Craning for a book

I stood on one of the store's (Strand Books) stepladders for this view with available light from a window (just out of view). The stacks stand over 10 feet high.

To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and
install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player.

Comments

Redskynight says:

it was posed? or something you came across?
I think the sepia tone could be a little softer
because you lost your tonal balance
I really enjoy the composition overall
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

rskoon says:

Wonderful compostion. The sepia tones and her skirt, put this in another time for me.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

Mnemonix says:

Love the texture and the way the subject is lost in thought. Perfect.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

gaspi *your guide says:

@Redskynight - Only the composition was posed, while hoping that the right subject would do something cool. That's how I work shots like this. I tend to agree that this should go lighter on the tonal saturation.

@rskoon & Mnemonix - The rather dingy but large space in the lower Manhattan Strand Books store is a place lost in time, and a great place to lose oneself in its stacks (just like she did). Also, a cool place to spend a lunch hour perusing their great photography book bargains!
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

jaqian says:

Brilliant. How long where you waiting up the ladder for the right shot?
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

gaspi *your guide says:

I moved the ladder into position for the compositional shot and adjusted the topmost books to eliminate harsh white surfaces. I had some books I was "looking at" and kept my eye out for the right subject. Then I would adjust the ladder's position and climb it with a book in tow to make it seem that I was using it to reach the high shelves (with camera strapped to me). The potential subjects (like this one) were unsuspecting and likely too absorbed to pay me attention (ha, that's the New York I know like a book!).
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

Jean Albus says:

Haven't all us book lovers been caught in this pose? This is a universal moment in time frozen. Pretty cool.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

notinponce says:

good one. i really like the composition also. i would have pushed the contrast, though.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

murn says:

I'm enjoying how the top half of the photo gives one impression, and the bottom half a completely different one.

When I put my hand over the bottom half of the image, I see a boyish, bookish woman (the fact that she melts into the books underscores that impression). When I cover the top half -- I see a much more feminine, elegant woman defined beautifully in a ray of light.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

gaspi *your guide says:

Ha. Sounds like a vote to send this one to the "Mixed Messages" group. Brilliant!
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

Walter Q's says:

Besides the woman I like how you have used the book shelfs to give the picture more space. Really well done, I enjoy how you see your city!
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

gaspi *your guide says:

"I enjoy how you see your city! "

Walter, thank you. Your bold statement earns bold treatment, because it ought to remind me what I should strive to achieve with my photographs. (-:
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

YF says:

What a superb moment...
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

algo says:

Up a ladder?.... so you're not that tall!
Great sneaky shot.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

peggy. says:

wall to wall books -- it makes my head hurt wondering where to start. I like it.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

*melanienyc says:

My favorite bookstore with 8 miles of books, carry one of their bags around with me all the time. Nice shot
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

seawallrunner says:

Murn - you are so insightful! I played with the two halves of the image as well.

I like the sepia treatment - it renders the image timeless. She could be a 'modern girl' of the 60s, or a 'conservative office girl' in 2005 - who knows?
Posted 55 months ago. ( permalink )

eir@si says:

great NY people photos
Posted 55 months ago. ( permalink )

Mary Hockenbery (reddirtrose) says:

I agree with seawallrunner - I assumed this was a 40 year old photo at first glance
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

derPlau says:

This photo has been included on iPods sent to US Senators as part of the iPac "Your Senator needs an iPod" program.

(Apparently they send iPods to Senators to educate them about intellectual property issues in the digital age; they've included 101 Creative Commons-licensed Flickr images on the iPods. I've got nothing to do with them, except that one of my images was included as well.)
Posted 41 months ago. ( permalink )

SerialCoder says:

This image has been added to the Flickr Museum for making explore's top 25. Kudos! You can check it out HERE...

Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Ente inexistente says:

Hola, soy el administrador de un grupo llamado De Letras y nos encantaría agregar tu foto al grupo.
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

ajnunezdiscurso says:

Hola, soy el administrador de un grupo llamado Lectores del mundo y nos encantaría agregar tu foto al grupo.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Fer Jimenez says:

nice, congrats!

Hi! I am admin of a group called Books / libros / livros and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 14 months ago. ( permalink )

Barbarazz says:

Please add our beautiful photo to the Book Shop group:
www.flickr.com/groups/98307578@N00/
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

Robin Townsend says:

Real nice!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

yhoitink says:

Thanks for sharing this photo using a CC-license. I used it to illustrate a blogpost about Google Docs.
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

Fer Jimenez says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called "Books"(POST1,COMMENT1), and we'd love to have this added to the group!
--
Found in a search. ( ?² )
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Lux_Imagery says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Sepia Impressions, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Hello! We'd love to have your beautiful photo added to the group
Sepia Impressions
ALSO PLEASE ENTER THIS PHOTO IN OUR CURRENT CONTEST - "SEPIA BOOKS", www.flickr.com/groups/sepia-impressions/discu ss/721576222...
Posted 6 weeks ago. ( permalink )

Would you like to comment?

[?]

	gaspi *your guide's photostream
		417 uploads

This photo also belongs to:

	monochromatic (Set)
		88 items

	people, NYC (Set)
		144 items

	street, NYC (Set)
		210 items

	Critique (Pool)
		0

	Tinted (Pool)
		0

	Mixed Messages (Pool)
		0

	Crossing the Line (Pool)
		0

	Konica Minolta Dimage A2 (A1, A200) (Pool)
		0

	Utata (Pool)
		0

	top-f [ 25+ faves ] (Pool)
		0

	Camera! Action! (or, Not a Still Life) (Pool)
		0

93 people call this photo a favorite

Additional Information

Some rights reserved Anyone can see this photo

Taken on September 27, 2004
Viewed 5,900 times

Add to your map

Yay location removed

...

(Some formats are OK.)

Or, remove it from the map.

Go to the map

You	Sign in \| Create Your Free Account
Explore	Places \| Last 7 Days \| This Month \| Popular Tags \| The Commons \| Creative Commons \| Search
Help	Community Guidelines \| The Help Forum \| FAQ \| Sitemap \| Get Help

Craning for a book

Comments

Redskynight says:

rskoon says:

Mnemonix says:

gaspi *your guide says:

jaqian says:

gaspi *your guide says:

Jean Albus says:

notinponce says:

murn says:

gaspi *your guide says:

Walter Q's says:

gaspi *your guide says:

YF says:

algo says:

peggy. says:

*melanienyc says:

seawallrunner says:

eir@si says:

Mary Hockenbery (reddirtrose) says:

derPlau says:

SerialCoder says:

Ente inexistente says:

ajnunezdiscurso says:

Fer Jimenez says:

Barbarazz says:

Robin Townsend says:

yhoitink says:

Fer Jimenez says:

Lux_Imagery says:

Would you like to comment?

Tags

Additional Information