The ghost of 'lectricity...
Little and Large
Posted by Duncan Galbraith (kyoto, Japan) on 13 December 2006 in People & Portrait and Portfolio.
Thanks guys! Really, really appreciate the feedback and comments and thoughts regarding the train series, and more recently the laundry series! As a pseudo intellectual nod to recent events here is today's post. As ever your thoughts are welcome! Keep checking in...got a couple more projects on the go! Feel really inspired by the feedback...just gonna keep going and enjoying myself!
Suby from Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Wonder who is the most tired out of these 2 guys, good choice to go monochrome on the image.
13 Dec 2006 5:03am
@Suby: Thanks Suby.
MnX from PARIS, France
It seems everywhere in the world it's the same... Tired people in the train (I'm one of them). It's really great you caught their attitude just at the right time.
13 Dec 2006 7:16am
@MnX: Thanks Cyrille. Aye, its the same the world over for sure.
@Anurag Sharma: Hey Anurag. Thanks a lot. Your visit is always appreciated!
Chris Sullivan from Melbourne, Australia
Priceless. Not much else I can say without repeating what's already been said. Great take Duncan!
13 Dec 2006 8:05am
@Chris Sullivan: Thanks Chris!
Manuela Photography from Hainburg (near Frankfurt/Main), Germany
Really translates well the mood of these 2 people! Brings me back memories of when I was In Tokyo. Some of them were even sleeping standing...and never missed their stop!
13 Dec 2006 9:05am
@Manuela Photography: Yeah, the standing sleepers are quite a sight. And you're right, they never miss their stop!
Balint from Hungary
I love these shots and keep marveling at your guts to stick the camera in people's faces and snap away. The results must be gratifying though.
13 Dec 2006 9:31am
@Balint: Thanks so much balint!
wanganeges from concord, ma, United States
i love it! you certainly have a way of catching people with the most interesting expressions on their faces.
13 Dec 2006 10:42am
Ryan Yam from Quezon City, Philippines
I like the tones in this B&W. Whenever I try converting to B&W mine looks too grayish haha. The guy on the left looks really burned out.
13 Dec 2006 12:50pm
@Ryan Yam: Hey Ryan, thanks man. Do you use gradient map layers? They give you a lot of control over the conversion. If you've not tried it yet, give it a go.
Stu from Kyoto, Japan
the guy on the left makes this for me. he looks totally F.U.B.A.R.!!! :D
nice one mate..
13 Dec 2006 1:06pm
@Stu: Cheers stu. I'll be seeing you soon.
@Ali-G: Thanks Ali-G!
Colour blind from Tokyo, Japan
You've managed to show the before and after effects of these two and their generation gaps...the one on the left shows stress and the one on the right shows a calmness that has come from probably years of stress judging from the lines on his face.
THe advice you gave Darren on darkening the shadows on B&W was passed onto me and I can see how you use this trick to great effect. Great emotion in this picture as usual. I look forward to the up and coming projects...maybe I'll be able to catch them when I'm in Oz.
Merry Christmas mate and have a safe New Year with your Family!!
13 Dec 2006 1:52pm
@Colour blind: Hey Kelly. Hope you enjoy Oz and you dont forget your camera! Looking forward to the shots yoiu're gonna come bcak with, and I hear you've forwarded posted for a month! Crikey...Now that's what I call bein prepared. Have a good one!
Daniel from United States
This shot demonstrates how just about everyone uses public transportation in Japan. Nice shot.
13 Dec 2006 2:14pm
@Daniel: Thanks Daniel.
@Fallenargo: Thanks Fallenargo!
@Angry Buddha: Thanks Sean. Much appreciated.
Darren from Japan
With you on that Duncan. Feedback keeps us motivated. I always get pumped when I get good comments and learn something new when I get some contsructive criticism. As far as this photo goes mate really good but maybe cropping his lower hand out of the image would make this better. Daz
13 Dec 2006 3:05pm
@Darren: Hey Darren. Yeah the crop would indeed have been a better choice here. I'm with ya there. Wish I could upload over the top of this with any corrections made without losing the comments. Jason...if you're reading...any chance in future?
Damon Schreiber from Toronto, Canada
Cheers, Duncan! This shows once again why you're the master of the train shot!
13 Dec 2006 4:32pm
@Damon Schreiber: Thanks Damon! I am however, at mercy to whatever it gives me! Thank you again for the homage Damon. It really did knock me for 6 in the best possible way. The entire series was an inspired concept and I'd love for you to do it again with other community members. Maybe a yearly/bi-yearly 'event'? Anyway, please give it some consideration as I loved the series, and that 2nd post was the greatest compliment I've ever recieved. Thank you again.
