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Homeless, Wheelchair Bound, Long Term Unemployed : Colin IS The BIG ISSUE
Homeless, Wheelchair Bound, Long Term Unemployed : Colin IS The BIG ISSUE
hotpasta


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Poverty II (Basic Editing)
Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
Location: Swanston Street, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Oct 22, 2008
Aperture: F5.6
ISO: 500
Shutter: 1/30 Handheld
Galleries: Emotive, Photojournalism
Date Uploaded: Oct 21, 2008

THE IMAGE: This is one of our great BIG ISSUE guys in Swanston Street in the City of Melbourne. He is wheel chair bound, has speech challenges and his hands are withered. I got the courage to ask if I could take his picture for a few bucks and he kindly obliged while chugging on his cigarette. He couldn't speak, but he gave me about 10 great shots and thanked me by waving his curled up hand.

I wanted to do a proper portrait of a BIG ISSUE person for this challenge, so I am happy with this shot.

I used a 50mm 1.8 Nikon lens which is great for detail, but I was shooting into the light.

THE EDIT: USM, Levels, desat, contrast, curves, resize, smart sharpen...nothing much else. I have a black and white version, so I am still making up my mind...

THE PREDICTION: Some won't like the title, other will love the smoke - if they can tell what it is. Still others will think it doesn't depict poverty...not sure: 6.2126?



Statistics
Place: 12 out of 98
Avg (all users): 6.1942
Avg (commenters): 7.4545
Avg (participants): 5.9688
Avg (non-participants): 6.2356
Views since voting: 1448
Views during voting: 384
Votes: 206
Comments: 16
Favorites: 2 (view)


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AuthorThread
10/31/2008 08:57:12 AM
Just to add, I want a 50mm 1.8 lens so bad, or 'portrait' lense for that matter... shots like this inspire me to shoot humans (w/ a camera, of course :P)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/31/2008 08:55:08 AM
The light, the composition, the smoke... all brilliant in my opinion. This shot is painfully underrated, but I suspect it is due to the actual image's somewhat tenuous link to the concept of poverty (he doesn't look poor off the bat). I'm sure if this was zoomed out people would see it more clearly, but the photo as it stands is a fave.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/29/2008 12:12:11 AM
What a fantastic portrait. Such true essence of man captured here.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
10/28/2008 09:09:42 AM
terrific portrait
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/28/2008 09:09:41 AM
This picture is a great close up portrait for his face. In your description you mention he is Wheelchair bound. I would have liked to see the wheelchair and a longer picture and some type of backround. Something to show his disabliity. I like the lighting and compostition of his face. You can see some glimps into his characture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 08:56:33 PM
This works! I think clear, tight images of peoples faces can have a strong impact.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 01:21:48 PM
I expect to see this one in the first page of results.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/24/2008 05:14:09 PM
such clarity in this, very nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/23/2008 11:38:34 PM
I just have a feeling that this one is Millsa's, so I won't vote, but I really like this. Pity that the non-Aussies won't understand what The Big Issue is, and what it means to this guy.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/23/2008 07:41:11 AM
Great portrait and framing...A lot of spark in this man's eyes...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 11:53:13 PM
show us whats in the title in your photo. otherwise this doesnt meet the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 10:44:41 PM
The hat really ties this one together. I also like the quality of light and the cigarette smoke.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 08:37:28 AM
Great shot. Eyes draw me in, looks like a real person and not staged. Mood and lighting accentuate the subject. And the smile adds a poignancy to the composition.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 05:51:44 AM
Superb portrait study and it certainly tells the story.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 12:22:55 AM
He looks like many college professors I knew. The breath/cigarette smoke and nice glasses don't convey poor either. Perhaps including more of his situation would help.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 12:15:08 AM
nice portrait
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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