Some Play, Some Rest, a photo from Ho Chi Minh, South East

Photographer's Note

As always, I love taking shots of guys playing chess. Here, I was more interested in using the sleeping guy in the background to offset the player in front. Lots of chess and lots of gambling were going on the streets of Saigon, especially right around Chinese New Year's Day.

Tri-X at ISO 800 or 1600, can't remember. Handheld, uncropped.

eleparc has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ngythanh (8458) 2005-03-23 6:54

I like the attention of the playing player and his seriosity toward the "battle". If you could include some tiny part of the chessboard, that would be more interesting.

Look: I guess he was being checkmated so he forgot to taste his cup of black iced coffee while the other cup has been drunk...

Regards,

Albrecht (11283) 2005-03-23 9:37

Very nice picture in B&W. Good compo and frame. Well captured. Greetings

olopez (4959) 2005-03-23 9:53

Very good compo, i like background and DOF.
Good work Darren.

verge (1242) 2005-03-23 10:47

very good DOF Darren. I like how you have included the sleeping guy on the background, though the overexposed skin is kinda distracting but overall composition is really good. well done....rgds

verge

Luko (14000) 2005-03-23 11:30

Two points just for the background, I don't care whether that guy is playing chess, chatting on msn messenger or counting his money.. only the backgournd is of sole interst to me the front guy is nothing more than a stooge.

I hesitate putting this image in my sleep theme because I'm not really sure the blurry guy has his eyes closed... but as you say he has, I'll select it nevertheless... ;-)

softflower (0) 2005-03-23 13:49

Jolie photo Darren, j'aime bien ce portrait.
Bravo !
Nico.

alimo3 (6854) 2005-03-23 17:02

Hello Darren,
a nice and funny pix.
i like the attitude of the guy playing and of course the other one on the background !
still appreciate the tones of the TriX ,it help to make this picture working.

Tom

eleparc (24063) 2005-03-23 17:47

and I think you got it right! both the idea and the result.. mayybe a slight crop below to see the chessboard?

tongapup (0) 2005-03-23 18:13

Excellent. There's nothing left to say that hasn't been said.

Homerhomer (4080) 2005-03-23 20:20

I also think this is an interesting image, mostly because the guy in the background, funny how we seen to wonder if he is really sleeping or not (I think he is looking at the guy at the front), and IMO it's the intrique that really attracks some of us to this image. Obviously dof and textures are fantastic, as is the whole composition.
I am not sure if I would prefer to actually see that the guy is playing chess or doing anything else (looks like he is using calculator), just not sure.
Peter

thebecky (688) 2005-03-23 21:30

Fantastic! Both the idea and the realisation ...

Rinie_Hoff (9340) 2005-03-24 1:14

Hi Darren, Nice composition with two elements that I like so very much. Hands have always been my favorite, but ever since your picture af that boatman, handling his boat with his feet, I like those very much as well.
Nice grainy B&W

Galeota (10352) 2005-03-24 2:15

Well Darren, if this belongs to the whole Vietnam series with which you didn't seem very satisfied, I wish I could see what else you're hiding in your hard drive. Beautifully composed, and it seems you're getting really close to your subjects ;o)

Morita (203) 2005-03-24 5:42

Darren, very nice photo! I like that the sleeping guy with very well formed toes is in the middle of the photo. His right toe (left at photo)'s expression is very important for me. Maiko

joso (2417) 2005-03-24 6:45

The luminous part in the upper middle part atracted first my eyes. But the very well managed DOF, emphasising the so different state of them, brought me immediatly back, to examine his concentrated face. The lines of his shirt brought me to his hezitating hand, right near to the feets, and among the legs I belong back to the start. The cups of drink - it happenes to be there.
The tight cropping makes it even better.
Sharpness, noise? Who cares?
Excellent use of photographical possibilities.
J嫕os

Ah_Thong (466) 2005-03-24 9:39

very good composition and framing... i really like ur B&W photos.. very very expressive.. and the sleeping guy in the background.. really add lots of strength to this photo.. tfs
-thong-

shihwei (238) 2005-03-25 3:17