Lookers-on

[Akira]

Shot today in Ochanomizu, Tokyo.

[elsa hoffmann]

haha thats classic. one wonders what might go thru their pigeon brains

[Frank Fremerey]

nice idea and execution. Love the color version better for its background separation

[Akira]

Elsa and Frank, thanks for dropping by and commenting!

The city-dwelling pigeons appear to be clever.  Yes, they just "appear" to be. 

Frank, the color one was shot with the lens (my venerable 50/1.8G) wide open, while the B&W one was shot at f5.  For the latter one, I wanted to get the figures in further distance recognizable for the HCB feel.  The increased DOF may affect the separation.

[Tom Hook]

I like both versions. Agree with Frank on the color version but the b&w seems more abstract, almost as if it were shot with a tilt-shift.

[Akira]

Thanks, Tom, for sharing your interesting interpretation.

Both images were shot from a bridge called "Hijiri-bashi" (meaning, the bridge of the saint), and the pigeons were resting on the street light right in front of me.

[Olivier]

Just by seeing the wall I know this is Japan...
One of the pigeons looks more interested in the scene than the other one.
I think Tom managed to put words on my feeling abut the B&W shot, Thanks for that !

[Akira]

Olivier, thanks for the comment.  This is the wall of the public institution for the studies of Neo-Conficianism established in the late 18c.  Neo-Confucianism aside, I like the atmosphere of the area.  I posted an image shot inside the wall on each of "Windows" and "b&w" threads.