, or we, should think about them. That is, I see interesting characters here, but except for the artist/art dealer, I see them devoid of setting, or meaningful setting. And that makes me wonder what I'm supposed to think about them. For example, you give us a construction worker type leaning on a flag, and a mounted cop, and say that "These two were shot during 9/11 memorial activities in and around the WTC site and Battery Park CItY," yet nothing in either shot hints at that. If I were you, I'd be thinking allot more about context and meaning, and applying your eye for faces and technical skills to photos that work with the characters you find. You asked - - and I hope this is helpful.

Hi BD,

Thank you for your candor and very useful critique of my photos. I agree after reviewing the images that I posted that more context would make some of these photos tell better stories. When shooting several of these faces - the Veteran, the man with the leather hat, I think I was focused on letting the faces themselves tell many stories, but what each story might be I left up to the viewer, At the same time, this devoids these shots of their overt storytelling, and therefore I understand how they might not be good documentary photos. I am going to apply the concept of more context within each photo moving forward by trying to remove myself from the moment of the shot, a little bit, and thinking about the story I am trying to convey to viewers through the picture as I take it. It will be a new approach for me and should be fun and very challenging at the same time.

On the flipside. I also think that context can be local. For instance, the officer on horseback has the 911 Tribute Lights behind her, which to a New Yorker or almost anyone from the New York City area, are instantly recognizable, and therefore, in my opinion, provide context for that shot (they also are outside my window every year for a few days, so they are very local to me). At the same time, if you do not live in the NYC area, it may not be enough context to tell the story.

I look forward to your critiques, and to those of the members of this forum. I also very much appreciate your complements.

All the best
Stephen

I generally agree with BD's comments, except for the mounted officer. It seems obvious to me that it's 9-11 related. Then again, I used to live in Jersey City, so I'm familiar with the towers of light.

BTW, please number photos posted in series, it makes it easier to critique (I like #4 vs. the fourth from the top, etc.)