Helpful Posts Helpful Posts:  0
Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: 27 minutes of ageing

  1. #1

    27 minutes of ageing

    I'm not sure about this idea - your thoughts? I was in Swansea the other day having a half-hearted attempt at street-photography. It suddenly occured to me that not many people shoot the aged. So, I sat on a bench with a nice neutral backdrop (the side of Next store) and spent 27 minutes shooting anyone who walked past who looked 55+. I should point out that I'm 58.

    It took me 27 minutes for all of these people to walk by. Please do not make any personal comments about the subjects.

    They were all shot in RAW with a Canon 50D/24-105mm lens. I processed them all the same using a soft sepia profile pre-set that I created in Silver Efex Pro.

    Thoughts?

    Here are a few of them. The fill set is here on a slideshow... Ageing slideshow

    Ageing 5
    27 minutes of ageing

    Ageing 1
    27 minutes of ageing

    Ageing 6
    27 minutes of ageing

    Ageing 12
    27 minutes of ageing
    Last edited by carregwen; 17th October 2010 at 05:15 PM.

  2. #2
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Glenfarg, Scotland
    Posts
    21,402
    Real Name
    Just add 'MacKenzie'

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    Quote Originally Posted by carregwen View Post
    Thoughts?
    Brilliant idea. Us more mature people have much more 'lived-in' faces that all those young people, albeit most of the bits are now either sagging, bagging, or both!

    It's interesting that my thoughts about photographing people (if and when I ever get around to fulfilling the wish to start getting more people into my images), automatically default to thinking about older, rather than younger people.

    ps - Don't like the backdrop
    Last edited by Donald; 17th October 2010 at 05:47 PM.

  3. #3

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    I have some thoughts. I just don't know what they're worth; so, I'll throw them out.

    One of these photos on it's own is interesting - taken together - they become more and more moving (emotionally, I mean) to see their posture and frozen gait and to see them in an unguarded moment when they're not interacting with anyone (do you know what I mean?) Another thought is, in theater, one should always come on stage with their upstage foot (the foot farthest from the audience) so that one's first impression is open. I noticed that, in your first 3 photos, you took the photo with them leading out with their farthest foot, except for the last one. In that one, her closer foot is forward and it highlights the struggle that she seems to be having keeping that purse on her shoulder. I'm not saying anything is effective or not - I don't know - I just noticed these things. Oh, and, the lines on the building kept making me think of a suspect line-up. You know, I, almost wish that you had taken some of these one step before so that I could see their faces a little better but, maybe, that's the point - it's not about the faces but about their bodies in transit.

    I'm really interested to see what others have to say.

  4. #4
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Glenfarg, Scotland
    Posts
    21,402
    Real Name
    Just add 'MacKenzie'

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    Quote Originally Posted by Katy Noelle View Post
    I have some thoughts. I just don't know what they're worth;
    They're worth a fortune ... because what they reveal is someone who values and respects people, who cares about them, who does not see them as objects or units-of-production. And, oh dear, that is becoming such a valuable thing nowadays. So, keep thinking.

  5. #5

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    Rob

    I like these. They are documentary of a part of the community that is not often documented. What did you do wait until Marks and Spencer had a sale on or was it chucking out time at the Legion? That shopping trolley is full of meals for one and outsized bloomers. I disagree with donald about the backdrop. It puts the subjects in a prison like environment and lets face it thats how they must feel at times. Its all the more poignant when you think how these poor sods are likely to suffer this winter under our pound shop government.

    The only issue I personally have is the processing. I do not like sepia and I think it has the unfortunate effect of softening the images. I think these subjects sing out for strong grays and maybe even the introduction of a little film grain. Excellent wok as usual though.

    Steve

  6. #6
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Glenfarg, Scotland
    Posts
    21,402
    Real Name
    Just add 'MacKenzie'

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    Quote Originally Posted by Wirefox View Post
    I disagree with donald about the backdrop. It puts the subjects in a prison like environment and lets face it thats how they must feel at times.
    I take your point. I felt the horizontals and verticals interfered with full attention being thrown on the people. A plain wall would have been more effective, perhaps.

    But the point you go on to make is very relevant. God help the elderly and the vulnerable after our caring government gets torn into the public spending budget on Tuesday.

    Even before Tuesday's announcemnt, we have to find £42m over the next three years. If a politician tells you that the cuts don't equate to a major destruction of front-line public services and that the money can be found from efficiency savings, please hit them very hard.

    If you believe them or think that's a good idea, then you have my sympathy.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    South Devon, UK
    Posts
    14,523

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    A local photo gallery has a sign outside saying that 'Old People should be Shot' and they even offer to do it naked. I suppose that means the subjects not the photographer!

  8. #8
    Antonio Correia's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Setubal - Portugal
    Posts
    5,034
    Real Name
    António Correia

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    Yes, brilliant idea.
    It makes a sequence and I would like to see all the images in an only frame, if you see what I mean...

    I hope to be able to try something similar here one of these days. I hope not to forget
    By the way: I will be 62 in a couple of days: a Scorpion that's what I am.

    EDIT : Ah but there are more than just these ...

  9. #9
    wilgk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Victoria Australia
    Posts
    2,634
    Real Name
    Kay

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    I really like the splodges of grime visible on the background wall - gives more emotion to me somehow, so gald you took the people with those in frame, rather then by a pristine part of wall..
    Also no couples - I'm sure some older couples passed you by, but again so much more poignant that each 1 is alone..

  10. #10

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    Thanks for the comments so far. I deliberately chose a very drab backdrop as I didn't want any distractions. I was also constrained by what was available. I needed somewhere where a reasonable number of single people would walk by, and I didn't want any clutter in the shots. The processing is deliberately drab - I thought the sepia would associate ageing in most viewers minds.

    While I was shooting these (on a bench) a guy (over 50) sat next to me and started telling me his medical history and how he is having his benefits reduced in the new economic austerity!

  11. #11
    Letrow's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Haarlem, Netherlands
    Posts
    1,682
    Real Name
    Peter

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    I like the idea of this very much. The background fits into that as well. A uniform environment against which these people are portrayed. What struck me most about them (and that is what I like as well) is the different postures. You see people that are struggling with their health and others that still have a spring in their step.
    One of them would have made a nice subject, but all of them together add a certain value to the subject I feel.

  12. #12

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    le Mans France
    Posts
    367
    Real Name
    Thierry

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    Interesting serie of street pictures

  13. #13
    arith's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Burton on Trent, UK
    Posts
    4,788
    Real Name
    Steve

    Re: 27 minutes of ageing

    It is the girl that keeps you young; when I was 45 I was young and had attitude because I was a nightclub hard house dancer, and knew hundreds of girls. Not bad going for somebody without money, in fact that is the reason why people with money look young.

    I'm a bit old now though because I let people grind me down after I was in hospital, I will have to get back to normal.

    I wonder what the old people look like outside a top fashion shop.
    Last edited by Colin Southern; 19th October 2010 at 06:28 PM. Reason: Too much information!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •