uncertainty

[eikin]

A billboard in an old estate in Shanghai, filled to the corners with advertisements from
home-movers. The estate is gazetted for redevelopment into an upmarket entertainment
district like Xin Tian Di. There is a strange air of uncertainty in the estate, as the
residents will soon be required to move to new housing away from the city centre where
they are now.

This shot was taken last year on an urban study tour.i had only wanted to document the
billboard when i noticed this lethargic young child walking towards it from a distance. so i
waited for him to pass into my frame before pressing the shutter button.

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

hmm the young kid face is cut.. dunno whether is he lethargic from the pic...

 

[eikin]

hmm the young kid face is cut.. dunno whether is he lethargic from the pic...

i wanted his eyes to be in the frame more than anything else, the disturbed look in his eyes is priceless to me when i saw it.

 

[ortega]

wah your lens has got bad distortion

anyway i feel that a tighter crop would do the trick
and fill flash for lighter shadows

 

[denniskee]

uncertainty
may i know the purpose of including the kid? because i cant see uncertainty in his eyes.

what i see is "end block" upgrading as per in singapore, which some of my friend had been in the same situation, but there wasnt any air of uncertainty then, so i cant feel the mood in your photo.

the kid
also, as Del_CtrlnoAlt ahd mentioned, cant feel his lethargicness in the eyes.

may i know the purpose of shooting half face?

 

[eikin]

the kid is one of the residents directly affected by the urban renewal program. i sense uncertainties from his eyes, and so only wanted his eyes in the frame, and let the frame be overwhelmed by the 'economy' of this whole urban renewal. it's good news for some (business for home-movers) and uncertain future for the others (the residents)

 

[denniskee]

in singapore, dont think there is sense of uncertainty when selected for end-bolck, hence i cant feel it. guess photo appreciation is base on persernal experience?

 

[eikin]

in singapore, dont think there is sense of uncertainty when selected for end-bolck, hence i cant feel it. guess photo appreciation is base on persernal experience?

:think: yah probably so. urban renewal in China is not as simple as en-block redevelopment in Singapore, there're lots more social implications, complications and problems attached. this picture is directly related to this thread

 

[nutek]

When I saw the comments on this pic, it immediately brought back this image by James Nachtwey:

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/jn/slides/g43.html

The concept that you want to bring across is similar, but just the billboards (context) alone is not a very strong or convincing background as to why the boy is facing uncertainties.

The caption/description does help a little, but without it, I wouldn't have any clue why the boy would be facing uncertainties. Usually this type of pictures may go well if they are in a sequence/series, and followed by caption/text, but individually, there may not be enough impact on the viewer.

Cheers!

 

[eikin]

When I saw the comments on this pic, it immediately brought back this image by James Nachtwey:

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/jn/slides/g43.html

beautiful :thumbsup: thanks for sharing

The concept that you want to bring across is similar, but just the billboards (context) alone is not a very strong or convincing background as to why the boy is facing uncertainties.

The caption/description does help a little, but without it, I wouldn't have any clue why the boy would be facing uncertainties. Usually this type of pictures may go well if they are in a sequence/series, and followed by caption/text, but individually, there may not be enough impact on the viewer.
Cheers!

yes, i think you are right about the method of presentation of the picture.

 

[doug3fflux]

yah, barrel distortion on horizontal...
did you feel that priceless feeling of the look on the boys face? or just in his eyess....i think the composition of the picture taken up front is apt, but the boys eyes conveys more of an annoyed feeling to me..! as if he's irritated by something...or worse, uncomfortable in the presence of a photgr.
i feel the frame can include something more definite to portray the situation of the urban renewal intrusion.

my comments!
regards
doug

 

[eikin]

yah, barrel distortion on horizontal...
did you feel that priceless feeling of the look on the boys face? or just in his eyess....i think the composition of the picture taken up front is apt, but the boys eyes conveys more of an annoyed feeling to me..! as if he's irritated by something...or worse, uncomfortable in the presence of a photgr.
i feel the frame can include something more definite to portray the situation of the urban renewal intrusion.

my comments!
regards
doug

well, he didn't know what i was doing. i did not follow him around with my camera, he walked into my frame, i just wait for the moment to take the picture. i shot this with my CP4500, so there's nothing i can do about the technical aspect of distortion and such because there is no more space for me to move behind and zoom in. his worried eyes where already there when i saw him, that look is priceless to me as he shows the exact emotion of the residents (most others try to act positive about it and smile it off when i was there to interview them, though they were uncertain what they are in for)

 

[Kit]

Technicalities, are you sure this is barrel distortion or was this shot with a fisheye and cropped?

 

[eikin]

Technicalities, are you sure this is barrel distortion or was this shot with a fisheye and cropped?

this was shot with a CP4500 if you read the last reply, no i don't have a fisheye adapter for that camera. seriously the distortion wasn't on my list of concern when processing this shot, that's why i didn't correct it. if it is a distraction do state the reason why, thanks.

 

[doug3fflux]

heh heh. i believe most of us point out that there is barrel distortion only because it is one of the technical aspects of critique lah....not that it really does distract..
holistically, i feel that b n w gives the posters on the wall the informative aspect its wordings try to portray...and abt the priceless eyes, the eyes do give the audience something to ponder on...esp if he/she is not mandarin-educated!! =)

read ur profile. postmodern phenomenon? interesting. try neo-imperialism, culture jamming, WESTERNIZATION..

cheers!
doug

 

[eikin]

read ur profile. postmodern phenomenon? interesting. try neo-imperialism, culture jamming, WESTERNIZATION..

cheers!
doug

hmmm ... those are superficial facades of late capitalism

 

[doug3fflux]

of the three mentioned, i believe culture critique cannot be generalized as a superficial facade of late capitalism.

thats a little OOP for this thread anyway..

regards
doug

 

[eikin]

of the three mentioned, i believe culture critique cannot be generalized as a superficial facade of late capitalism.

thats a little OOP for this thread anyway..

regards
doug

:bsmilie: to a certain extent, i do agree with you ... maybe have been reading too much psychoanalysis and the 'political unconscious' ... lol ... and too much OT liao :sweat:

 

[doug3fflux]

:bsmilie: to a certain extent, i do agree with you ... maybe have been reading too much psychoanalysis and the 'political unconscious' ... lol ... and too much OT liao :sweat:

heh!

cheers
Doug