A busker Playing the Violin beautifully in Westminster tube station in London. I gave him some money. Taken around 9pm on a friday night. Theres no "black border", its the edge of the underground entrance. I was standing outside when I took this photo. A Busker is someone who "plays music or performs entertainment in a public place, usually while soliciting money".
Made the Flickr most interesting List for November 2nd
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This photo was taken on November 2, 2005.
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ALittaM, midnight_jelly, Harshad Sharma, a_quiet_day, and 111 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Kenny Muir (80 months ago | reply)
Makes a change!
colormeblu (80 months ago | reply)
great shot , i like the black border it gives it a tunnel vision (so to speak) , good work.
Comrade_S (80 months ago | reply)
there's no border, its actually just night and thats the edges of the tunnel :-)
h2okatcher [deleted] (80 months ago | reply)
Nice capture! What's a *busker*?!! There's no one in the tube but you & the busker! Wow!
jeanalain (80 months ago | reply)
Cool but the composition bothers me, maybe if you took it from the left-hand side of the tunnel so there was more of the violinist, and you would still keep the sense of abandonment.
-voted as "deleteme" (from the Delete me! group)
Charl Durand (80 months ago | reply)
If you crop about half of the black away top and sides and a few mm off the bottom the pic gets a more balanced feeling. I like the perspective, you must've been on the last train on a Sunday night?
15FeetOfPureWhiteSnow [deleted] (80 months ago | reply)
i don't see any need for this black frame around the image.
-voted as "deleteme2" (from the Delete me! group)
Comrade_S (80 months ago | reply)
there's no black "frame!??!?!!" its the outside of the underground tunnel!!!! And a Busker is someone who "plays music or performs entertainment in a public place, usually while soliciting money" ;-)
JoeFriday (80 months ago | reply)
why the black frame? and what's a Busker?
I drew up my own crop for this before reading the comments, and it turns out I'm consistent with others.. crop it so the Busker (whatever that is) is in the right third.. take out most of the black on the top and the sides, and crop in a little on the bottom.. then it would be pretty good
-voted as "deleteme3" (from the Delete me! group)
midnight_jelly (80 months ago | reply)
i love this image, it depicts the lonleyness of the busker, the black surround of the subway entrance also give the image extra depth and add a certain mystical darkness to it
-voted as "saveme" (from the Delete me! group)
dcJohn (80 months ago | reply)
I like it, but its massive blackened sides go beyond good negative space and into the realm of useless junk to the image.
-voted as "deleteme4" (from the Delete me! group)
feliz paloma (formerly tanguero) (80 months ago | reply)
really nice especially large. love the almost surreal feeling of him playing to a hallway. maybe it's because i've been to a lot of those staions and seen/heard/appreciated the buskers...
great reflections too, and the subtle sloping and curving. nice tones as well: strong blacks, no burnt highlights.
hate the black frame though ;~)
-voted as "saveme" (from Deleteme! group)
AustinTX (80 months ago | reply)
I like this enough I would suggest a resubmit with a tighter crop. But leave it centered for my taste, the busker to the right add just the right amount of asymmetry.
-voted as "deleteme5" (from the Delete me! group)
btezra [deleted] (80 months ago | reply)
~buskers are a fave subject matter of mine so this appealed to me right off teh bat, plus I like the deep dark blacks here, they accentuate the atmosphere of the shot, lastly, the long lighting above brings the viewer's eye and attention deep into the frame, a fine leading line...the shot is perfect as is, the black edges from teh walls are a fine addition to the fame, enclosing the subject, isolating him~
-voted as "saveme2" (from the Delete me! group)
idg (80 months ago | reply)
nice shot
good capture
for me personally - too dark
deleteme6
BGLewandowski (80 months ago | reply)
Love it... I would do a bit less of the side black (is it a doorway?)... but I really like this.
-voted as "saveme3" (from the Delete me! group)
Impossible Mossy (80 months ago | reply)
I really like this photo and I like the blackness around the edge - it makes me feel like an outsider looking in, glimpsing the buskers lonelyness.
You've got a save from me!
BTW - what station is it?
-voted as "saveme4" (from the Delete me! group)
Aytena (80 months ago | reply)
the photo is very nice, but why nobody else but him?i am not sure how to vote....
Harshad Sharma (80 months ago | reply)
The dominating black border speaks about the loneliness of the busker. The exposure, composition and timing are great. Not just a instand fave... this is also a
-voted as "saveme5" (from the Delete me! group)
More Altitude (80 months ago | reply)
Beautiful perspective and mood, well captured.
ken mccown (80 months ago | reply)
I'd really love if you burned the ground darker to make it go with the other three sides.
