Have a great weekend.
Protacio Serna
www.pserna.com #192010

#941513

Most of the time people think about the "via crucis" of the man who carries his merchandise trough a muddy street. It takes time but they eventually find the arms of the crucified and then it is a different story.

Piotr, wow....thanks for your message.

Leanne...I love single word comments. They say a lot. Thanks.

Denys...I got you on Superbe, J'adore, couleurs, composition, but that Bravo was great. Thanks

Hola Oscar. Soy del norte, vivo en Reynosa, Tamaulipas y hago la fotografia como un pasatiempo solamente. Gracias por tu comentario, viniendo de un profesional es todo un logro.

Gracias a todos.
Sinceramente
Protacio Serna
www.pserna.com #942617

V/R
Rhina #943262

I'm glad you liked it.

Regards
PSerna
www.pserna.com #944334

Keep up the good work.

BF
www.sportsshooter.com/aavspj #944429

Thanks Bob. #944484

P.S. Make sure that curb is parallel with the bottom of the picture. Nothing turns me off to a picture than lines that don't line up. #950740

Hold me back.

BF #950745

That was not too bad.

BF #950764

OK, Brian. Thanks for your suggestions. Now let me tell you my story about this picture.

There is a reason why the shadows of the light poles are there. Let me rephrase that: those shadows are the reason why I took the picture in the first place. Not the weird guy neither the brooms. He and his cargo just happen to be a decoy, you know. Something that calls the attention in the image makes people think it is his Calvary what I am showing, but it is not.

Those shadows projected on the wall, resemble the crosses that over 2000 years ago…well…we all know that part of history…don’t we?

About colours I don’t feel it is a problem. It is not a portrait where skin colour is important; it was taken around sunset so I am allowed to have those warm colours in the picture.

About the curb not parallel with the frame that is caused by perspective.

Look at the upper near horizontal line in the wall. Now look at the middle line where orange meets the light upper colour. Now look at the curb.

See the difference?

The upper line goes about half a degree up, the middle is horizontal and the curb goes about a fraction of grade down. It is perspective. Jus that.

Need all the lines straight? Why? If you cannot see the reason for this picture, why do you need the lines straight? Is that the most important part of the image?

If anything needs to be removed is the metallic object in the wall, but is that really distracting? I mean…more distracting than the shadows of the lamp poles?

Thanks again.
Protacio Serna
www.pserna.com #951168

The picture:

As far as not understanding the "light poles" standing for the cross of christ. Wow thats a far out reach! And what does a broom sales man have to do with Christ? Maybe you could make that connection if you had a nun or a priest in his place.

If you want to make those light poles mean something, make them look more like crosses. (but without the religous element, it would still be out of place.)

Right now you have an ok image with great horizontal lines, with a subject of great interest. The light poles (thats what they are light poles) are a vertical distraction from your subject. I keep looking at them and light poles are not that interesting. I do love the colors the sunset gives, but I would still punch up the greens.
(This is a photoshop post clean up. Because if you had used a strobe balance for 5500 on your broom guy, The colors in him would have jumped off the slides. But because of the powers of photoshop you can correct this.) Green is a great cool color to contrast with the warm yellows and oranges.

As far as your lines not being straight. I bet they would have been if you had shot this with a larger format or had a lense with prospect control. That is not a natural. A building is not smaller at the top, it only photographs that way.

(Don't get trapped in the idea that you can change or manipulate your photographs to help express your artistic ideas. Its done everyday with artists and photojournalist. (I was a photojournalist for a newspaper for 3 years. I would use other techinques to manipulate my photographs, most of it was before the actual shot was taken. Waiting for the right moment or the right light before I took a shot, so I would catch the subject in the postion or mood that I wanted them to be in. Or as simple as the lighting. I would place my subject in the lighting that would tell the story (mine or his). Light could turn the feeling of the shot from one feeling to another.) Now I do commerical photography and I am paid big bucks to create images that arn't really found in nature but we create images that remind people of beautfil places or things. We send the message that my clients want to say.

But hey its your photo, and my opinion. #952133

Human condition is the positive and negative aspects of existence as a human being, esp. the inevitable events such as birth, childhood, adolescence, love, sex, reproduction, aging, and death

Where is that in the photograph? How does light poles suggest the events of human condition. The only thing in this photo that suggest human condition would be the broom sales man. He is the only element in this photo with life experience. And from this photo we can spectulate what he has been through. (I am just trying to help him bring that out in the photograph)

Piotro thanks for the help! tots!
#952178

I couldn’t find a nun or a priest to place near the light poles, and when it comes to street scenes, I don’t do that. I rather take an OK picture then.

