mike and christel: obviously i failed to present my complaints regarding this and mike's last post with sufficient clarity. i completely agree that the daily activity of human beings, while "mundane" in a literal sense, can be the source for some of the greatest photography imaginable. please refer to my comments relevant to mike's image "back to the bar" for a response that reflects my feelings when i think praise for a particular image is justified.(posted 8507 days ago)my problem with these two images is that the only thing notable about their content is the "half double exposure" event itself. in mike's example, people are portrayed sitting around a table, simply existing. in the present image, no doubt that some interaction between the older lady and the young man center front had occurred or might have occurred; unfortunately, at the instant of exposure, the guy blinked. i find myself distracted by that. for the rest, we observe several people sitting on "the metro" in states of internalized demi-sleep. surely we would quickly tire of images of people looking out of windows, unless some added interest factor (beautiful or bizarre appearance, e.g.) were present.
of course i agree that actually taking *any* picture of people in public without asking their permission can be fraught with unpleasant consequences. try shooting inside a large american supermarket for an example of corporate tyranny; however, if i escape with a straight shot of a head of lettuce, i don't believe that would add to the inherent value of the image.
thanks for the opportunity to explain my position.