The Pierrot of Queen Street, a photo from Ontario, Central

Photographer's Note

October 31, lunchtime at Downtown Ottawa. The civil servants are in a hurry to get their sandwiches or pickup fast food, in the still warming rays of the October sun. The security guard is sitting by the roadside, aimlessly looking around--as I do. And then Pierrot appears, with a real costume and powdered face, talking to her collegue animatedly... Seeing my joy, she turns around, looks straight at me with an expression her costume requires, hides her cigarette and stares at my camera, wistfully.

Sometimes I wonder about masks and costumes. Sometimes I wonder if this resembles more the face of some civil servants requested to perform repetitive tasks, constrained within the 3 square meters of their windowless cubicles...

rhizomes, everlasting, Rinie_Hoff, don_narayan, shayes, berek, eleparc, KevRyan, wilkinsonsg, Elise_d, pascalmoret has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

rhizomes (15343) 2005-11-04 7:59

Hi Sarolta,
Very nice picture ! The composition is very good and Pierrot looks great !
Good choice of B/W too !
Christophe

everlasting (20074) 2005-11-04 8:08

It is the distainful expression of the security guard here that tells the story. She certainly doesnt share your joy of having seen Pierot just walking by.
Again good rendering of monotones.

Rinie_Hoff (9340) 2005-11-04 8:24

I agree wit Rafal, your sepia's kill. I like the guard on the second part very much, her looks are great, and the expression of the Pierrot, well, I don't know, I'm not really in for such a pouting expression for a grown up. But then, hey, this is Halloween, you can do whatever you like.
I like your composition, Sarolta, and it's a nice moment.

zig (2456) 2005-11-04 8:38

Lovely shot. Especially here the pierrot stares at you, that has got something to do with the atmosphere here. I like this kind of photo that captures people staring straight at the lens. It provokes somethng in viewers, but I cannot explain what it is. Anyway, good scenery you have captured here.

don_narayan (2014) 2005-11-04 8:44

Hi Sarolta. Nice combo of these two workers, an amusing scene for sure. as usual, the sepia you did embarrasses my feable attempts.

Masks? Well, they are everywhere, on almost everyone, to some degree. Right?

shayes (499) 2005-11-04 9:11

This picture is fantastic, and the note poetic. I really like the dessturation, and the composition itself (crop with the security guard in the back) makes this a dramatic image. thanks for sharing. Its great! :)

fixed (3836) 2005-11-04 9:38

hello Sarolta
very nice shoot !
funny scene
I like the woman in the BG :)
well done
thanks
Arnaud

kikvel (4784) 2005-11-04 9:49

hi Sarolta

nice catch!
It would be nice if you explain something more about the sephia tones and if you get them directly from the camera or by means of PP

K.

toni_al (15875) 2005-11-04 10:56

Hi Sarlota
Très belle composition.
En pierrot ou en gadienne les visages sont toujours tristes.
Ce sentiment est renforce par la couleur sepia.
Belle image
Toni

berek (50518) 2005-11-04 10:57

Hi Sarolta

Nice shot. good composition and POV.
Thanks for sharing.
burak

Furachan (0) 2005-11-04 10:59

Brilliant, the perspective, Sarlta, the difference in repecive size between the two, the serius aspect of Pierrot and the Clownish aspect of the guard. We are swimming in a sea of ambiguity here, and you hold the key...
Bravo,
Francis

gaby (19819) 2005-11-04 11:10

Hi Sarolta - great - I like a lot the shot, the compo, the sepia and your note -
wonderful
Have a nice week end
Thanks
Gaby

eleparc (24063) 2005-11-04 12:08

Hi sarolta,
I love this shot for two main reasons: The scene in itself is very special and displays a lot of unhappiness IMO. Maybe a specific from our modern societies? and one thing that strikes me also in this shot is that both women look rather fat... another feature of some modern societies with people who eat shit, like a daily sandwich for lunch eg.
That's why your shot IMO has this very sociological touch that I like. TFS
Eric

dolin (7369) 2005-11-04 12:18

LOL, a "funny" shot.
I like your framing and the angle with this excellent this Pierrot and his excellent attitude and the woman in the other side.
The little wall give a good depth.
And another superb sepia tones.
Bye
Fred

KevRyan (22956) 2005-11-04 12:50

Lovely relationships across the frame Sarolta - I wonder if I am watching hidden theatre and these two are really working together to .......to do what.......!!!!? I am mystified by this .......nice use of the thirds on the key subject and the far middle positioning of the secondary subject - I've just realised I use this geometry and I've seen others using it too.

Ililke the toning much more on this one - a really great image!!

best wishes Kev

fc22 (746) 2005-11-04 12:53

Yes, yes, a wonderful allegory about the "masks and costumes" we wear, and on the way we like to criticize other people, without being able to put our own masks aside.

Today a short note ;-)

Warm regards, Florin

Calimero76 (10957) 2005-11-04 13:38

Bonsoir Sarolta
j'adore les expressions des deux personnages
je trouve ton image triste et drôle à la fois
c'est rare de resentir celà dans une même photographie
j'aime aussi l'opposition des couleurs (Blanc/Noir)
bravo pour ton coup d'oeil encore une fois et merci du partage
Amicalement
Patrice

bantonbuju (51815) 2005-11-04 13:42

hi sarolta, would you mind snding me the exif file data of this excellent image? i'm curious about the camera settings - this tonalty is excellent; and obviously - as guys already mentioned: perspective and a contradictory grimases are great; one of your best, arolta;
best, jerzy
ps. i love your sepia to the bits :-))

wilkinsonsg (8662) 2005-11-05 6:01

I like the B&W treatment but the expressions of the two subjects make the shot :)

ALSOM (6616) 2005-11-05 6:17

Hi Sarolta,
Nice capture of the 2 ladies, contrasted in their attitudes reflecting their respective duty & metier.

Wrt the the clown's face, I feel like she's just been blamed by the security woman ;o) and felt sorry (to you?) like a kid.

Thanks for sharing. Al.

jinju (14265) 2005-11-05 6:49

Your sepias kill. But what kills even more are these situations you keep finding. What an absurd, funny, strange scene. The interraction of the woman with the clown, of the clown with the camera. But I mean just the situation itself is so funny and cool. The look on his face is priceless.

Elise_d (1943) 2005-11-05 7:48

The quantity of great shots you can do in a week is just unbeleavable. And all of that in Ottawa ?! Wow. This one is also magical, very well seen. You bring Halloween pictures to another level. Thanks for sharing.

AnimeshRay (9089) 2005-11-05 12:34

Absolutely stunning shot. THe contrast, the absurdity, the looks in the face of the two characters, the poster at the back, combine to make a Fellini-like atmosphere.

PeterC (2242) 2005-11-06 16:28

Brilliant stuff Sarolta. I'm really loving your sepia stuff. Very cool. This is very amusing with the two clowns. The stare is very captivating with jsut the tiniest hint of a smile. Perfect compostion. Brilliant stuff
Cheers
Peter

pascalmoret (1711) 2005-12-08 13:12

Hi Sarolta. I really like the composition, and the framing you used. Good choice also to use the sepia tone. You have been lucky to see Pierrot, but you managed to do a very good picture with a perfect composition.
Regards,
Pascal