bluechameleon
homeless, at st. andrew's wesley
Posted by bluechameleon (Vancouver, Canada) on 28 December 2008 in Documentary & Street.
"Maybe I am falling down
Tell me should I touch the ground
Maybe I won't make a sound
In the darkness all around"
Enya || Amid The Falling Snow
All Rights Reserved © Sharon Wish
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EYES WIDE SHUT from A corner of Utopia, United Kingdom
Moody and atmospheric. Feels as though I have been travelling weak and hungry to this spot, where my eyes scrabble for clarity of vision through the cold snowstorm.
A wonderful ambience, and a very fine shot
28 Dec 2008 5:20am
Jean-François from Les Issambres, France
ppppfiouuuuuuuuu du grand art !!!!!!!! ;)))
28 Dec 2008 5:23am
Laurie from New Jersey, United States
Superb image. I just love the mood here. Gorgeous!
28 Dec 2008 5:40am
Elaine- from Canada
oooooh, how on earth do you get that slight out of focus action, it's so beautiful, love the red umbrella!!!
28 Dec 2008 6:10am
@Elaine-: Thanks Elaine. I purposely shot this out of focus to bring out the falling snow, then increased the contrast and added grain. That made everything dark and gritty as I intended.
Michael Rawluk from Williams Lake, BC, Canada
The colour is exquisite. I love this.
28 Dec 2008 6:22am
Marcah from Quincy, United States
Excellent grounding image. The mauve is so perfect in this image.
28 Dec 2008 6:37am
613photo from Dallas, United States
I gotta disagree about the selective color, but that's just my opinion. It's a very strong image suggesting cold isolation, a want for home or warmth...I don't think it needed the pizazz. But again that's just my opinion.
28 Dec 2008 6:54am
@613photo: Thank you :)
I have not done any selective colouring though. I think had she been carrying a black umbrella the image would have looked completely black and white. A stone church, white snow, a man under a cream coloured blanket and a single light at the top of the frame. Increasing the contrast made it darker as I wanted, but I did nothing to enhance the colour of the umbrella :)
yiannis krikis from thessaloniki, Greece
great moody imege - I like that is blur and the color selection
28 Dec 2008 8:50am
RHYS from United Kingdom
superb! its got an old Super 8 film feel - which I adore.
28 Dec 2008 8:57am
@RHYS: Thanks RHYS! Yes, that was my intension. Increasing the contrast and adding grain helped to bring out the heavy snow that was falling. Also purposely shooting slightly out of focus, to get that "older" feel.
k@ from France
Always so much feelings in your pictures, dear Sharon... This strawberry umbrella is so touching under the snow and the blur seems due to tears... Love the texts, quotes, poems, songs you offer to us too - thanks for all those precious gifts and have a sweet sunday*
28 Dec 2008 9:06am
Vink from Grasse - French riviera, France
Très jolie cette silhouette que l'on devine bravant les intempéries. Beaucoup de poèsie dans ce cliché !
28 Dec 2008 9:25am
Anna.C from LA ROCHELLE, France
great atmosphere in this picture ! very poetic, I like this only touch of colour on the umbrella !
28 Dec 2008 10:13am
dobbino from Cape Town, South Africa
Looks real mean out there - not the place to be when you're homeless!
28 Dec 2008 10:27am
@dobbino: Thanks Rob. Yes, it's mean out there in comparison to what we normally have. People still on the streets though, sleeping under whatever they can find for shelter. Thankfully most have found their way into shelters...
Cheryl from Texas, United States
great street image. I love the spot of color on the umbrella. I wouldn't have noticed the homeless man. poor soul, looks so cold
28 Dec 2008 2:39pm
@Cheryl: Thanks Cheryl! I agree, it's terribly sad that some people have no choice but to live on he streets, regardless of many circumstances and weather conditions...the reason for my title being as it is.
JJ from Jersey City, United States
wonderful capture of the snowy day, like how you have used the focus and added the grain to give this such a wonderful mood
28 Dec 2008 3:01pm
Virgil from Richmond, United States
Interesting contrast between the homeless person and the person with the umbella.
