You can acknowledge me you know!

[mugge]

When I saw the gentleman I new his isolation. My brain and my feelings accessed the image instantly. It saddens me that people do not grasp that a crowd of people walking down a street is communicating 'collective contentment.' It appears that many people can not see an individual standing apart in that crowd.

When I look at an artwork I care little for its technical merits. I just look and if I come back to it that means it has stirred something in me.
Cheers Ole

[Manfred M]

When I saw the gentleman I new his isolation. My brain and my feelings accessed the image instantly. It saddens me that people do not grasp that a crowd of people walking down a street is communicating 'collective contentment.' It appears that many people can not see an individual standing apart in that crowd.

The fact that you were there and saw this happening has had a significant impact on you as a person. The people that view your image were not there and rely on you as the photographer to tell that story effectively. In my view. for a number of reasons, including your technical approach to the image, and the way that the material in the image is organized does not portray the circumstances of your subject in the way you had planned to.

This is a problem all photographers face. We have an emotional connection with our image because we were there. The viewers rely on what the photographer shows them, rather than all of the sights, sounds and smells that the photographer dealt with when the image was captured. Unless the photographer finds a way to tell the story using the tools and techniques at his or her disposal, the image will not be as effective as it should be.

When I look at an artwork I care little for its technical merits. I just look and if I come back to it that means it has stirred something in me.

There are three important aspects to any image:

1. Technical choices made the the photographer;

2. The choices the photographer has made in how the material is organized in the image; and

3. The emotional impact that the image has on the viewer.

Item 3 is the most challenging of the three to do and most photographers never actually get to the point where they can achieve this consistently. Item 2 and to some extent Item 1 are how this is achieved. I agree that technical merit alone does not create an interesting image.

In fact an image that is strong technically can also be a very boring image. An image that has strong emotional impact can also be technically strong.

When I look at an image, I look for strength in all three of these elements because when they come together really well the image is stunning.

[xpatUSA]

When I saw the gentleman I knew his isolation. My brain and my feelings accessed the image instantly. It saddens me that people do not grasp that a crowd of people walking down a street is communicating 'collective contentment.' It appears that many people can not see an individual standing apart in that crowd.

I have felt that same isolation in the past and know exactly what you are talking about. Being alone in a crowd is no fun at all.