Mobile Photography – StreetWise Showcase – January 2017

Myrna’s quirky and charming photo is a wonderful example of timeless storytelling reminiscent of a street photo from decades ago – such as Helen Levitt’s images of children in the streets of New York in the 1930s and 40s.

The composition of the photo, taken from a distance, shows a series of nine horizontal rows – including lines of windows, the shimmering silver fence and sunlit sidewalk. The white blinds along the upper row balance so beautifully the sunlit sidewalk below creating a perfect frame.

The small figure, highlighted white sign and sunlight touching the upper right corner create a beautiful line for the viewer to gaze upon.

And then that child – hanging from the top of a fence, his feet seemingly dangling at a height higher than his own… with that bright green t-shirt that draws the viewer’s eye directly to him, wearing shorts, bare legs and black high-topped basket ball shoes, toes pointing outward toward the world.

What makes this such a great storytelling image is that it inspires the viewer to ask questions: Where is this? What sort of building is it? Is the child by himself? Where are his friends? Caretakers? What is he looking at? Trying to do? Was it a ball he was trying to retrieve? A cat?

Well seen and beautifully captured, Myrna!

Andrew’s photo is a heartwarming capture, not only in it’s subject matter but because it also literally seems to glow with the warmth of the winter sunshine. The photo captures three lively characters sitting in a row, and is a wonderful example of what we look for in the streets. All the men are dressed similarly  a uniform camaraderie, if you will — in black shoes, pants and jackets, all are wearing hats, and appear to be ‘kibitzing’ with one another.

It also appears to have been taken at the end of a day or late afternoon with the angle of the shadows and the eyes peeking out from them created by the hats.

It is a beautiful color capture with brown monotones where the patterns of the the bricks frame the door and the two men on the right of the photo quite beautifully, while the column on the left frames the third man. To top it off, the plaid hat of the man in the center mirrors the pattern in the bricks.

Fabulous moment, Andrew!

Tim’s street portrait of a woman is wonderful, not just because the subject herself is lovely, but because of the wonderful glimpse the viewer is provided by the up-close-and-personal angle.

The viewer is right there, intimately so. As if one has simply stopped mid-track while passing by this kind-faced person. And, she is a show-stopper, her look at once inquisitive and sweet, is arresting, too. Her doe-like eyes initially draw one in to see the rest of the details in this marvellous shot. From her nicely coiffed and highlighted hair, the details of her wool coat down to the stitching and single button, to her cashmere sweater and pearls just peeking out suggesting this woman is quite attentive to style. The backdrop is a sandstone railing with a row of ornamental, white painted balustrade which suggests the beautiful subject is perched upon a balcony, bridge, or terrace perhaps from architecture of the Georgian era, which is as elegant as she is. All-in-all, this photograph proves delightful to the eye the moment one’s eye meets hers.

Well captured, Tim!

Isabelle’s photograph is an immutable one, evocative of another era. The main subject, while walking away is rendered timeless by the elegance of his hat and the sweep of his long coat, which catches the light from above then falls gracefully into shadow. The wonderful texture of the brick which fades into the distance along with the line of the edge of the platform, all move along in the direction the main subject is moving. That everything in this image appears to be disappearing into the horizon suggests a particular feeling that life can be as fleeting as it is enduring.

Wonderful image, Isabelle

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