# Homeless in San Fran



## IanRB (Feb 11, 2008)

I took a trip to San Francisco and this homeless man was in the Muni station with a interesting looking instrument.  Unfortunately he was sleeping so i felt kind of bad taking this picture without him even knowing but heres what i got anyways.  Let me know what you think.


And if anyone knows what this instrument is i would really like to know. thanks


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## leila (Feb 11, 2008)

nice pic... no idea of the instrument though.


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## Harmony (Feb 11, 2008)

My first thought was a mandolin, then a banjo. Now I'm pretty sure it is neither, so we can rule out mandolin and banjo....


On the picture side of things: the pose of the man is very strange. I keep looking at him, just looking at him. You definately caught him in a strange pose. One pet peeve I have, the blown highlights of the window sill/rims behind him...


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## IanRB (Feb 11, 2008)

Harmony said:


> My first thought was a mandolin, then a banjo. Now I'm pretty sure it is neither, so we can rule out mandolin and banjo....
> 
> 
> On the picture side of things: the pose of the man is very strange. I keep looking at him, just looking at him. You definately caught him in a strange pose. One pet peeve I have, the blown highlights of the window sill/rims behind him...



Ha ya his pose is kind of weird but he was sleeping so i couldnt help that.  And the blown out highlights were actually a white light around a poster.


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## Puscas (Feb 11, 2008)

the instrument is a surbahar . 


Like your picture. Maybe yes, the bright rim around the poster is a little distracting. But other then that: :thumbup:






pascal


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## IanRB (Feb 11, 2008)

Thanks, haha interesting instrument


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## spiffybeth (Feb 11, 2008)

i love it. i think a lot is said just in the position he's sleeping.


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## jstuedle (Feb 11, 2008)

Interesting shot, it speaks volumes. The contrast between the cleanliness of the building and sidewalk compared to the subject is striking. And B&W was appropriate for this image IMO. I most likely am mistaken, but is that instrument a Sitar? 

 I on the other hand am not bothered by the blow highlights. Had you exposed for the h-lights, then the remainder of the shot would be grossly underexposed. My pet peeve, complaining about highlights and not realizing the what and why.


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## IanRB (Feb 11, 2008)

jstuedle said:


> Interesting shot, it speaks volumes. The contrast between the cleanliness of the building and sidewalk compared to the subject is striking. And B&W was appropriate for this image IMO. I most likely am mistaken, but is that instrument a Sitar?
> 
> I on the other hand am not bothered by the blow highlights. Had you exposed for the h-lights, then the remainder of the shot would be grossly underexposed. My pet peeve, complaining about highlights and not realizing the what and why.



Thanks for the comments


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## That One Guy (Feb 11, 2008)

i like this picture

i am interested in this man. the ability to play a bass sitar isnt something you learn overnight or even on your own. plus the instrument probably wasnt cheap. of all of the instruments to play.....why the bass sitar? trained musician?

just from what i can see on this pic......he doesnt look homeless.
 his clothes and shoes seem to be in decent shape.

maybe he is just a poor musician


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## That One Guy (Feb 11, 2008)

nice pic btw.......i keep going back and looking at it  :thumbup:


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## SamGuss (Feb 11, 2008)

Very striking.

Sam


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## IanRB (Feb 11, 2008)

That One Guy said:


> i like this picture
> 
> i am interested in this man. the ability to play a bass sitar isnt something you learn overnight or even on your own. plus the instrument probably wasnt cheap. of all of the instruments to play.....why the bass sitar? trained musician?
> 
> ...




Ya your right, probably a poor musician trying to make a living.  Thanks for the comment and thanks sam


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## cameramike (Feb 11, 2008)

even if he is just trying to make a few extra bucks still a very powerful image. i love it, its powerful because it shows the extent some go to, to make money, forget sitting in a cubicle and complaining that its to stuffy in the office, there are those out on the cold streets trying to just make a couple bucks by doing something they picked up probably on the streets.


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## That One Guy (Feb 11, 2008)

cameramike said:


> even if he is just trying to make a few extra bucks still a very powerful image. i love it, its powerful because it shows the extent some go to, to make money, forget sitting in a cubicle and complaining that its to stuffy in the office, there are those out on the cold streets trying to just make a couple bucks by doing something they picked up probably on the streets.




absolutely!!

for some reason i keep going back to this image. very powerful as you said.

there aren't that many shots posted at this forum that make me really "look" at them the way this one has and to keep me looking as well.

to the OP-
i neglected to say this earlier:
very well composed. very interesting subject. good eye!!

excellent capture  :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## Harmony (Feb 11, 2008)

@jstuedle:   I complained about the highlights because I don't like them. I realize the problem of exposing for highlights, but highlights can be fixed in photoshop or other photo-editing software.


