Cork Coke Zero Bikeshare Scheme

Lyaiera

I read a book by David Hurn and Bill Jay, On Being a Photographer. It's mainly about documentary style photography (Bill Hurn taught and ran one of the best photography documentary courses in the world for quite a while.) I read the book last year and it's made me want to do a focused documentary on something for quite a while. Recent medical problems freed up quite a lot of my time (when I'm not in hospital, going to doctor's appointments, or at the pharmacy.) With my free time over the past week I decided to focus my negative energy and free time into something productive.

I bought a bike a few years ago, not an amazing one, but not a cheap lump of metal either. I cycled quite a bit last summer and plan on getting back on the bike again once my doctors let me. I always loved the Dublin Bike Scheme and was delighted when it was announced that it was coming to Cork. I love the idea of being able to quickly traverse the city and not having to rely on cars. With that in mind, and with all the bike stations opening this week I selected the Cork Coke Zero Bikeshare Scheme as the focus of this week's photography.

This is what I've come up with so far, and I may add to it. Any comments or critiques would be most welcome. Especially anything on the documentary/photo project nature of it. I know there's more to add to it but I feel I've come up with something worth showing by now.


Cork Bikeshare 1 by mrendatious1, on Flickr


Cork Bikeshare 2 by mrendatious1, on Flickr


Cork Bikeshare 3 by mrendatious1, on Flickr


Cork Bikeshare 4 by mrendatious1, on Flickr


Cork Bikeshare 5 by mrendatious1, on Flickr


Cork Bikeshare 6 by mrendatious1, on Flickr


Cork Bikeshare 7 by mrendatious1, on Flickr


Cork Bikeshare 8 by mrendatious1, on Flickr


Cork Bikeshare 9 by mrendatious1, on Flickr

CabanSail

A good idea for a documentary set and a strong start.

I think you may have to do a bit more on these and other images as for a photojournalism set the images need to tell the story. You really need to work out how to concentrate the attention on the subject and eliminate the distractions. As a rule of thumb everything in the image should be there for a reason, if it has no purpose then it should not be there.

On individual images I think the first one is the strongest. It is a pity you have cropped part of the wheel to the right as you have plenty of room to the left of the frame. If you can re-crop then do so. The lady in the background works well.

The second shot is a busy and it's not clear what it's purpose is in the set.

The third image is good, showing a commuter using a bike, but use of a shallow depth of field here would assist in putting emphasis on the subject while keeping it in it's environment.

Fourth image is fine, showing the bikes in a setting. Maybe not cropping the top of the steeple would be better.

Fifth image is good to show the staff moving bikes around, but there is so much clutter that the message gets a bit lost. Maybe getting in closer would have given a stronger composition.

Sixth image has less distractions but does not grab attention. Not sure why the two ladies are there, are they talking about the bikes or just randoms in the frame? Probably better to get some interest from the bikes being relocated.

Seventh image is very messy and busy and I'm not sure if it adds much to the set.

Eighth is another strong image with a good use of repetition.

Ninth image is once again messy and busy. It is a good idea to show the bikes at night but here the focus is on the bright patch and the bikes are not the subject.

Hope these comment help.

Lyaiera

Thanks Cabansail. I appreciate that.

I'm not sure what you mean by the steeple being cropped on the fourth image. There's sky above it when I see it.

CabanSail

Sorry .... My mistake. It was cropped by my screen. Ignore that comment

magicbastarder

the last 2 photos are the weakest; there's a visual joke in the last one but it's a bit too subtle to be easily spotted.

overall though - too much emphasis on the bike racks themselves (though i think no.6 is the best one there); it's not really engaging with what the scheme is about to take photos of the racks, the scheme is about people using the bikes, and there's only one photo of someone on a bike above.