Young Woman on the Bus, a photo from Delhi, North

Photographer's Note

Years ago at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, I saw a captivating painting by the 17th century Spanish painter, Bartolom� Esteban Murillo, Two Women in a Window.

Then after a trip to Cairo in 2013, I posted a photo in the same genre, Watching the World Go Bye. Many others on Trekearth have posted similar photos, with the frame of a window serving as the frame for the portrait of an interesting subject.

The photo above is a veritable diptych created by a pair of adjacent windows on a bus in Delhi. I was in a taxi, seated next to the driver. While we were stopped at a red light, a bus pulled up, and a young woman's eyes caught mine,. I smiled, and showed my camera to her... Immediately, she sat up, and smiled back, granting me tacit permission, I thought, to take her photo.

I could see that the young woman exuded quiet grace and dignity. There are close to 17 million stories in Delhi. I wondered what hers was.

See the color version of the photo. I would love to hear your preference regarding the color and B&W versions?

papagolf21, Royaldevon, snunney, jhm, SnapRJW, holmertz, worldcitizen, aliabazari, cagla, shreya2000, macjake, ourania, ikeharel, COSTANTINO has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

papagolf21 (152607) 2014-10-26 1:16

Bonjour, cher ami Bulent,
Encore une tr鋊 originale fa蔞n de nous placer dans un contexte de la vie quotidienne � travers ce portrait fort bien dress�.
Tr鋊 bonne journ嶪.
Amiti廥.
Philippe

serp2000 (47063) 2014-10-26 1:26

Hello, Bulent,
Well, this is very interesting daily life photo from India. I just want to know what can you say about this photo
Your note makes me smile too.
Best wishes from the snowecovered Ural!
Serghei

Royaldevon (85932) 2014-10-26 1:39

Hello Bulent,

A lovely note.
I wonder what her story was, too.
Again, as in your previous portrait, it is the eyes that are so captivating! Then, of course, her sweet smile, almost like a kiss, adds to the charm.
These impromptu photographs are often the best.

Have a lovely day,
Bev :-)

lousat (139308) 2014-10-26 1:45

Hi Bulent,the composition is truly beautiful,and the face of this young woman too,i like the imposing perspective and the excellent exposure of the dark light to show us the best detail of this moment,very artistic shot,i like it! Have a nice Sunday and thanks,Luciano

snunney (130967) 2014-10-26 3:10

Hello Bulent,
She has a captivating smile this young lady and seems very happy to be photographed. I like the juxtaposition with the man in the adjacent window with his back toward the camera. Fine presentation in black and white, which suits the subject perfectly.

jhm (211736) 2014-10-26 3:48

Dear Bulent,

I have with a lot attention looked to you second picture with the own picture in the mirror, excellent found.
Also these picture with the young lady as subject make your picture attractive notwithstanding in black and white.
Excellent of quality.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice day,
John.

daddo (28748) 2014-10-26 4:00

Merhaba Bulent. Maybe it was the hat that fascinated or your learned visage. Lovely eyes on that open face.Yes, oe wonders what her story is. Wasn't there an American series Naked City, with a similar gist to your last sentence?best wishes. Klaudio.

Cloud__Warrior (391) 2014-10-26 6:06

Hi Bulent
A very good portrait, something in the young ladies expression just keeps me looking right back at her.
Take Care
Andy

marabu61 (11587) 2014-10-26 8:06

Hello Bulent
Very pleasant snapshot, taken on the grab from a taxi. The instant connection between the young women and your camera is quite palatable here.
But the way I experienced Dehli, this kind of permission is rather seldom.
have a great sunday
Daniel

SnapRJW (31631) 2014-10-26 8:31

Hello Bulent - A wonderfully descriptive story to accompany this lovely portrait. I love the B&W, it concentrates the eye on the personality without the distraction of colour. A beautiful open face.... I hope her story is a good one.

Warm regards

Rosemary

holmertz (102760) 2014-10-26 9:20

Hello B悤ent,
An excellent snap-shot with an amusing story to go along with it. I love such fleeting moments, photos enabled by coincidence without any planning, capturing spontaneous smiles or gestures straight out of daily life. So much nicer than dead monuments :-).
Kind regards,
Gert

emka (158204) 2014-10-26 10:34

Hi dear Bulent,
we are neighbour today on TE, but far away in photos and places we are staying. Nice photo of the smiling girl and the story that accompany it.
It is similar to mine photo also made in Delhi, when I was going to the airport. But the woman from my photo was sitting in the tuk-tuk.
Impressive eyes. And I like Workshop photo, of course:)

WArm regrads MAlgo

worldcitizen (16086) 2014-10-26 11:25

Hello Buelnt,
With eye contact established, you have a charming scene here. I think the B/W version exudes more elegance, and this young woman certainly has a sense of grace about her. I like the POV, with you loking up, and the woman looking back down at you.

aliabazari (22255) 2014-10-26 21:43

Hi dear Bulent
Portrait of the beautiful young woman. Clever choice of black and white. Clarity and lighting was very good. Thanks for sharing.

