Covered

pier 2, originally uploaded by Tetsuya Blues.

Purposely obscuring part of a picture is one way artists sometimes force us to fill in the blanks. On two levels, that comes into play in Tetsuya Blues' photo above. The "2" is partially hidden behind the subject's head, while the head itself is turned away, obscuring the face. The number is easy to fill in, but the face isn't. We are left to wonder who this person is, unable to give this person an identity.

I like how my focus keeps shifting between the wall and the figure. I start with the circled numeral, then the enclosed head within. The sharpness of the subject draws me down through the contrasting textures of hair, fur, and creased fabric. And then I look to the Japanese text in soft focus behind.

With the gaze of the subject directed away from us, it's almost as if the focal point of the photo is that wall. I especially like how centered both foreground and background are. There's a tricky balance here that I think Tetsuya Blues has really nailed beautifully. I can't stop staring at this photo.

Excuses

MTR Station- Central, HK, originally uploaded by Paul Swee.

Paul Swee is a Flickr user based in Hong Kong, and his photos capture bits and pieces of the surrounding metropolis. I enjoy browsing through his photostream to soak up the atmosphere of his city. Many of the shots are of everyday scenes, slices of life. In his profile, Paul states simply that "I shoot what I see."

He's being modest, of course. Here's a shot taken in Hong Kong's subway system. Looks like a young couple are having a falling out. The body language speaks volumes. The girl's toes pointed in, face turned down and away, limp arm, palm open, feeling hurt or dejected . The guy leaning in, trying to look the girl in the eye, holding tightly to the girl's hand, desperately perhaps. One hand motioning to his chest, maybe explaining his feelings or defending his actions. Paul offers a possibly overheard: "trust me, I didn't mess with your best friend."

I admire photographers that have captured intimate moments happening out in the open. It's mainly because it takes nerve to walk up to a person, frame your shot, and snap away. I suspect it might be a tad easier to get away with it if your subjects are too distracted by their own swirling emotions to notice the soft swish of a Leica shutter. Nonetheless, it takes a great deal of practice to obtain just a tiny bit of confidence. I better get out there.