Not all the people who witnessed the crucifixion where nuns or priest. Many of them turned their back to that scene, and I hate to think about it but perhaps some where indifferent to the suffering of Jesus.

We don’t know for sure if a broom seller was around that place. (OK, ignore that…I was just wondering)

Those shadows looked like crosses to me. That’s why I took the picture. But I know they are not.

There is no need to bet on the large format, or lens with perspective control. We know what they are and what they do. But this is not a product shot, or an architectural shot, where perspective control is important.

But fortunately there is a way to fix that in Photoshop. That one is easy.

Here’s an interesting part in your message: “Waiting for the right moment or the right light before I took a shot, so I would catch the subject in the position or mood that I wanted them to be in.”

I did that Brian. I waited for the light, I waited for the guy to be in that position (anyone…in this case he showed up with brooms), going away from the light pole’s shadows. That was the scene I was expecting for. I wasn’t lucky enough to have some nuns around. That’s what I had, that is what I shoot. I waited a little more but the sun was moving fast.

Anyhow. Here’s the thing. The picture as you see it is what I was hoping for. I might have picked a wrong speech, I might have failed sending the message, but I had to try it. I won’t fix what I couldn’t get from the beginning.

Unfortunately there is no client involved in this shot. No bucks where involved either. Just my intention to capture an idea.

I have learned a lot from your comment Brian. I appreciate your lines and the time. That is what I expect from this place: opinions…and I liked you point of view.

Thanks for being around Piotr. I appreciate your input.

Regards
Protacio Serna
www.pserna.com #952205

Protacio, my comments have nothing to do with religion or what happened in that area 2000 years ago. This is a forum for photography not religion. I don't really understand some of the things you have said, so I am not sure how to respond to it. The only suggestion I have is, if you don't want negative feeback I wouldn't post the picture in the critque forum.

#952217

It is a picture, not a religious propaganda, just a picture. Don't get me wrong.

but what worries me is that you wrote that I don0t want negative feedback. I haven't said that. Here's what I wrote:

"I have learned a lot from your comment Brian. I appreciate your lines and the time. That is what I expect from this place: opinions…and I liked you point of view."

That is what I meant, nothing else.

Sincerely:
Protacio Serna
#952259

Saludos
Protacio #952631

To me, being Hispanic and knowing up close and personal how dedicated to our religion our culture is, this picture outside the photography world has meaning to me because in a way represents where I come from.

By reading your comments, bryan wouldn't know about that since his "ignorance" (for the lack of a better word) doesn't allow him to.

"It distracts me from that weird guy on a bike with tons of brooms." says in his first comment... Do you know how many people make a living like that in latin america? not just brooms, but bread, newspapers, candy...anything they can. I am a bit offended by that comment but anyways...I just needed to get that off my chest.

Now all the Photoshop talk...Protacio is a good photographer that has no need to manipulate his photos -- Since he plans his shots and knows what he wants to see through the lence of his camera, not after sitting down playing with photoshop.

But like Bob, I will hold on to the rest of my opinion on that matter.

That is all,
Rhina

#952891

That is all again #952906

Many on this site would probably prefer a perfect world where eveything lines up nice and neat and there is dew on every perfect flower and the sunsets are always the perfect shade of gold.

But guess what, you can't Photoshop stuff that is not on your computer.

Have a nice neat day anyway.

BF
www.sportsshooter.com/aavspj #952975

There--take that for what it is. And I use photoshop all the time. :-)

Karma #956446

See you.
PSerna #974933

Thanks for being around.
I like this image very much and it is an honor not just the finalist status, but the response I have received from all of you.

I printed this one the same day I made it. Now I’m considering framing it.

Thanks again.

Protacio Serna
http://www.pserna.com
#976823

Valio la pena en realidad.

¿Como vas con tu Gerbera?
Es curioso porque estoy por subir una galeria a mi pagina con una miniserie de una gerbera. Luego te aviso cuando este lista.

Hey Rhina...gracias, gracias gracias.

Protacio

#978432

:) #979914

BF #981655

We where talking of some pictures about flowers, Bob.

I'm trying to explore that field, but not satisfied with my results yet.

I’ll post something in a few days.

Protacio Serna
http://www.pserna.com #981663

Good luck and have fun shooting.

BF
www.sportsshooter.com/aavspj #981758

Tus fotos sí que llaman la atención, eh?!!!
Alejandra #982078

:) #982246