Part 1 of Behind the Photo with myself looking at, analysing, going behind the scenes and ripping apart my own photos to see how they scrub up under the microscope….if at all?
Garry Winogrand said in an interview that “you have to be your own toughest critic” He was spot on with that statement.

Double Yellow Lines Woman (Behind the Photo)
This one was taken very early 2024 in East London down Brick Lane. Personally I rate this photo. It’s a street photo meets abstract with a hint of fine art. It has a touch of the Saul Leiter about it. I think it is an 8/10 as it has some complexity. Others may disagree?
How was it taken? Kneeling down near a puddle and catching odd reflections from passers by.
Camera Used: Nikon S9100. £50 on ebay!
Focal Length: Somewhere in the wide angle end of the zoom spectrum
Weather Conditions: cloudy but bright. One of those diffused sunlight sort of days
Positives
Connections: It’s different. It challenges normal perspectives. It plays tricks with your mind. She is walking in a world of graffiti and double yellow lines and street art.
Composition: The woman is placed on the rule of thirds right and her head is on the rule of thirds both vertical and horizontal
Rule of odds? Single woman?
Layering: The foreground is the double yellow lines. The woman is in the mid ground layer. The background is made up of street art and graffiti. We certainly have 3 layers going on here!
Undisturbed scene: Surprisingly she didn’t see me crouched down like a mad person, so scene undisturbed.
Story: I would say this photo is showing a woman in a heavily urban environment so some story here but more a message. A hint of mystery is in the air.
Context: It’s quite clearly taken in an urban city type environment but it can’t be narrowed down to London.
Technically: This photo is not about sharpness, the puddle has muted the sharpness to give it a mildly painterly effect.
Lighting and Tonality: Good tonal range from dense blacks to blown out highlights and shades of grey in between. Lighting is soft and muted and suits the scene.
Mood: Mysterious and Urban with a dash of brain frying confusion
Subject? Quite clearly the woman is the subject, everything else is there in a more supportive role.
Negatives:
It’s a street photograph but some may find it a bit too arty to be a true street photograph
A story is present as in a woman in an urban environment but not much else further is going on but the mystery thing seems to hold it together.
Would I send this off to Magnum? Possibly although it’s not that strong in the documentary photo journalism department.!
Summary
This photo is an unknown quantity. I think it is an 8/10 but would look more at home in an art gallery rather than anything related to a street photography exhibit. As always anything to do with the arty or creative is subjective.
Leave your comments below. Utter garbage, just another mediocre also ran street photo like 90% of them out there…….. or wow this is really something else? Me it’s original, arty, creative and a solid 8/10