Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by GeneralE:
I'm wondering if a better "compromise" to the anonymity problem would be to crop the guy out entirely. Most DPC members have a stereotypical image of a homeless person they can use to mentally fill in the scene. It would save the awkwardness of cutting off his head, and, as you said, the subject is his home.

If you crop just at the rightmost corner of the big red bucket, you'll just have a bit of his sleeve and his right shoe in the image. It might also help compensate for the blur, by making it look like (if it isn't) a motion blur of the cart entering the frame from the right.

It's a great capture, worth continuing to work with.

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by HBunch:
*Critique Club*
The first thing that I noticed about this was that you cropped off his head. This to me showed a lot of respect and I appreciate the decision to do so. However, I do think that the shot itself would have been better if the head of the man were in the shot. We make tough decisions, and although it hurts the image, I think your decision was the best one that could be made regarding this.
The second thing I noticed was the focus. While the word "Mobile" is in good focus, the man and the cart are not. I think that had they been in focus a bit better, this would have been a very striking image.
It's good as it is, but the focus would have definately had some major impact.
The angle and framing/cropping is very important (disregarding the missing head, which I've already discussed). I think that you cropped this well to get the word mobile in there, and this is excellent. I also think that the crop to the right is good. Enough to get the man in the shot, and I dont think it needs any extra room over there.
You have put the man and cart to the right, and the words to the left, which I think balances out this photo nicely.
Great capture. once in a lifetime.
~Heather~

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by simkin:
Thanks for the comments, I cropped out his face because I wanted to maintain his anonymity and because the photo is of his home, not the person. Getting the word mobile in the background was pure luck, I was driving through downtown when I saw him and grabbed my camera to quickly take the picture, only when I checked it at home did I see my good fortune.

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by K-Rob:
The fact that the glass actually says "Mobile" is a great bonus. Cropping the person's face something interesting to the picture.

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by skief:
WOW, good capture, great match with the Mobile in the window. Love how you cropped his head out to leave it anonymous.

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by Imagineer:
Pricks your conscience and shows the persistence of human survival instinct. A good contextual shot with the oppulent promo material showing maximum contrast to the subject.

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by gemslinn:
If you live in Mobile, AL then this is a great shot...

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by briphoto:
The way I read the challenge is "Photograph the place YOU call home...". I hope you aren't really the homeless bum in the picture!

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by frisca:
very cool that the word "mobile" is also on the glass. Often these shots are thought of as exploitation, but homelessness is a reality none of us should ignore. Thank you for showing us this. There is an anonymity of this man with his head cut out of the shot.

Mobile Home
by simkin

Comment by MattW:
nice idea.. i don't think you should have cut the man's head off (unless he told you to)