1x.com - German girl in Aachen - Hommage to Ruth Orkin by Balazs Pataki

Photos Artists Forum Tutorials Critique Books Buy Prints About

Stumble 1X

Tour

Join

Sign in

German girl in Aachen - Hommage to Ruth Orkin

Related photos

Write

mohammad SH-R 6 months ago

impressive

Zoltan Huszti 2 years ago

gratulalok Balazs!!!!!!
:-)))) a kep megerdemelte, hogy ide bekerüljön!

fbaillet 2 years ago

Excellent
a lot of feelings in there !!!
really love the difference between the woman face and body language(she seems complety frightened)
and the other guys

A great eye candy
well done

Balazs Pataki She was a good actor that's for sure :) Merci!

zsolo 2 years ago

Ügyivagy!!!

Balazs Pataki Dolgozom rajta :)

JBA 2 years ago

Nice one Balazs ;-) I don't find the boys anything like as threatening ( to the girl ) as the men in the original so the dynamics are different. They are too young ( no sexual tension ) and too nice ;-) and they don't, and the image doesn't have, the weight of historical 'male oppression' that the original bunch of guys had, and that the original image had. . if that makes sense. But so what? It was a fun thing to do and it came out great. . .
Jon

Balazs Pataki Yeah, the guys were cute and friendly. Probably the "male oppression" thing in the original comes from the expression on the model's face - she's looking there like a chased animal which mighzt or might not have been how Orkin wanted her to look... imagine a flirtatious face! Thanks.

Colmar Wocke 2 years ago

Balazs,

Congratulations on some streetwork!

Colmar

Balazs Pataki Thank you Colmar.

snehula 2 years ago

:-) ezt jol kifogtad :-))

Marcin Delektowski 2 years ago

Thank you for this photography because it made me interested in Ruth Orkin photographies. The truth is that the beauty of Jinx Allen is unbeatable!

sasson haviv 2 years ago

cool remake !!
good job espcially with time limitation.. resourceful

Willem de Vlaming 2 years ago

Hi Balazs,

A nice recreational shot...;-)
It is interesting to see the similarities in the composition, but there is also a definitive shift in the age of the population. To me it seems the mood is different. The original by Orkin representing a rather uncomfortable situation for the woman in the picture. This remake seems to be more menacing in a way. In the first one a group of individual 'men behaving badly' this one conveys more the feeling of a more coherent group 'gang'

I find it interesting to notice I read the visual signals in the images different.

Cheers, Willem

Balazs Pataki Dank u Willem - it is actually very rewarding to see all the different reactions to this photo, mostly due to how much people know about this "Ostviertel" kind of context.

Antonio Diaz 2 years ago

Good eye :)

Balazs Pataki Thank you Antonio!

Antonio Diaz 2 years ago

Good eye :)

Dalibor Talajic 2 years ago

Great moment and catch! Love it.
...
I should have read the instructions first :)
Nevertheless and just the same, the image is great, the story is real and funny. :)

Balazs Pataki I'm glad you didn't change your opinion after reading the instructions :) Thanks Dalibor!

Thaib Chaidar 2 years ago

great shot..!!

Balazs Pataki Thanks Thaib, cheers!

Thomas Holtkoetter 2 years ago

Hi Balazs,

I'm late in commenting, but this gave me the chance to see and read all the various comments below which I would have missed most probably being one of the first here :-)

To make it short :

1)

I'm impressed about the efforts that you and the other photographers are putting into our Aachen book. Not only from the photographic view, but also regarding the time and money you are investing for this project. This support is not self-evident and I can only say "Thank you" ( hoping not to get the bills later :-).

2)

I know the town, the area, the people there and the Orkin shot, of course.
The idea of the remake and the result is very pleasing for me - seeing that the boys are participating and have fun to make this remake is giving the picture itself a new intention as you said before - It's showing the Ostviertel as it is.
I'm proud to include it in our book and to publish it.

3)

A small selection of blurred, street, architectural, experimental, staged and what ever shots for our Aachen book can be seen here :
http://www.8-125.com/gallery/2955

Good to have you on board, Balazs !

