Oliver Morton, A{SA
December 2025 - On the Sidewalk
Original
About the Image(s)
About a month ago, a friend and I took the subway down to Chinatown to see if there were any interesting photo opportunities. We were naively hoping to find unusual restaurants with fascinating foods and waitstaff. None of that happened. What we found was the sad, but common group of homeless people on the sidewalks. I thought this man’s face and beard were captivating. I waited until someone walked through the background and was lucky enough to have a businessman stroll past… giving a contrast to the homeless man.
Processing (including conversion to B&W) was done in Camera Raw with some distracting objects removed in Photoshop, which often does a better job.
Data: Hasselblad X2D II; 38mm lens; 1/45 sec; f/11; ISO 100
10 comments posted
Pete
Street photography perfection in my book. Your subject grabs your eye as soon as you look at your image. His face speaks volumes of the challenging life he has. The business man does indeed add social contrast
I hope you lift him a little something.
Emil Posted: 12/01/2025 18:41:59
Street photography perfection in my book. Your subject grabs your eye as soon as you look at your image. His face speaks volumes of the challenging life he has. The business man does indeed add social contrast
I hope you lift him a little something.
Emil Posted: 12/01/2025 18:41:59
Thank you, Emil. One of the most important aspects of street photography is LUCK... and I was clearly lucky to take this image.
And, yes, I left him a "little something". Posted: 12/07/2025 20:53:48
And, yes, I left him a "little something". Posted: 12/07/2025 20:53:48
Michael Laezza
Pete - you captured and documented extremely well a too common and sad occurrence. Definitely the contrast between the circumstances of the man and the passerby comes through.
I did a slight crop to put even more focus on the main subjects.
Cheers
Mike Posted: 12/08/2025 01:40:12
I did a slight crop to put even more focus on the main subjects.
Cheers
Mike Posted: 12/08/2025 01:40:12
Very nice, Mike. I had debated about where to crop on the right side, and I like how yours turned out. Thanks!
Posted: 12/08/2025 16:22:26
Posted: 12/08/2025 16:22:26
Hi Pete, I love to see a first result of your new camera and I like very much the outcome. The contrast between the two men seems to me particularly striking because the homeless man (in my perception) seems to be a rather recent homeless and it may not be that long ago, when he looked like the man in the back. I agree with Mike's cropping. Very well done. Posted: 12/09/2025 18:28:22
Thank you, Adrian. I agree that the man must have been recently homeless. Although I chatted with him, we didn't broach that topic.
Posted: 12/16/2025 19:02:30
Posted: 12/16/2025 19:02:30
Hi Pete,
Greetings my friend. I wish you have a wonderful holidays ahead. I love the monochrome treatment of your original image. This is a super composition, in terms of placement of the subjects. I like the way you left those padestrians in the frame on the right, unlike Michael's edition of tighter cropped frame. I just played with your image in CS6 with lights and saruration pointer. I think it's okay with you. Thank you for sharing.
Cheers.
Kamal. Posted: 12/10/2025 10:36:13
Greetings my friend. I wish you have a wonderful holidays ahead. I love the monochrome treatment of your original image. This is a super composition, in terms of placement of the subjects. I like the way you left those padestrians in the frame on the right, unlike Michael's edition of tighter cropped frame. I just played with your image in CS6 with lights and saruration pointer. I think it's okay with you. Thank you for sharing.
Cheers.
Kamal. Posted: 12/10/2025 10:36:13
Syed (or should I call you Kamal?), like you, I enjoy playing with contrast... especially in monochrome images. The contrast can effectively create a new photograph.
I never object to seeing others play with my images. To me, it's a compliment and a learning experience. Thank you!
Posted: 12/16/2025 19:06:25
I never object to seeing others play with my images. To me, it's a compliment and a learning experience. Thank you!
Posted: 12/16/2025 19:06:25
Hi Pete,
Please address me "Kamal". My friends address me "Kamal".
Thanks. Posted: 12/18/2025 10:16:18
Please address me "Kamal". My friends address me "Kamal".
Thanks. Posted: 12/18/2025 10:16:18
Pete,
I like this image and the processing you did for the B&W. I like the way you gave the image some grittiness using contrast. Really helps set the scene and the mood of the image. Very nicely done.
Chris Posted: 12/16/2025 12:22:22
I like this image and the processing you did for the B&W. I like the way you gave the image some grittiness using contrast. Really helps set the scene and the mood of the image. Very nicely done.
Chris Posted: 12/16/2025 12:22:22