Bruce Goodman
July 2026 - Standing on the Corner
Original
About the Image(s)
I exited the metro in Madrid to find a busy, vibrant, early evening street scene. The woman at the corner appeared to be waiting for someone. I moved behind her in order to include her colorful outfit and her viewpoint as she watched others go by in my photo. Original photo attached.
Sony A1; Tamron 28-200mm; ISO 200; 35mm; f/4.5; 1/320 sec.
Edited in Lightroom which did a remarkable job removing people distractions and some other distractions (normally I move to PS to do this). I used 12 separate masks to lighten/darken certain areas of the photo).
Here’s a link to a song from the Broadway play, “Most Happy Fella”, that was covered by many artists. This one is by Bobby Darin. “Standing on the Corner Watching All the Girls Go By”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9ybaJB2Bs
4 comments posted
Bruce, this is a very interesting image which goes very well with the song. Before I go in detail of what I like and see in this image, I want to comment about the fact that if available in the file, or you had seen at the "decisive moment" I would hava included the feet of the woman standing in the corner. So, her attire is very colorful and is the first thing I see. She must have some disability given by the crutches. The woman in the middle with also a very colorful attire and wearing a burka must be of a culture that requires this type a body covering. What is different is the fact that it is not black or a very dark color. Finally, the couple on the background touching each other goes against the culture of the burka woman that does not allow any public interaction between a man and a woman.
I must add that you did a very good joob removing quite a few distractions. Posted: 07/02/2026 12:21:42
I must add that you did a very good joob removing quite a few distractions. Posted: 07/02/2026 12:21:42
Bruce, I like your edit. I love how you took out all of the distractions and enhanced portions of the photo. I like the coloring you did to the streetlamps and the removal of the distracting blue street signs. Nice job on the linear gradient at the top of the photo taking down the highlights too. The image has 3 different characters all completely distinct from one another culturally and socially. For me, I would've cropped out the couple or cloned out the center figure and just picked one for the lady in the colorful jacket to be looking at (I'm assuming that she is looking at them). If you were to keep the lady in pink, I would've cloned out the people directly behind her at the bus stop - they are a little distracting. Otherwise, the image is sharp, great multiple stories, and beautiful edit. Good job. Posted: 07/02/2026 23:31:41
Bruce,
I think this is an excellent street image that engages the viewer and forces them to think about what they are seeing. Isaac has provided a very good interpretation, and I also see this image as documenting a society in which different cultures coexist. Personally, I like that idea very much.
I think you have done a good job with the photo editing. I may be the lone voice in the chorus, but I believe the way the subjects are positioned in the frame is just right. There is the colorful woman in the foreground, the woman in the colorful burka walking through the scene, and the couple in the background. They form a diagonal line, which is a very strong compositional element. Each of these subjects adds interest to the story.
I am not personally bothered by the fact that the feet of the woman in the foreground are not included. If you look at the work of many of the great street photographers, you will find numerous examples where the subjects' feet are cropped out. I often hear this criticism when people discuss street photography, but if the same standard were applied to the work of Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, or Garry Winogrand, much of their work might not be appreciated as highly.
I also do not agree with the current tendency to clone out elements of the scene. Maybe I am a purist, but I do not see a reason to remove features such as the damaged floor. This is street photography, and such details are part of the story. The environment is as important as the subjects themselves.
The only element I might consider cloning out is the street sign behind the woman, because it creates a distraction by being so close to the subject's head. However, since you mentioned that you were waiting in position for something to happen, perhaps a slightly different shooting position could have prevented that overlap when you pressed the shutter.
Overall, I think this is a strong image, both visually and conceptually, and its composition effectively supports the story it tells.
best wishes
Michele Posted: 07/06/2026 18:42:54
I think this is an excellent street image that engages the viewer and forces them to think about what they are seeing. Isaac has provided a very good interpretation, and I also see this image as documenting a society in which different cultures coexist. Personally, I like that idea very much.
I think you have done a good job with the photo editing. I may be the lone voice in the chorus, but I believe the way the subjects are positioned in the frame is just right. There is the colorful woman in the foreground, the woman in the colorful burka walking through the scene, and the couple in the background. They form a diagonal line, which is a very strong compositional element. Each of these subjects adds interest to the story.
I am not personally bothered by the fact that the feet of the woman in the foreground are not included. If you look at the work of many of the great street photographers, you will find numerous examples where the subjects' feet are cropped out. I often hear this criticism when people discuss street photography, but if the same standard were applied to the work of Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, or Garry Winogrand, much of their work might not be appreciated as highly.
I also do not agree with the current tendency to clone out elements of the scene. Maybe I am a purist, but I do not see a reason to remove features such as the damaged floor. This is street photography, and such details are part of the story. The environment is as important as the subjects themselves.
The only element I might consider cloning out is the street sign behind the woman, because it creates a distraction by being so close to the subject's head. However, since you mentioned that you were waiting in position for something to happen, perhaps a slightly different shooting position could have prevented that overlap when you pressed the shutter.
Overall, I think this is a strong image, both visually and conceptually, and its composition effectively supports the story it tells.
best wishes
Michele Posted: 07/06/2026 18:42:54
(Group 32)
I think both versions of your image are interesting. The cleaned up one gives more emphasis to the contrasts between the three main characters, the two single women and the couple. But the contrast could not have been more interesting even if you had posed them. There is a certain fantastical contrast between all of them, a bit like some of the image in other groups that do composites. Posted: 07/12/2026 21:25:06