Balazs Pataki I am very happy if you pick this for your book indeed. I'll go back to Aachen one more time to take some shots of a certain young lady and hope to do it before the deadline. This time, I'll do the sacrilege to a Brassai portrait :)

KPK What a colletion Thomas! I like the great variety of the shots!

Phyllis Clarke 2 years ago

Mr. B - I have to applaud you for actually finding seven people willing to re-create this scene for you. It is fun to compare the two. Forget writing, maybe you could be a Director? :) Congratulations..very good homage..:) Phyllis

jacques philippe By the way Balazs should have hired an additional kid and re-titled "Snowy White and the seven dwarfs (in Oesterviertel)" :))

Balazs Pataki :))) Actually, re-making Grimm's tales could be another cool idea...

Codrin Lupei 2 years ago

Great one, Balazs, I don't know what more could be said after all these comments, for sure you've had an excellent idea to do this! I love it!

Balazs Pataki Many thanks Codrin.

Geir Danielsen 2 years ago

Great strong capture
exellent street!

Balazs Pataki Thank you Geir, even if it's a "conceptual street" :)

gerard sexton 2 years ago

Malice a fore thought was always to be proven in murder & I think in plagiarism too....how do you plead sir?

Balazs Pataki Not guilty and plead for dismissal of all charges on the ground of no crime committed. Plagiarism is when I claim that an idea or artwork of someone else is mine. This is not the case here.
And now: libel and defamation go hand in hand with false charges. To which part do you plead guilty?

gerard sexton ...whoops I was only being funny & only asking a rhetorical question not charging anyone so neither!

Urban Rosenqvist 2 years ago

This is great!

Balazs Pataki Thanks you!

Pierre Pageau 2 years ago

félicitations .

Balazs Pataki Merci encore.

Faddoush 2 years ago

lol!!! under the spot light!....man we men are pigs sometimes :)))) Excellent street my friend!

Balazs Pataki It's more of a conceptual ny friend, and now it's in the proper channel. Thanks!

Semir 2 years ago

Very good. It reminds me a bit of this picture: http://www.arts-wallpapers.com/photography/american_girl_in_italy/01/american_girl_in_italy800.jpg

Balazs Pataki Bingo! Yes it is the remake of the Orkin-shot, to the best of my abilities. Should we ever meet in a member's meeting, remind me to pay your drinks.

Yakov Shvartz 2 years ago

The capture is so impressive so much so that I thought some part of it must have been staged. Anyway, after reading through the comments (had to pause for air) I understood that the shot was indeed staged. Maybe not a "pure" street shot, maybe conceptual?

I like the movement of the woman and that guy on the left with the foot against the wall. I think you can crop from the top and not lose much, a "widescreen" version looks better to me but I am not sure you like these sort of cropping.

Well done.

Balazs Pataki Toda Yakov, your suggestion is appreciated. Maybe I'll reconsider this if Thomas decides to include the photo in his book. I have already asked the crew to change the section.

Andre du Plessis 2 years ago

Relieved to see your creation up here Balazs! Congrats! It all makes the weekend all so much sweeter.
Just as well that this was done before our Vat 69 encounter, otherwise we might have only seen the gargoyles along the top of this impressive building, or the distant trail of a passing plane.
...Oops...did I just say that? :):)

Balazs Pataki Excuse me sir, but didn't I meet you recently in a gay bar in the company of a gorgeous blonde with deep smoky voice? :)))

Andre du Plessis They should have written that in English at the door! However, given the differential in vertical height from your rather low vantage point and the low life, I mean light....which I like, I am surprised that you recognised me.....and jealousy will get you nowhere:)

Balazs Pataki Yeah I know I'm ugly and look uselessly noisy on a D3 shot but you look smart and sharp on a 5D shot. I wonder why? :))

Andre du Plessis It is because you are lying supine on the floor of a gay bar, my friend:) never mind that the window dressings are draped all over you:):) LOL LOL

Thomas Holtkoetter Damned, what did I miss that night ?