28 Dec 2008 3:04pm
Ronnie 2¢ from London, United Kingdom
Powerful shot with plenty to think about as we sit overfed and warmed . .
28 Dec 2008 3:22pm
john4jack from Corvallis, United States
Beautiful winter shot. The umbrella is a very nice touch.
28 Dec 2008 3:23pm
yz from Budapest, Hungary
I like the purple of the umbrella and the general softness of the image. Great winter mood.
28 Dec 2008 3:34pm
Viewfinder from Bradenton, United States
How often do we pass by the homeless and needy without noticing? "Master, when did we see you hungry and thirsty, when did we not visit you when you were sick or in prison...?" Words like these and images like yours will come back to haunt us one day.
28 Dec 2008 3:53pm
daina from United States
You created a very palpable mood and the visible snowflakes add to the mood as well as design.
28 Dec 2008 4:01pm
Pixim from Nice, France
A splendid presentation and shot which plunges us in the heavy environment of snow which falls. The small key of color is quite present and gives the sufficient hope that a way is always possible towards a more accessible home Bravo ;)
28 Dec 2008 4:09pm
hugo poon from hong kong, Hong Kong
Cold, miserable and sad, yet so "beautifully" poetic... your work is always sentimental and charming!
28 Dec 2008 4:40pm
bruno from Sweden
i think its lovely. red umbrella give a nice touch to the entire image.lovely done!
28 Dec 2008 4:45pm
Margie from Auckland, New Zealand
Hugo said it really well, very beautiful and atmospheric shot with lots of emotional impact. Nice work!
28 Dec 2008 6:19pm
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
Fantastic winter photo, and I love the wine-coloured umbrella, the colour selection adds so much to this story, bravo Blue :)
28 Dec 2008 6:20pm
Ivar from Indianapolis, United States
Awesome old times feel to this picture, really like the way you have focused on the snow to make the image a bit more dark and moody. Very cool.
28 Dec 2008 10:29pm
timothy from Tokyo, Japan
moody indeed--like the pinhole effect you've achieved, and the vignetting
29 Dec 2008 1:23am
sherri from Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Always sorry for the homeless in extreme weather. Your capture is superb.
29 Dec 2008 2:38am
Andrew from North Carolina, United States
A cold steady snow…. the cold wind makes my eyes water….beautiful image.
29 Dec 2008 2:41am
Brian S. Chen Photography from United States
Its blurry abut its works well! the OOF is just fantastic with that weather.
29 Dec 2008 3:57am
John Maslowski from Dallas, PA, United States
Great composition, you certainly captured the mood here. This is a very moving and powerful image. I don't understand how we as human beings can leave someone lying in the cold on the steps of a church. Something is wrong.
29 Dec 2008 4:22am
m a r t a from Spain
This is just beautiful, I love the little note of color from the umbrella, the snow falling, the blurriness...just everything. A beautiful moody shot.
29 Dec 2008 10:42am
Polydactyle from Montréal, Canada
Beautiful partial desaturation. Nice winter shot.
29 Dec 2008 7:16pm
Suzanne from Huntington Bch, United States
WOW...absolutely outstanding. It's a terrific decisive moment to begin with and your processing creates a masterpiece.
30 Dec 2008 1:13am
Riccardo from - Giovinazzo -, Italy
Bellissima Sharon! Une photographie qui me fais voyager dans le temps...je ne sais pourquoi mais en la regardant je preuve cette émotion. Riccardo.
30 Dec 2008 4:19pm
Nataly from Santa Monica, United States
I love the snow flakes falling so peacefully. Feels like looking through a vale. And the touch of color adds it`s charm to the image. Not too much... just enough.
30 Dec 2008 5:04pm
dj.tigersprout from San Bruno, CA, United States
superb!! i love the soft story this tells -- long city blocks and snow covered quiet... icy breath and clenched fingers in gloves in pockets... slippery ice on corners, large gentle flakes, slowly drifting, and the crunch of snow under boots... i hope it has warmed up for you guys in BC? has it? it is amazingly warm here now -- unheard of!! :)
21 Jan 2009 5:39am
Canon PowerShot A640
1/25 second
F/4.1
30 mm
church
colour
woman
grain
umbrella
bluechameleon
snow-storm
homeless-man