Streets Ahead – Thirteenth Edition

“Untitled” by Grace Brignolle – Flickr link

I think this image is beautiful on many levels. Grace clearly saw a beautiful composition of lines and tones when she paused to take this photograph. But all compositional elements aside, what I find most attractive are the people. I love that this is an elderly couple, sitting and having coffee together. She looks as though she’s reading something… while he seems a bit perplexed and curious. Her body posture is so confident and nicely composed, while he is sitting casually, with knees apart and his back hunched. But the perfect punctuation to this visual is the man’s walking cane… it’s probably resting on a window sill, however, at first glance we get the impression that he just left it carelessly on the ground where anyone passing by would trip over it. They are truly a delightful looking couple… and, personally, I’d love nothing more than to pull up a chair and enjoy a cup of coffee with them.

“Open” by Jeanette Vazquez – Flickr link

I think Jeanette really framed this image beautifully… and her processing choice of black and white adds a real depth to this photograph. The stark contrast of black and white keeps our eyes focused on the young girl, while at the same time we can allow ourselves to navigate the entire surface… slowly and deliberately. There is something very special in that the girl made eye contact with Jeanette as she took this picture… it makes us, the viewer, feel more “connected” to her. But what I find myself repeatedly coming back to is the small lock on the door (next to the “Open” sign.) For me, this one little lock tells the whole story….

“Amsterdam Reflections” by Donna Donato – Flickr link

Donna is a true artist when it comes to photographing pictures with the Hipstamatic app… and here is one where she is sharing with us a reflection of a window display…. very clearly (and beautifully) captured! This image, for me, has a wonderful story in it. I feel as though this mannequin is portraying a person at a fashionable dinner party, who is quietly observing the daily life of simple, ordinary people out on the city streets. This has such a ethereal feel to it… and the same time, we know that Donna saw it, aimed her mobile camera, and snapped the moment. Very nice!

“Untitled” by Louise Fryer – Flickr link

The shapes, lines and balanced tones in this photograph are fantastic! ( And we can even smell the freshness in the air from the puddles in the sidewalk.) But what really makes this image dynamic for me, is the fact that Louise clearly paused and got down on her knees to take this photograph, indicating that she thoughtfully composed this image through her viewfinder. I really appreciate how she has encouraged us to shift our perspectives… ever so slightly… so we can visually appreciate the beautiful shapes, tones and textures that we normally would pass by, unnoticed.

“Ô Village 1” by Candice Ayoub Chidiac – Flickr link

I happen to really love these kind of images. Seeing that Candice lives in Lebanon, I’m assuming that that she is sharing with us a typical morning activity in her town or village. The blur in this photograph gives us the sense of this woman’s quick and frantic sweeping… i’s almost as though we can hear the bristles scratch across the street pavement. This is just a wonderful candid capture of a passing moment in time…