How to Rescue Street Photography Orphans
I thought he was kind of cool. I guess not.
Slide them into a collection.
Maybe no one will notice.
We have an expression in Alabama, “The dog does not hunt.” This dog definitely did not hunt. I alone am enamored with this splendid street artist. I like the whited out background with the suggestion of a family enjoying the exhibit. I knew this photo was not popular with viewers, but I put it into the blog Gallery of pictures from Nashville, that has since been rotated out.
Put them up for critique. Maybe someone can recommend a face lift that will help people see what you see.
When all else fails, I go to my absolute most favorite critique site, the Shark Tank in Lightstalking. There you can get constructive critique from other photographers, including some professionals who, as best as I can tell, use this Forum to give back to the community. I am going to include some of the conversation about the picture I posted below, as it ultimately resulted in helping me find a way to save one of my favorite orphans.
Diane Wehr “I confess. I like this picture. Maybe I even like this picture a lot. It has not been especially well received across a couple of forums. The expression of the lead school girl speaks to me. I cannot tell if others do not even notice it or if it just does not speak to them. I have gotten some criticism about the overlap of people in the picture. That is not a distraction for me. It contributes to the sense that she is leading with joy. Please do not worry about my feelings on this, I am trying to understand the rather universal reaction. Do you have a preference for color or b&w? Is there anything I can do in post processing to strengthen the picture? Thanks, Sharks.”
Lenny Wollitz “Diane, I like the idea. I have been looking at this one for several days and I just don't get the story because of the IMO distracting colors and I don't care for the BW version processing that much. For me more than 50% of the weight is the color which to me makes it (color) the subject not the girl. Your subjects face is small so it's difficult to see the her wonderful expression. In color or BW the crowd doesn't look like they are following her that much, just behind her. Here is a half baked idea from way out in left field.”
Note: Lenny posted a picture of changes to the image, including a crop, that he recommended. I allow that on the Lightstalking site. His recommendations ultimately became the basis for different post processing for that picture. I have recently printed the image to give to a friend who plans to hang them in a b&w arrangement of pictures in her home. It is a Photography Orphan no more.
Post them in a blog.
Blogs are an incredible amount of work, but hey, you get to pick the pictures. My sheep did make his appearance as a sideline picture, albeit solo in the blog, “What Do You Have on the Sidelines.”
Hang them up in your house, so they do have a home.
You may not have a blog, but you sure have a place you call home. You should definitely frame and hang the pictures that you love.
This dear little boy is one of three street photos that hang in my office. Critical acclaim, this picture did not get, but it surely makes me happy.
Exercise
Have you ever tried to save a Photography Orphan?