CLODO (45116) 2014-10-27 11:04

Hi Bulent

She seems interested by the photographer, her eyes are wide open and the white dots in thm give life to your picture.
Cheers
CLODO

asajernigan (21427) 2014-10-29 7:18

Hello Bulent,
This is a nice daily life shot with simple but effective composition. The B&W fits the mood of the shot perfectly.
The lighting is well managed yielding fine sharpness and detail.
TFS,
Asa

Graal (103040) 2014-10-29 7:59

Hello Bulent,
nice and interesting series of portraits. Good shot. Pleasant smile and face of woman. Well done photo.
Have a nice evening.
Aleksander

shreya2000 (2815) 2014-10-30 3:55

Dear Bulent,

YOu are a lucky fellow who got response from a moving bus and from an unknown lady. her smile is very nice. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
joginder

macjake (98456) 2014-11-23 10:32

Hi Bulent
Its always interesting to see the difference in black and whites vs colored versions.

and i have to be honest, its a real skill to know exactly what scene in real life, in real time, will produce a excellent monochrome look.

Not everyscene is made for it.
I think what works well in this one are the polkadots on the lady's outfit. they stand out as a excellent focal point. what do you think?

Fine people post and grab-shot opportunity that was taken full advantage of.
cheers
craig

ourania (51103) 2014-11-26 12:59

Hello Bulent,
I like this spontaneous portrait very much, the bus window works really well as a frame and it's wonderful that the lady's hand is elegantly placed over the lower side of it. Her smile is lovely, it expresses both her gracious character and her attitude towards you. You have worked on the grey tones very effectively, they are bright and appealing. I definitely prefer the monochromatic version because in it the lady's misty eyes and all the details about her look more intimate and significant. I also like the links that accompany this photo, making your presentation so thorough. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a lovely evening,
Ourania

eldancer1 (36343) 2014-11-26 13:21

Very nice capture of this lady with Mona Lisa smile, I hope she is going to a better place. Good pov and dof with nice details. Well done, tfs.

I used to live in San Diego from early 70s to mid-80s. That's when San Diego was small and even more beautiful. Now, it is so crowded with lots of autos on the highway anytime of the day.

ikeharel (113411) 2014-11-27 0:21

Must say Bulent, the colors version is my preference to this shot, the natural tones added much life - to my humble opinion.
Anyway, you spotted well the lady on the train window, and giot a smile, somewhat reserved - but gentle.
Gunayden,
Ike

COSTANTINO (116560) 2014-11-27 22:37

Good morning my dear friend
and have a nice weekend
the question here is what is this woman
thinking?I wonder what her story was
this composition is truly simple but
beautiful too
regards
Costantino

willperrett (14215) 2014-11-30 6:40

Hello Bulent

A nice street portrait, and a good story to go with it. The woman in the window: I guess you've said it all yourself; but what I like in particular is the man in the other "frame", totally unaware of the little drama going on behind him. I'm reminded of W.H. Auden's poem, "Mus嶪 des Beaux Arts", and the line "how it takes place while someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along"...

Regards

Will

npecanhuk (79329) 2014-11-30 6:46

Hi Bulent!
Such a beautiful black & white portrait!
Exposure, sharpness and composition are excellent!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

carlo62 (81265) 2014-11-30 10:18

Ciao Bulent
molto bello ed espressivo il volto di questa giovane donna, i suoi occhi grandi e luminosi sono resi ancora pi� evidenti dalla scelta del b&w, una scelta che condivido e apprezzo molto.
Saluti
Carlo

cak (4931) 2014-12-24 17:04

Hatunun fotoğraf�ıya ilgisi sıcak bir sahne yaratmış.
Eminim B悤ent bey sizde hatunun ilgisini 蔒ktiniz.o sizi 蔒kse idi kimbilir nasıl g顤𤦂ecektiniz

mirosu (16313) 2015-01-29 9:57

Hello Bulent,
Superb monochrome photo, excellent light, nice arrangement, very good viewpoint. I like the young woman face and the gorgeous eyes.
Whole my life I was (and I still am) busy traveller to India (either first for business later to enjoy the country). My experience is the same, people in India like to pose for photos, I never had any problem.
Nicely done.
Greetings,
MIRO
.