Vices, a photo from Seoul, North

Photographer's Note

Vices. Cellular phones. The addiction of communication (not face to face). Anytime, anywhere.

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Critiques | Translate

mark88 (2) 2007-08-30 0:34

Fajna nocna scenka. Dobrze prezentuje się w cz/b.
Ciekawe fury, ta taksówka wygląda jak mercedes, ale nim nie jest.
Pozdrawiam.

bantonbuju (51815) 2007-08-30 0:57

kapitalnie wychodzi noc w cz/b...dobry pomysl...
grazynka ma racje - drapieznosc wielkomiejska (ale stonowana) podkreslona zostala przez duzy kontrast...fajnie wyszlo...
pozdr. j.

Furachan (0) 2007-08-30 1:03

Life is TOUGH with true wideangles, Rafal. Reminds me of what Dylan wrote once: "If you live outside the law, you must be honest". Ambitious compo there, some elements work real well, like the sign on the left to anchor the shot but it is not for me as successful as th earlier ones in the series. Simple reason: your two main subjects are too far apart - the eye goes left, right, left and then down the empty middle.
But keep 'em coming, bro, you are doing realy interesting work.
-F

ninaL (21348) 2007-08-30 2:08

Witaj, Rafal.
Bardzo futurystyczna scena...
Anomiwosc, rzeczywiscie, i nocna, drapiezna atmosfera wielkiego miasta.
Pozdrawiam. Grazyna.

nicoz (1979) 2007-08-30 2:24

Hi Jinju,
I know what you mean with mobile phones. I hate it when I go to the pub and my mates spend half their time writing texts. I find it rude and anti-social. In this respect I understand why you've chosen to put these people well appart. As Francis wrote "the eye goes left, right, left and then down the empty middle" which seems to me like it's what you're trying to say with this photo. Mobiles kill human contacts.
Don't know if I'm clear...
Nicolas

vapours (8264) 2007-08-30 4:57

Good continuation of your night series here mate, full of life in the background, but in the foreground these bored looking people are stuck on their phones.

AnimeshRay (9089) 2007-08-30 9:05

Superb night shot. It shares with your previous post some of the same relaxed, urban mood of unconcerned congregation. Very nice bw again.

chc (1468) 2007-08-30 9:24

Anytime, anywhere for nothing most of the time...
Nicely captured Rafal...
christophe

pilpel-adom (3018) 2007-08-30 10:39

Well taken, Rafal!
Good B&W conversion and use of contrast to give this photograph the harsh atmosphere. It is also well timed and seen, the exact moment all subjects were preoccupied with their cellulars..
Well done!
Chen

jasmis (58653) 2007-08-30 11:29

Nocna miejska impresja w B&W. Kolejna dobra robota.
Pozdrawiam.

faubry (35447) 2007-08-30 13:14

hello rafal, very funny shot with these people seeing each on telephon...superb light bW,we can see what mobil is very important.. more that human contact.... well done
francine

rigoletto (34279) 2007-08-31 0:13

:))
Cell phones issue is much more realistic as a vice.
And look how you captured them, all encapsulated in their pseudo-socialized worlds. This is a really creative idea, to make a project series out of how technology keeps us desocialized, yet still aware of everything.
In the office, in front of the Internet especially Trekearth, LOL), reading a newspaper, watching TV... These are all those modern prisons for us, therefore would be nice ideas to chase (a probable project maybe, titled "Let's Communicate").
Vices issue should contain more than 3 photos imho. What do you think?
Cheers,
Deniz

luisafonso (862) 2007-08-31 2:14

This time you kept some distance in order to capture the two subjects in the same scene. The result is less impact than the previous ones. But that doesn't necessarily means weaker. Different perhaps. The mood keeps the same and that's cool. Very good exposure and b&w once again.

jlynx (12647) 2007-08-31 4:57

Witaj Rafale,
Wlasciwie wszystko sprawia tutaj takie wra¿enie jakby nie bylo tycz, czym wydaje sie byc! Wielka sztuka jest takie przeksztalcenie rzeczywistosci, by to wrazenie uzyskac tak prostymi srodkami. Takie obrazki jak tutaj to juz standard wsrod mlodziezy takze w Polsce. Dlonie tych smarkaczy jakby wyksztalcily sie do obslugi malenkiej klawiatury telefonu. Super kadr, swietne nasycenie poltonow i bardzo ladne kontrasty. To wyglada po prostu jak Twoj podpis.
Pozdrawiam serdecznie,
Jurek

riclopes (35577) 2007-09-02 2:23

Funny scene, very common anywhere today and not only in the big cities of the world. To be honest, this is the one that satisfy me less in the series, may be because it lacks closeness, although I like the big empty space bettween the phones and the contrast of the lady dressed like a queen in this urban night environment.
ric

tcht (7565) 2007-09-02 4:44

very cool scene, Rafal. I like that big distance seperating these two and interesting to see one in dark and the other lit up by the neon signs. also a nice repetition effect with the two stone stubs further deep into frame. very well observed and taken!

