Decisive moment by a master??

S

saiseto

Guest
Saw these photos in the link below (it was posted on a HK photographic forum). The photographer has been entitled as a master in Hong Kong. From the forum he put up these photos, he seems quite happy that he has done a great job in capturing a decisive moment. However, I honestly don't know how to appericate these photos. Just wondering how do people from the other parts of the world think about these photos, are they good and I'm only be the odd one that don't know how to enjoy them?
What interested me the most is that he has even pointed out that photo by Robert Capa taken on the D day are not pin sharp and blur due to camear shake, what's important is the concept on image and photography. But I really think that was a completely different case between capa and his situation.

http://www.sendpix.com/albums/05032805/t2gmqz75i8/
 
And they call him a master? I hope they don't see our gallery, this guy would be kicked to the curb! At least Capa can use the excuse he was being shot at, bombed all during an invasion and the fact that the lab ruined most of his film.

Todd
 
I really can't say I've seen anything here that isn't seriously superior to those ... attempts at a picture. Heck, just go to the gallery home page and the random image selection will give you 20 shots that are better than those. (Shakes head and walks away muttering to himself about some people's kids these days...)

WIlliam
 
I'm not sure how I feel about them either.

Only the third one in the sequence comes remotely close to being interesting to me, but I keep thinking that only the people should have been blurred, that would have given the shot much more emotional impact and captured the joy. I think he either needed to be further away or much closer to really punch it up. Awful lot of either technical mistakes or just bad choices, not sure which.

Overall, I'm just left with the impression of a photographer who put an SLR/DSLR on motor-drive and hoped technology would bail him out and get the shot. Admittedly, I'm nowhere near being a great photographer myself, but still... bah, what do I know anyway. I just know what I like and that ain't it.
 
what i mean by the 'master in Hong Kong' is many people here in HK do admit him as one of the very best photographer in HK. He's currently the editor of several photographic magazine in HK (including photographic magazine, DC photo, DIGIT Weekly, etc). And he has very recently interviewed by the DCphoto magazine, HK for the 'Pro Talk' session I believe he has writen at least 1 or 2 books to teach basic photographic skill as well.

I have just finished my study in the UK and start my work in HK for half a year, and when i saw these photo by the 'master', this really disappointed me about the photographic standard in HK. I would strongly doubted if Garry Coward-Williams (editor of the Amateur photographer(AP), UK), Bob Aylott (Features Editor of the AP, UK), Ailsa McWhinnie (editor of the Black and White Photography, UK) or Mike Maloney would put up anything like that to the public??
 
Those photos look like something taken with a cheap digi P&S, by a three-year old... which is probably what they are...

Denis
 
it's like a lomograph - only shot from afar and without the candy colored flash. There isn't much to say about the composition or exposure.

In a word- unremarkable.
 
just an extra information for everyone, these photos was taken with a Canon 20D and a 17mm lens which is one of the best DSLR on the market i believe.
 
He clearly had his motor drive working to keep the shutter clicking in hopes of catching some decent moment! But he did choose a good occasion, one with an evident story to it. And the third pic is reasonably sharp and misses including some of the distraction of the first one. I would have put up #3 and left it at that.
 
Pro/Amature DSLR ;) But remember, its not the camera that takes good pictures. Its the person behind it. Oh and the glass too..
 
Are we really talking about this sequence of snaps?! It's not even remotely interesting! Maybe there's some photographic current in HK that appreciates it but I can't be bothered. This sequence has nothing in common with Capa's D-day shots, and if these shots were mine I'd be hard-pressed to show them to anyone. Sorry, but this is unworthy of a "master", either self-confessed or not.
 
Perhaps some links to his other works might be helpful in figuring this one out. We really shouldn't judge the guy based on a sequence of similar shots and not knowing what else he's capable of.

There's never a bad picture really, only nicer ones.
 
what i mean by the 'master in Hong Kong' is many people here in HK do admit him as one of the very best photographer in HK. He's currently the editor of several photographic magazine in HK (including photographic magazine, DC photo, DIGIT Weekly, etc). And he has very recently interviewed by the DCphoto magazine, HK for the 'Pro Talk' session I believe he has writen at least 1 or 2 books to teach basic photographic skill as well.
Click to expand...

Sometimes people will first look at the signature, then comment on the photo. I seriously encourage them to do exactly the opposite :)
 
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Terence T

I would strongly agree with you. However, the problem is I can hardly find any other of his photo on the internet. And the only 3 other photos I've seen on his interview is hardly mean anything to me. Perhpas, I should scan these photos and post it up later.
 
a couple of photos by the photographer that i've scanned from his interview on DC Photo, Hong Kong. Hope that's help!
 
Do i miss something on that page, or is really the question about four (4) successive shots of the same, somewhat cliche, scene that one can see and photograph at every single arrival of a mass transportation vehicle?

If he chose to go for such a "refreshing" subject, at least should have tried to make it more interesting - angle of view, background, colours, something.
 
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