Experiment in Cinemascope proportions

[S_Sanyal]

Hello all...I've recently been trying something new.

You see, when you're shooting in the streets in India, several elements present themselves simultaneously. After a year of struggling to isolate subjects etc. as usually attempted by a beginner (and though I've managed to achieve this a few times) I decided to embrace the multiplicity and work with several elements in a picture in a cinemascope format i.e. double the width of a frame . It has so far given me very unusual and interesting results.

It gives rise to a more complex scene to be captured in exploring a new documentary style. It is quite painstaking but give interesting results. The composition technique I work with is to use the grid-lines in the viewfinder for framing rather than the edges themselves (as in rangefinders).


Gear: Nikon D90 with 18-200mmNikkor lens
Exposure details: F =18 mm; 1/80s; f/5.6 ; ISO200; -1/3 EV

For critique, I'm posting the photograph above with a certain social message called "The Man's World" which portrays the gender inequity that still persists in several places in my culture. (women = home , men =street.) Apart from your feedback on this particular photograph, my queries are directed especially to seasoned street /candid photographers here...I really need to know what considerations one may keep to improve working like this.

In addition, everyone's general / specific / technical / artistic observations are also most welcome. Thanks in advance!

More in cinemascope here:

Cinemascope - a set on Flickr

[navcom]

Nice work Saptarshi. I looked at your Flickr as well and you have a good photographic eye for composition.

I like your shot. It's usually good to present one main subject in an image but you are right, there are times that just doesn't seem to work. And those times are usually when the more complex image tells a simple story such as yours. There are several things happening in your image but it is not busy and is presented very "unified". This is what makes an image compelling.

I'm a fan of panoramics...especially in landscapes. I just think it's a crop that provides more impact and "pull" for the viewer. It provides a peripheral view that humans seem to desire. But it has to be a composition that's easily viewed and not overpowering. And there's nothing like a large framed panoramic print hanging on the wall to wow the viewer!

[milosh]

Hello Saptarshi!

I agree with everything Navcom said here. I am also a fan of this type of documentary street photography. I think that in this genre it is especially difficult, besides finding your subjects and stories, to capture your scene and at the same time isolate it enough so the image isn't cluttered. I think you achieved this well and this photo does tell a story. I'm not personally a big fan of panoramic photos but I think it's a good way to go if it helps you to focus a viewer to the scene and minimize distractions.

[S_Sanyal]

Thanks for your insights Navcom and Milosh.

I think what you say about distractions in the vertical direction made me use this technique perhaps. Our experience of 'street' is usually horizontal

Thanks again. I'm curious to see what others may have to say as well...

[crockny]

I like it very much - why do we have to be slaves to some photographic ideal -- do what suits your goal, and I think you did it very well!

[Krusty79]

I think this is more of a People shot, but I like it. The men are casually dressed and not even paying attention to the woman, who is fully clothed. It might have added to the effect if she was carrying groceries or a baby. You have a complex subject, but it works because all of the people in the shot add to your theme. There are a couple of minor visual distractions, like the edge of the green doorway to the far right and the edge of the overhang above the men, but those are minor things.

[S_Sanyal]

Thanks crockny for your encouragement and appreciation of the photo.

Krusty, I appreciate your observations.
I know that the minor elements like the shed roof and the doorway are present in the crop. My intention in keeping them was to give a sense of continuity as if the scene is not limited to my rectangle but the street continues laterally and vertically as well. They also help frame he scene in a (very subtle ) way...but again you're right, they can well be mistaken as distractions