Martine Lapointe from Québec, Canada
Wow! Nice shot! How do you do to take pictures of the peoples? Are they angry about you? The society is too sensitive about everythings now... Maybe the photoblogs will be next "raw materials" for the antrhopologists?
13 Dec 2006 5:47pm
@Martine Lapointe: Hey Martine! Noones been angry yet, as far as I can see...I do however have a few techniques I employ to avoid detection. 1- a flippable screen, 2- an object which will take the attention away from the camera, yet is situated usually on top of the camera, such as an Mp3 player/ PSP for example. That way I can check the compostion and fire off a shot under the guise of messing around with the Mp3 track list etc. Hope that makes sense.
@badala: Thanks badala! Yes they certainly did seem rather knackered!
Jenny from Manchester, United Kingdom
Reminds me very much of my London trip - we vowed to take the tube every day (ok, so we were only there for two days) and I used to see business men reading papers, whilst listening to their iPods (which I thought was particulary funny) whilst others chose the option of taking a quick nap.
I really like this photo though, the BW rounds it all up.
13 Dec 2006 8:26pm
@Jenny: Hey Jenny! Over here its very similar to how you described London. Old salarymen with ipods/PSPs/Gameboys are quite the norm.
Mammoth In Chief from Naperville, United States
Great expressions... I like your train series - the photography captures life, you can see just how real the people in it are...
13 Dec 2006 9:49pm
@Mammoth In Chief: Thanks Mammoth! Much appreciated!
Addey from London, United Kingdom
Stunning image. Love the mood. I feel as though I'm stuck on the train with em, bored and anxious to get home...
Well done on choosing B&W!
13 Dec 2006 10:25pm
@Addey: Thanks Addey! They certainly aren't full of zip are they.
Michael Zhang from New York City, United States
This is the magic of candid photography. We, as viewers are able to connect with the expressions on these train riders' faces because they are so real.
14 Dec 2006 12:39am
@Michael Zhang: Thanks Michael. Your comment is very welcome. We should do a combined series mate..I imagine the New York subway has it's share of scenes/customers!
Moe from New York City, United States
i love the mood of this picture. very nice!
14 Dec 2006 1:50am
@Moe: Thanks a lot Moe!
Sarah from Gainesville, United States
The shadowing makes this picture for me.... great capture of the true atmosphere!
14 Dec 2006 2:15am
@Sarah: Thanks Sarah! I had to play around in curves and with contrast a little as the lighting in these things isnt usually that good as you'd imagine. I tried to get the lighting to match my memory (as oppossed to my cameras).
H.O from Victoria, Canada
Wow,Great shot Duncan. I don't know why... Just normal this scene as for me but when you take that scene then going special image.
Nice Work !!
14 Dec 2006 2:24am
@H.O: Thanks again H.O. Youre visit is always welcome obviously!
Lynne from Atlanta, United States
The guy on the left makes the picture. I agree with everyone else - the choice to go with BW was a good. Looks great!
14 Dec 2006 3:59am
@Lynne: Hey Lynne. Thanks very much! I like the guy on the left too! I managed to get about 15 shots of these guys, some with him as the sole subject and toyed with the idea of posting him alone. He's certainly got some expression.
Dileep from Toronto, Canada
Duncan, another great candid. Your shots are quite interesting.
14 Dec 2006 4:04am
@Dileep: Thanks Dileep. I'm a little dependent on my subjects though!
H.O from Victoria, Canada
I had not enough explain previous my comment just ago... :-o
"Just normal scene" because I'm Japanese :)
But this shot is really nice find and your good eyes :-)
14 Dec 2006 5:43am
@H.O: ;-) Hey H.O..dont worry man, your comment was a fine comment and didnt need explaining..I got it right away
! Thanks though for posting again mate!
Still from VALENCE, France
This one is superb... Yesterday in Paris, just the same scene... I like it a lot!
14 Dec 2006 12:53pm
@Still: Thanks so much Still!
@Prashanth: zzzzzz;-o...thanks prasanth!
Jay from Montreal, Canada
Ha! I've gotta try your PSP-on-top-of-the-camera trick for candids like this! As Martine Lapointe mentioned, it's tough to get nice shots of total strangers, least here in Quebec, people are all up-in-arms about it. I love this photo, I truly do.
24 Dec 2006 5:10pm
@Jay: Thanks Jay. Good luck with the PSP trickery!
Fujifilm FinePix S9000
1/15 second
F/2.8
ISO 400
7 mm