As I walked past this chestnut seller listening to his music, I wondered about his life -- and the lives of so many chestnut sellers here in Istanbul. I don't see many people buying chestnuts, yet I see chestnut sellers on every corner. I was particularly struck by this image of the steam against the dark night and the light coming out of the cemetery. I cropped the bottom of the street and the harsher light on the right but I kept as much as possible to give the feeling of isolation. (Well, near isolation. I wish the man wasn't in the background because I find him a bit distracting in this photo.)
This is fabulous. Ditto Keyt's comment about the chap in the background - I just hope that the steam is coming off the chestnuts, not whatever the fella behind is doing!
@keyt427@steampowered -- you two made me smile already. I just posted the photo, 2am in my home time zone but 10 am where I currently am, and within minutes I have two comments. 365ers always make me feel like the community exists around the world and I will never be lonely! Steamed chestnuts here taste very different from roasted chestnuts in my homeland. These have more of a サクサク texture and less intense flavor. (I have no clue how to explain the texture difference in English so I will have to think about that today. Unless MIchael steps up in his role as Japanese teacher.)
Where are you from and where are you now? This is why I love 365, you get to see photos from around the world! Sometimes foreign photos make mine look quite dull!
Great shot!! I love street photography...It is so challangeing. The subject and elements keeps on changing so fast. We have to be really creative. One day I too wish to visit Istanbul. In this pic the time has played important role. Very soon I will take picture of peanut seller and will share it with you.
This is wonderful...I didn't notice the man in the background until reading your description, my eye was pulled right to the chestnut seller! Great lighting!
@keyt427 -- I was born in Tokyo, raised in Okinawa, moved to the US as a college student, and live in Chicago now. But my work takes me all over the world, and I love traveling. One of my motivations in joining 365 was to enhance the way I see the world and to try to learn to capture more of the experience of being in each country. I'm only 20 days into this project and I have already learned so much from the community!
To answer your second question, I am in Istanbul, Turkey now. Going to Ankara next.
@roadshow and @pflaume -- I'm glad you also see the mood of isolation in this photo. Good news for the chestnut seller . . . tonight, he had customers at his cart when I walked by!
@hemu -- time playing an important role -- I hadn't even thought of that, but you are absolutely right! Thanks for helping me think about this photo and why it worked. I have never taken street photography much before. Partly, it's as you say, the subject and the elements keep changing so quickly that as soon as I think it's an interesting image, it only lasts a moment and it's gone. I'm still very slow with my camera, and it takes me time to think about settings, etc. so I can't respond quickly. Perhaps this will be a challenge for me to think about working on. Can't wait to see your photo of peanut sellers! Where are you?
@ruthhill75 -- I have to laugh about your comment on "beautiful mixture of interesting shots" because I keep thinking that they are so random since I decided to jump in and participate in a week-long challenge my first week, and because I have no "photographic style" yet, and because I am grasping at whatever I can find many times.
This is very atmospheric, indeed! mmm chestnuts! Sounds like I might like Turkish ones more than Japanese ones - more intense flavor with a bit more crunch, you say? I can see why you chose this one!
I don't know why it reminds me of New York City. somehow I can picture this shot having been taken right next to the NYC public library downtown Manhattan..
To answer your second question, I am in Istanbul, Turkey now. Going to Ankara next.
@hemu -- time playing an important role -- I hadn't even thought of that, but you are absolutely right! Thanks for helping me think about this photo and why it worked. I have never taken street photography much before. Partly, it's as you say, the subject and the elements keep changing so quickly that as soon as I think it's an interesting image, it only lasts a moment and it's gone. I'm still very slow with my camera, and it takes me time to think about settings, etc. so I can't respond quickly. Perhaps this will be a challenge for me to think about working on. Can't wait to see your photo of peanut sellers! Where are you?
@lynnb, @jodimuli, @beekeeper, thanks for your kind comments!
@ruthhill75 -- I have to laugh about your comment on "beautiful mixture of interesting shots" because I keep thinking that they are so random since I decided to jump in and participate in a week-long challenge my first week, and because I have no "photographic style" yet, and because I am grasping at whatever I can find many times.
Thanks, all!