robiuk (10807) 2007-09-04 3:55

It's wide-spread, Rafal.
People over here do the same, people
of all ages, no matter the situation
or where they are. Sure thing all modern
gadgets help forgetting that communication
is something else but texting, extending
memory to put more mp3s in, or wasting
time gaming...
Wonder what streets are going to look like
in 20-year time...
Robi

mphotographies (1976) 2007-09-05 1:48

Hey Rafal,

Funny as I was just about to say in one of my earlier critiques on your 'vices' series. Text messaging is annoyingly anti-social, they separate you from the reality of actual conversation...This time this shows textural qualities of surfaces, lines and shapes. Great tonal shades and shadow in B&W!

Pozdrawiam!

Jom

markoci (3933) 2007-09-06 22:32

strong feelings about this one rafal, though difficult for me to put into words... the excessive space between the two makes the shot compositionally imbalanced, but of course this is also the strenghth of your photo, emphasizing the human/communicational distance between the two... i think this would work MUCH better though if SHE was also sitting by herself... i like the "impersonal" cars/taxis, possibly transporting other "socially indifferent" passengers.. anyways a good shot which would work even better if the girl would be sittting alone...

raptorboy0 (43) 2007-09-08 16:50

I agree with what some of the other posters said that the empty space in the middle parallels the rift in first hand communication that you're trying to portray...very interesting, but I think the photo needs more to reinforce that symbolic device in order to make a successful photograph. The other elements of this photo just fall short in my opinion.

rbcy1974 (20758) 2007-09-09 3:12

Hello Rafal
THis is like a very common vice everywhere, I think the worst are the italians, as even when they are travelling in the other end of the world they seem to be talking to someone on the phone as if they were back home.
About hte photo, although the wide angle is good in capturing the street beat, I think there is something missing as we are not so directly concerned by any of the people who are using their cell phones. I dont mean having eye contact as this would be against the point of the photo but maybe finding a point of view where at least one of them was more prominent.
Regards
Daniel

sothy81 (9646) 2007-09-28 7:25

I know Korea is the most modern country in technology. High rate of cellphone users, and highest rate of internet users too. I told my students here about how fashionable S-Korea is, they were like opening their eyes so big, belieivng that US is the most advanced country in technology in the world. You did a good job here in showing great details of the scene. Very wonderful sharpness and great b/w. Well done. Sothy

sayan (2617) 2007-09-29 3:09

Hello Rafal,

The idea was great! This is the scene we find everywhere now in the streets, in meeting places, in railway stations, in markets - everywhere. Even careless use of this device while on walking on streets had already cost life in Kolkata, too sad! This is a nice capture of the modern day vices! The b/w is wonderful. Only a little bit OOF bg would be more better to spot out the subjects in the middle of many things!

regards

Sayan

livinitout (942) 2007-10-02 5:04

In all honesty I don't think there is anything special about this shot. It could have been taken by just about anyone walking by with a camera. there is something deceving about black and white pictures. a lot of them will look interesting in but become completely insignificant and mundane in colour.

cherryripe (21033) 2007-10-03 10:15

Hi Rafal
This photo kind of reminds me of my visit to Hong Kong in 1995. Seeing for the first time people in the street with mobile phones. No one had them here.
The wide angle helps give so much atmosphere to this street scene. The separation created by the the 2 concrete posts adds dynamics although the person back left distracts slightly.
Regards
Nikki

Polonaise (5802) 2007-10-09 7:05

More or less the same as I wrote to a previous one.
Incredible series.
One of the best (If not THE one) I've ever seen on TE !

GUTSY...VERY GUTSY

brevbrev14 (140) 2007-10-11 3:18

Hi Rafal, you captured a great moment of our society...
cell phones are and used always and everywhere..
i can see also a distance here from the guy and the women..and perhaps this is a problem of our day...
very good!
ciao!
Valeria