Al Sheihk 2 years ago

Six pairs of eyes hunters are exactly on the very same spot of the prey,this is really a great and fine street catch,this really something.

Balazs Pataki Shukran! :)

Ada Panich 2 years ago

Great capture!! :D

Balazs Pataki Thanks Ada.

Boedi Wiyarno 2 years ago

Wow, a great one. the content is simple and powerfull

Balazs Pataki Many thanks Boedi.

Ricky Siegers 2 years ago

Super eyes Balazs, the story is so strong.

Balazs Pataki It has been told before but a good story is still a good story... Thanks Ricky.

Ricky Siegers But I am happy that I got the story from you Balazs.
Great work

Tim Corbeel 2 years ago

I followed the topic in the forum and I didn't expect this. :)
I like it a lot Balazs. Will be a great addition to the book.

Balazs Pataki I'm afraid Thomas doesn't like it, but now it's on 1X and managed the jump into our little hall of fame... it was worth it. Thanks Tim!

Tim Corbeel :)) Well, then I'm glad to seee it here. ;)

Thomas Holtkoetter It is in our little hall of fame now but it will jump into the big hall of fame for sure, at latest by October this year :-)

Tim Corbeel Will write a short impression on my Aachen visit asap. ;)

KPK 2 years ago

:-)

Balazs Pataki I admit, I'm really happy to see this published, even more than usually...

KPK Sorry for my edit, but to be frank I'm unsecure what to write here, so I just keep smiling :-)

nicoleta gabor 2 years ago

great capture,she's surrounded by the boys's eyes,she's Mrs.Robinson :))

Balazs Pataki Yes she was, and the boys were quite disappointed when I told them before the shooting, "And now, the model will change right in front of our eyes... unfortunately only the shoes". Thanks Nicoleta!

Kevin Ng 2 years ago

You hit it out of the park on this one Balazs - really nicely seen!

Balazs Pataki Nicely re-made perhaps?... hope people who like it still like it if they know the original.

Kevin Ng Set up or not - her expression is wonderful and at the end of the day, a picture that engenders "something" in the viewer is a good one, at least IMO.

S.C. 2 years ago

great shot!

Balazs Pataki Thanks Stefania!

Robert Jurjevic 2 years ago

I think I see the 'point', but according to my taste (which is in no way a measure of quality) it is only a 'snapshot' (for me a photo with no photographic value)... (sorry for negative criticism, but if one is not free to express his or her opinion freely on 1X, however he or she may be 'wrong' or 'right', whether the photo is published or in critique, etc., this web site may be nothing more that yet another 'controlled' media, well maybe all media is controlled and this is unavoidable)... vanishing point may help the composition, the building though IMHO is 'badly' framed, the surrounding is somewhat 'ugly' for my taste, and the story is 'banal' in my view... and yes I haven't picked up this image because the photographer name is Balazs Pataki, but because of the image itself, Balazs, I do apologise for picking only on you, as for my taste, there are a lot of images on 1X for which I could say the same or even worse... sorry once again for not being positive about this photo... thanks for understanding ...what I like on this photo the most is probably her shoes... I hope that this comment of mine will be regarded merely as my personal opinion about this photo which I wished to publicly express... thanks

Balazs Pataki I will be frank here: I too think that this is not the best image from my Aachen shots "commissioned" by Thomas Holzkoetter, but I am very happy to see it published for a vindication of the efforts I put into this photo. And to be honest, I like it even if I would do some things differently now (see my reply to jaques philippe), for the reasons below.