-voted as "deleteme7" (from the Delete me! group)
takekazu (80 months ago | reply)
need better clob, not enough for save
-voted as "deleteme8" (from the Delete me! group)
venarain (80 months ago | reply)
i don't mind the black on the side, but i really wish it was a sharper shot.
-voted as "deleteme" (from Deleteme! group)
vintagedept (80 months ago | reply)
-voted as "saveme6" (from the Delete me! group)
you are your atman (80 months ago | reply)
I agree with the cropping suggestions and if there was someone walking away at the opposite end it would be a much more emotional shot. As it is is hasn't much impact.
BTW,iIf you find a place to buy a better 'clob' be sure to let me know.
-voted as "deleteme10" (from Deleteme! group)
egan plus the emm [deleted] (80 months ago | reply)
love it!
colur [deleted] (80 months ago | reply)
Excellent shot indeed.
no more sky photos (80 months ago | reply)
Those people who votes for 'deleteme' group are like sheeps, all of them say the same things, and when you see theirs photos, normally they are boring and empties.
How anybody can vote for delete the work of others?. I don't understand why thath group exists
Account Inactive - Changed to /leocavallini (80 months ago | reply)
nice pic!
irodman (80 months ago | reply)
excellent man!
corazón girl (80 months ago | reply)
lovely!
midnight_jelly (80 months ago | reply)
who doesnt know what a busker is??
well for those of u you who tend to walk with your eyes down and ears else where i'll explain:
a busker: is someone who performs in the streets of a town/city to gain money from passers by, they could be singing, playing the guitar, violin(as in this image) or performing a drama act etc etc so there for those of you who didnt know.
i still love this image as it is, the black surround is perfect to add depth and darkness its as if he's playing away his
hours of tourture.
Vitor Castro (80 months ago | reply)
Nice! Great b&w!
egan plus the emm [deleted] (80 months ago | reply)
my friends are buskers then! paying their way through university in the name of street entertainment! :)
Comrade_S (80 months ago | reply)
Thanks for all the comments so far, it was taken at Westminster Station by the way.
controltheweb (80 months ago | reply)
Very nice!
akoestner (80 months ago | reply)
Outstanding shot, very well done.
flection (80 months ago | reply)
Super nice pic:O)
joaobambu (80 months ago | reply)
Comrade, forget the Delete Me group! This shot is a WINNER in my book and for any sane lover of images.
This draws me into the scene, it´s so cinematic, full of emotion and depth.. congrats!
This should be published in a book!
Best regards from Brazil...
Comrade_S (80 months ago | reply)
Again thanks you for all the comments, I really appreciate them all, praise or critique.
ayoye (80 months ago | reply)
Excellent shot! A fav!
Image Zen (80 months ago | reply)
Gorgeous photo -- really rich tones. I like the asymmetry of the composition -- the busker on the right and the small passage leading off to the left. Very nice composition!
Comrade_S (80 months ago | reply)
"This photo is challenging arch from the pool of Highly Competitive - Flickr's 100 Best - www.flickr.com/groups/best100only/. Vote me in!"
SophieMuc (80 months ago | reply)
1of100#1
love the guy playing his instrument and the reflection on the wall!
Nils Windisch (80 months ago | reply)
(vote: "noneof100#1" into the pool of Highly Competitive - Flickr' 100 Best)
a hard one, but i think i wish a different composition, a tighter crop on th person, less black space at the left, right and top or additional black at the bottom.
midnight_jelly (80 months ago | reply)
vote 1of100#2
like i said in my past two posts i love this image, the other image is just not central, i mean its washed out and the contrast isnt high enough
Andrew Morrell Photography (80 months ago | reply)
I like this photo - for many reasons, but mainly for how the busker adds a degree of asymmetry to the photo.
However, I prefer the other photo for its clean depth of field, and overall composition.
(vote: "noneof100 #2" out the pool of Highly Competitive - Flickr' 100 Best)
David Haberlah (80 months ago | reply)
Well chosen! I think this is way more interesting and emotional (maybe because I was busking once, too). Plus I dislike the frame on the other photo. This one is a good example of natural framing made possible. (vote: "1of100 #3" into the pool ofHighly Competitive - Flickr' 100 Best)
q8 (80 months ago | reply)
Oh my pimping ****, so amazingly good!! (..)
(vote: "1of100 #4" into the pool of Highly Competitive - Flickr' 100 Best)
admhmm (80 months ago | reply)
I like this picture better than the other. I think the Busker adds something to the picture that the other one lacks.
vote 1of100#5