Mobile Photography StreetWise Eighth Challenge Results ‘People Working on the Street’

Ile’s beautiful photograph depicts a single cellist performing in the street. It is a wonderfully composed photo that brings our 8^th StreetWise theme, ‘People Working in the Street’ elegantly to life.

The lone central figure is a street performer. The poignancy evoked from this scene stems from the fact that he is solitary and the plaintive call grows louder upon taking in the grandeur of the architecture in which the cellist is surrounded. The many massive columns and the large classical door behind the man and the neat, cobbled stone of the floor all contribute to a sense of the magnificence. That, and the large scale of the building, let us consider how humans occupy public spaces  in this case, quite a grand one. The classic majesty of this urban environment set against the humanity which resides and works in it also gives rise to the viewer’s imagination. The soft light, (perhaps the result of an overcast day), provides additional storytelling elements. Also, that this solitary street player has no audience that can be detected and that his donations basket seems somewhat bereft. Taken all together these components furnish a lovely play upon our fancy. One can just imagine a modern Dickensian tale set against the backdrop of a magnificent, elegant, yet sometimes, lonely city.

Excellent storytelling, Ile!

Paula’s photograph has captured our 8^th StreetWise theme, ‘People Working in the Street’ to perfection. The viewer is immediately drawn in by the strong composition. The main subject, the stall, the man in it selling clothing, and the single customer are all precisely front and center.

The stall, small in structure (and rather cute for it), is lit up from the inside illustrating the dearth of items for sale within. This is a smile producing element along with the seller’s stance. He is leaning casually with arm on hip, caught in mid-sentence — he seems a real character. Also funny, is the name of the stall: Chez Jef & Fils. All this provides the viewer with an array of amusing questions. What exactly is this man selling in this miniature booth? Is he Chez Jef? What sort of conversation is taking place between the two men? While we contemplate the answers our eyes are further drawn toward the night scene in the background. How the lights move and dance into the distance highlighting the forms of the architecture such as the many windows. The lines of these windows serve to frame the little stall emphasising its central placement, and the single wheel perfectly positions the viewer there as well. We are standing smack dab in the middle with smiles elicited from this fun and lively scene.

Well seen and composed Paula!

Paul’s photo is nothing short of delightful and a truly imaginative take on our StreetWise challenge. There is a surreal cinematic quality to the cascading cornucopia of fruit that appear larger than life from the clever perspective Paul has taken. What a gorgeous composition that almost looks like a masterful still-life with the black backdrop highlighting the deep colors of plums, peaches, bananas, and melons.

However, the beauty of this photograph is accentuated by the fact that it is not a still-life at all. As we see the hands holding the plastic wrapped half of a melon and are able to detect just a small glimpse of a person’s profile – a nose, cheek and lips.

The magic of street photography is so well illustrated here as the photo had to be captured in an instant – an instant never to be repeated.

Well seen and captured, Paul!

Daniel’s photo is a wonderful juxtaposition to Paul’s image above as they both highlight hands as the main part of the human form that we can see and another imaginative perspective on our 8^th StreetWise challenge, ‘People Working in the Street.’

Daniel’s use of beautiful monochromatic colors in his photo provides a very personal and distinctive signature.

This night scene takes on a ‘Noir’ quality full of mystery with the light from the cart highlighting the popcorn sign, a barely visible profile and the subtle creases of a long sleeved shirt and jeans. It is a great example of how not much detail in a street photo can create a sense of mystery and intrigue and draw the viewer in.

The columnar composition is accentuated by the light in the upper left corner highlighting the cascading monotone popcorn (as opposed to the richly coloured fruit in Paul’s image).

A great image so well captured, Daniel!

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