It is a remake of a famous street photo by Ruth Orkin titled "American girl in Italy" from 1951. Seeing that most images selected by Thomas for his project are architectural and mood/abstract shots, I tried to do something different (I suck at architecture anyway) and wanted to re-create the Orkin shot in order to produce something light and funny. I booked a model and we went to the Ostviertel (the immigrant quarter of Aachen) and gathered willing youngsters in cafés. I let them stand more or less casually like the Italian guys in Orkin's photo, and had the model walk through them. Now, the thing I like about this shot is how differently the context has been understood. While "Amerian girl in Italy" stands for Mediterranean charm, the reactions to this photo show a more political perception of this photo (immigration etc) even though this was NOT my intention. It is always amazing to see that photos work totally independently from the artist's intentions, like dogs set off from their leash.
Several people found the scene intimidating for the female actor, but in reality we had great fun with the boys and they were very helpful despite their street-gangish looks.
I hope now that knowing the connection to Ruth Orkin's photograph you see it differently. I'm not 100% satisfied with the remake part, I wish there would have been more local guys available, better weather and a more charismatic neighbourhood, but Aachen is not Firenze.

jacques philippe Interesting what you say about interpretation... It's probably the air of time. Yesterday I had a chat with another street photog downtown Boston. He told me he was banned from some photo website because of posting pictures of homeless people with too much social oriented titles/comment. Not sure if it was the real reason but anyway many people today jump quickly on such contents, involving people of "special" condition, looking at the condition rather than at the individual and what is doing. Same for the famous "3rd world child motif" of course... Lots of PC-ness, everywhere in different forms.

Balazs Pataki I Don't know, homeless shots can be tricky, and of course this can be tricky too. In any case, if there was any part on my side to add a contemporary-social-political context it was hidden deep in subconsciousness, if at all.

jacques philippe Indeed photo of homeless people are tricky. Not technically. Some folks know to do it. Others don't. I don't. And you don't learn that on a photo website.

Balazs Pataki Putting homeless into a political context - as your friend did, as you said - is the trickiest. There seems to be a shortage of Florence Owens Thompsons nowadays (you know, the woman in Dorothea Lange's famous Great Depression shot of a migrant mother with kids). If you follow my meaning...

jacques philippe A shortage of Florence Owens Thompsons or a shortage of Dorothea Lange ? BTW there have been a story (recently ?) about Florence Owens Thompsons grandchildren and the Migrant Mother picture isn't it ? Don't recall what it was about exactly. On the same topic I read that some folks (or descendant) photographed by Walker Evans for the same FSA project were angry against him...

Robert Jurjevic Balazs, well I am glad that you like the photo, many others like it too, but as far as I am concerned any reference to 'big' photographers of the past, etc., means noting to me, I can't cheat myself, but I can have a 'bad' taste, though... BTW (as I see you are happy to discuss this freely I shell say that) IMHO your image is nowhere near to Orkin's "American girl in Italy", what I like in the Orkin's photo is air of spontaneity, the beauty of the girl (well that is very subjective) and somehow 'god intentioned' (if I can call it that way) air of the observers... I can only repeat myself (who knows how may times now) and quote again... "Nullum simile est idem." - ...I wouldn't wish to inflict any sort of commercial damage to you, maybe the image is 'great', at least it provoked some longer comments which should be something... good luck and have a nice day...

Balazs Pataki As I wrote already, rainy Aachen is not sunny Firenze, and of course I'm definitely not Ruth Orkin. However, the spontaneity in Orkin's shot is disputable anyway... I suppose it was taken exactly the same way: get the guys together, let the model do her walk. I hope that my next re-make will be better. It will show Jacob Jovelou exactly in the style of Yousef Karsh's Churchill portrait, he just doesn't know it yet. ;))

Darko Pavlovic Well Robert I guess you dont see the story.. :)
I like it a lot... :)
Regards

KPK Now after reading how this image was made I must say: I like the result. But nevertheless I've difficulties to understand the mysticism of street photography ...

KoPi 2 years ago

this is stellar work Balasz. now I followed a forum thread recently where someone posted an (older) photo 'American lady in Italy' (or something like that... suppose Fabio is referring to it in his comment), and some people thought it was a set up rather than real street. As this is in many ways identical to the photo discussed, I've got to pop the question... was this a set up ?

Balazs Pataki Of course it was a setup and I wish the comment field would be available under the photo to tell this, because I do not pretend even for a second that this was not staged. The original title would have been "German girl in Aachen" to make the connection to the Orkin shot even clearer but I can't change the title now...

