Billboards and their Context

I keep coming back to this photo. I think it is because the tonal quality of the black and white image is so clear and utilises all of the grey scale. The definition is superb. I also like the rain in the street and the contrast in weather and attitude of the people from the sunny and relaxed image in the poster to the wet and dreary feel in the street.. A very well composed scene. Well done!

The eye (and eyebrow) of the woman in the poster is looking directly at the camera / viewer and is very striking.The pouted lips are central and drew me into the image. Then we see the straw from her mouth entering the cup of the walker. A smooth thief indeed and very amusing! The confident stride of the commuter also helps to give a sense of urgency and motion that contrasts with the surprised stare in the poster. A great achievement that aptly connects the poster with its environment with a witty title. It works really well in monochrome.

I find the three components of this image drew me in and encouraged me to work out what is happening. There is the relatively uninspiring brickwork at the top, then the monochrome posters in the centre combined with the contrasting image of the woman (with dark glasses in the red jacket and yellow carrier bags). The street she is walking on has been underexposed so that itshows as black and adds a bit of mystery to the image.

I very much like the orange colour that dominates this picture. It enables the poster to stand out against the street background. The cyclist, with black coat, is clearly visible against a plain orange backdrop and is perfectly positioned and gives a sense of motion.

The shape of the train carriage with the metal paraphenalia on the roof make this picture interesting at the outset. Then I note the centre see-through section with seats in the carriage. The colours and women in the posters are attractive and a good contrast against the black background. Is the train on a platform? I can't make out how it stands on the track. No matter, whether it is a real train or a poster looking like a train, it doesn't matter. I kept coming back to look at this fascinating image.

The small size of the human forms walking along the pavement enable us to immediately appreciate the huge size of the poster. The hand of the man in the poster is touching the head of the male passer-by. This image works well in my opinion because of its simplicity. The eyes of the elderly couple in the poster are striking and helps to make us concerned for their welfare. This thought contrasts with the day-to-day lives of younger people on the street. De-saturation of the image seems to work well here.

The magnitude of the image and dynamic colour contrasts of the poster immediately catch the eye. And the eyes of the woman in the poster look directly at the viewer. It was only after a second or two that I was drawn to the young footballer on the left. The angle of the bottom left edge of the billboard points to the young man. His confident stride and optimistic look with his football is very appealing. A great shot! indeed!

I love the contrast of the blue man leaping around and the man with head in his arms on the bench. Upon careful looking, it seems that he is actually looking at his phone. The composition shows an immediate connection between the poster and the environment. The man seems so so preoccupied with his phone that he is oblivious to his foot resting on the newspaper. I like the vibrant and contrasting vivid colours too. Simple but effective in the message conveyed.