Street Photo Analysis: Behind the Photo No18 - Tunnel Woman

 

Tunnel Woman taken under Vauxhall Station , Central London

I love these sort of photos. It's one of those photos that many would look and think "nothing to see here". These people would scroll past on Instagram thinking not much here apart from some cool lighting and some interesting brick work . Many others would scroll past then maybe scroll back and maybe give it a quick thumbs up and think "that's nice"  and move swiftly on?

It's the odd few with a keen eye that would spot the woman mid and bottom of the frame then everything starts to click. Without the human element it is more of an architectural photo with an urban bias.  With the woman in the frame it adds another dimension to the photo. Too big she would detract from the rest of the photo. Too small and the human element is lost?

For the Gear Heads

Camera: Nikon S9100 (I call it my Daido Camera)

Date taken:  Tue, 30 January 2024 

Time:  08:50:10

Aperture: F4.5

ISO: 800

Shutter Speed: 1/50 sec

What makes this photo special?

1. The woman gives the photo a sense of scale. You can see it is a woman but you can't identify any further details. Adds an edginess and a sense of mystery to the photo?

2. The photo has a very a slightly sinister feel in terms of mood but it certainly has mood.

3.  It certainly has a Daido Moriyama feel to it in terms of lighting with dense blacks and blown out highlights. 

4. Mid tones are quite limited, but they are there, you just have to look harder, but this photo is more about extremities than subtleties but here's the thing this is a subtle photo.

5. This photo is also about texture, something often overlooked in photos. The texture in the bricks is accentuated by the overhead lighting.

6. Diagonal lines overhead and from left to right in the frame add either depth and perspective or an energy and help to keep the eye moving around the frame. It makes a static potentially lifeless photo, look like it has a raw energy about it?

7. I love the deceptive nature of this photo. On a first fast inspection it's of the "nothing to see here"  category BUT on closer inspection it has a lot going on......... but I think most people would miss it. This is a photo not about "likes" it's more a photo to study closer and one that would generate discussion about the feeling it creates!

My Rating:

If a master photo is a 9 or 10/10 and a mediocre photo is a 5 or 6 out of 10, with utter garbage being a 1 or a 2, I rate this photo as a strong 8/10. 

It has depth, it has surprises, (the woman) it has complex lighting, it has a sense of scale, it has a quiet energy about it. Does it have a story is the only reason this photo hasn't been marked higher. It does have one, but it's not a strong one. I think this photo would be interpreted the same way by  most viewers. No multiple interpretations here? 

I think this photo is more about a feeling or a mood rather than a story........maybe that is the charm of this photo and that is............. its mystery?