KoPi that's okay; it's still very enjoyable. And convincing (great work by the young lads who have that still vulnarable predator-like look of young puppy tigers... they may bite already, but they may just as well run off with their tail between their legs when snapped at). Only regret I have is that you put it up under street which I find misleading.

Balazs Pataki You are absolutely right, "conceptual" would have been better and I'll ask the crew to change the channel if they can.

jacques philippe Frankly this doesn't matter, at least to me. Many street shots on 1X are prepared shots. This one has some energy, some vitalness (unlike many, sorry to say that...). I won't bother to change the category, especially since you were honest enough to say it is staged. my 2cts

Balazs Pataki I asked Petra to do it, before some hard-core street zealots send me to the burning pire for heresy :)

jacques philippe I doubt there are too much hard-core street zealots hanging out on 1X... :)

moses stell 2 years ago

great street shot Balazs!

Balazs Pataki Thanks Moses, good to hear from you!

jacques philippe 2 years ago

So this is it ;-) ? Nice shot indeed Balazs.
I just wonder which lens+sensor format you use for that one. Looks like about 28mm (35mm format equiv). But you have fair amount of distortion on both sides, which is exactly what I get when doing similar shots (I mean, with people on the very sides) - and IMO the very problem of small sensor when used with wide angle.

Balazs Pataki Bonjour, it was a 5D with 17-40/4L. In hindsight, it would have been better to exchange the positions of Mr Burly and Mr Hoodie, as having a short and stout model in the right foreground even adds to the feeling of distortion. The image is slightly cropped and skewed on the far left.

jacques philippe Interesting, and I am a bit surprised to be honest. 5D is FF right ?... so you must have shot at about 20mm or so instead I guess. Now I begin to think my gear is not that bad (I shot usually at 17mm with a Tamron zoom I got recently / small sensor of course).

It was mere technical remark, I am not that obsessed by distortion and diverging lines (sometimes I find it adds to the shot, I am no archi photographer ;)). But having people head looking like rugby balls on some shots is bothering I think (I am speaking of my shot). At least that forces to have the subject centered and not to sneakily capture people on side of WA frame :)

Balazs Pataki I'll check the EXIF when I have access to the original on my home PC and let you know.

jacques philippe Oh and yes, one more thing I forgot you can tell us if you bother to check out the EXIF: where do you find such gorgeous models :-)

Balazs Pataki OK, I checked the EXIF: 17mm. Slightly too wide perhaps... As far as model Ewelina is concerned, voilá her sedcard: http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/modell/5159/

jacques philippe Thanks for that. That is the problem with focal length under say 24mm. Even with good lenses there is optical distortion that needs to be used either carefully or on purpose. Not really a problem on your pic (beside what you mentioned about switching Mr Burly / Mr Hoodie) but a concern anyhow, especially with small sensors where you have to use extra WA to come up with more regular WA frame. Having said that I am figuring out that the Tamron 17-50 zoom I use is not bad at all...

Frank Michael Helferich 2 years ago

I like the framing very much (the content too).

Frank

Balazs Pataki And I liked the steak, but now at least food isn't the only thing that made the Aachen trip worthwile :) Danke!

Frank Michael Helferich You liked the steakS. Never saw such a hungry photographer before.
Not only that's why I enjoyed the meeting.

Mihnea Turcu 2 years ago

wow!!!!! and I mean about the photo, not the girl :0 wonderfull!!!

Balazs Pataki I took special care to chose a model with an ability to look cold and distant. She was a good pro model, I only wsh she had been a little taller. Multumesc, domnul.

Fabio Giannelli 2 years ago

ha! There you go Patarkins! ;) Very nice work

Balazs Pataki :)))) Thanks Fabio. What a coincdence you brought up that shot in the forum...

Fabio Giannelli Yeah, it was quite a coincidence and it is one of the shots that I like the most today, maybe because it reminds me my originary land (south italy), who knows...anyway you did a very nice work, I think it's not simple to reach such a result even if I've never tried. Yes, it's not at the same level of Orkin's shot (staged or not) but then again, how many shots are there at the same level of a masterpiece? Yours is a modern hommage to Orkin's, and as such it is enjoyable :) Cheers!