"Pink Saturday" - Some Portraits

Hi folks,

Last Saturday we had the Dutch Annual Gay Rights Parade, a so-called “Pink Saturday”, right here in my own hometown Bergen op Zoom. So as you can imagine, I was out there shooting the whole day.

Here are some of the keepers which I particularly like. So please let me have your C&C on them. Thx!

Cheers,

Cem

Too controversial?

... or are you just too stunned to comment ;-)

Cheers,

Cem

Uninhibited

Cem,

For me some of the best shooting is at the Christopher Street West (West Hollywood) Gay Pride Parade or the West Hollywood Halloween Celebration. Much like the LoveFest I shot in San Francisco, the participants are uninhibited and want to have fun which makes for great portraits, street or otherwise.

Cem,
I think the expressions on the faces of the people in the 2nd picture are great! I think the 3rd picture is my favorite though. They just look so happy together.

I have to second that...number three is definitely my favorite. The gentle intimacy of the gesture is really touching, especially seen in the company of 2. and 4.

I really admire 2. and 4. for how strong they are and how well the figures are picked out from a chaotic background. And yet, I think they're a little bit TMI (too much information) for me.

Hi Angela,

Thanks for your honest opinion, I appreciate it. This has made me realize that OPF has a global audience with various backgrounds, and belief systems. Although I did not see any harm in these pictures, I can imagine that especially the 4th one can be objectionable to some people. Therefore, I have decided to remove it and recrop the 2nd one.

Regards,

Cem

Cem Usakligil said:

Hi Angela,

Thanks for your honest opinion, I appreciate it. This has made me realize that OPF has a global audience with various backgrounds, and belief systems. Although I did not see any harm in these pictures, I can imagine that especially the 4th one can be objectionable to some people. Therefore, I have decided to remove it and recrop the 2nd one.

Regards,

Cem

Click to expand...

Cem

I don't agree with you, self censorship should not be used here as far as we do not go over.
Nowadays, the pictures you did post should not be a problem.
Otherwise OPF sould not be O (open) but PCF (Postal Card Forum)…

It is not because there are sex-shop in the street that I will get in… same for here!

Nononono!

Cem, you misunderstand me. When I say TMI it does not mean that I find the images too graphic. I mean, aesthetically, perhaps it is a little bit too direct. It's not that I find men kissing or crotch grabbing objectionable. I certainly don't think you should be censoring yourself even if my tender feelings <i>were</i> offended, which they are not.

Actually, it is interesting that I preferred the third one since in general I like pictures that are on the dramatic and daring side. I think the reason 2. and 4. did not appeal to me like 3. and 1. is because they are so straight-on -- those people are simply documented, raw, with what seem like little input from the photographer. No area of the picture are more in or out of focus than any other area. The angle of the camera is close to perpendicular to the figures, which are placed dead center in the frame.

What adjective do you think applies to the scene depicted in 2? It might be interpreted, depending on the camera angle and other editorial decision made by the photographer as 'cheeky,' 'sly,' 'naughty,' 'a caught moment' or whatever. But these shots are so direct I don't feel any of those things. Instead, they come across as exhibitionists, posing for the camera. Same with 4. I feel like the subjects are specimen splayed against the glass. Compare to 1. and 3., which are lovely depictions of moments with people.

With one, you have a nice sense of the girls' lovely eyes engaging with the camera, rather shyly with the case of the girl with the pink hair. In 3. it is a tender, private moment in a public setting that the camera gave us the privilege to share.