This is my stage, a photo from London, England

Photographer's Note

I was walking on Southbank in London with a friend on a sunny Sunday afternoon - I saw a group of people looking down at the river, so I peaked down and saw a group of young guys jumping off a short wall and doing somersaults in the air. It was amazing, these young acrobats finding their stage on the shores of the River Thames. They weren't even asking for money, like most "street performers" do. They were simply there to have some fun and entertain people...for free. This guy had a contagious smile and jumped off that wall like no other.

Photo cropped and turned almost B&W on Photoshop.

EDIT (6/08/2008)
I was walking on SouthBank again today: same place, same guys doing their acrobatic jumps - and had a chat with Dave, the guy that I'd taken a photo of two years ago. He's lovely and still has the same, contagious smile.
I hope you like your photo, Dave - all the best.

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Critiques | Translate

ben4321 (9875) 2008-03-24 11:37

I think you've done well here Valentina - placing him in the lower corner has worked well, and the sand makes a usefully neutral backdrop.
Might just be my dodgy eyesight, but the sand looks a bit sharper than he does - either way I think I'd have preferred this taken with a wider aperture to throw the background more out of focus.
A faster shutter speed would have helped you avoid the slight blur - the movement blur in his hands doesn't matter, in fact it works well - just that I think we needed his eyes and face sharp for the shot to work. A slightly faster shutter speed would have helped you achieve that.
Still, I think it's a good portrait - you captured a great expression; infectious enthusiasm / contagious smile. Yep, you got it.

Cheers,
Ben

[2] +

broglia (3604) 2008-03-25 9:24

Hi Valentina - certainly plenty of good advice from Ben. I would agree that you've captured the moment well - wonderfully spontaneous smile. B&W the perfect choice.

Best regards, Roberto