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## Keith Gebhardt (Feb 11, 2008)

Harmony said:


> @jstuedle: I complained about the highlights because I don't like them. I realize the problem of exposing for highlights, *but highlights can be fixed in photoshop or other photo-editing software*.




and another quote:
That One Guyi like this picture

*i am interested in this man. the ability to play a bass sitar isnt something you learn overnight or even on your own. plus the instrument probably wasnt cheap. of all of the instruments to play.....why the bass sitar? trained musician?*

just from what i can see on this pic......he doesnt look homeless.
his clothes and shoes seem to be in decent shape.

maybe he is just a poor musician 


1st off, editing a photo in photoshop is more of.. cheating. yes, great results and it is known in the photog world as fair game. but its the true... eye captured image that strikes your soul the most. imo... no aruguments.

2nd off, i absolutely agree with "that one guy". there was once an episode on 60minutes about "homeless" guys/ladies sitting the streets. 9 out of 10 of them being fakes and that nice BMW or Lexus across the street is theres. Most likely paid for in cash. 

Its sad to say that because there are true homeless people that really need the money. but its the truth.

And in agreement with "that one guy", expensive instrument, knowing how to play, is somthing im sure isnt a homeless guys 1st priority. IMO


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## Keith Gebhardt (Feb 11, 2008)

o and on a quick note... those look like pretty new kicks hes wearing as well... ?


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## IanRB (Feb 11, 2008)

Keith Gebhardt said:


> 2nd off, i absolutely agree with "that one guy". there was once an episode on 60minutes about "homeless" guys/ladies sitting the streets. 9 out of 10 of them being fakes and that nice BMW or Lexus across the street is theres. Most likely paid for in cash.




Hahah i've actually seen a fake before.  I was little and there was a man with hook hands asking for money and then when i was waiting in the car for my mom to finish mailing something i saw him get in a car, take his "hook hands" off, and drive away.  Very sad, yet kind of humorous at the same time.  




That One Guy said:


> absolutely!!
> 
> for some reason i keep going back to this image. very powerful as you said.
> 
> ...




Thanks a lot That One Guy, means a lot to me that someone likes my picture that much.  Thanks again to everyone who posted a good comment or a comment of constructive criticism


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## leila (Feb 11, 2008)

Keith Gebhardt said:


> o and on a quick note... those look like pretty new kicks hes wearing as well... ?




looks to me like his shoe has holes in the soles... maybe you buy them new like that nowadays? haha


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## doobs (Feb 11, 2008)

Amazing photo. It really speaks.


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## IanRB (Feb 11, 2008)

leila said:


> looks to me like his shoe has holes in the soles... maybe you buy them new like that nowadays? haha



haha ya i think the shoe companies saw that ripped jeans were selling, why not shoes with holes


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## Lorielle99 (Feb 12, 2008)

this pic is absolutly gorgeous. so much emotion behind it. sometimes this is all i wanna do. runaway and live on the streets and play music, even tho i cant. anyway, this is by far one of my fav photos on this site.


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## IanRB (Feb 12, 2008)

Thanks Lorielle!!


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## Early (Feb 17, 2008)

IanRB said:


> I took a trip to San Francisco and this homeless man was in the Muni station with a interesting looking instrument.  Unfortunately he was sleeping so i felt kind of bad taking this picture without him even knowing but heres what i got anyways.  Let me know what you think.
> 
> 
> And if anyone knows what this instrument is i would really like to know. thanks


I like everything about this photo.  Composition, tones, etc.  Just the burned out highlights in the window frame is all.

Did you do this in a darkroom or on a computer?


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## nealjpage (Feb 17, 2008)

This is one of the most peaceful looking homeless men that I have ever seen in SF.  Last time I was there a guy asked me for a dollar.  I had two bills in my pocket and accidentally pulled out a five first.  When I shoved that back in my pocket and pulled out the one, he demanded the five and wouldn't let me continue down Market Street.  I also watched a guy take a dump on the sidewalk.

I'm not sure what my point is here--nice picture and good capture, but I'm not sure if it's indicative of the homeless population of SF.  That last point doesn't really matter and I'm gonna shut up now.  Nice picture.


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## Lorielle99 (Feb 17, 2008)

no prob ian, i want to print it out and put it on my wall


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## IanRB (Feb 17, 2008)

Early said:


> Did you do this in a darkroom or on a computer?



I did it on the computer.  Didn't really do too much to it, i think just a crop and contrast.  Oh and the black and white conversion of course.  




Lorielle99 said:


> no prob ian, i want to print it out and put it on my wall



Haha go right ahead. That would be cool.  
I wish i had a decent printer, i want to print some of my pictures and put it in an album or something but my printer is awful.


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