A very hot day in downtown LA

[Frank F.]

To create a symbol for the heat I decided to include the sun in most of the shots.
Alternative title would be "Into the light"...
Technical: All shots with D500 & 1.4/35 Ai-S or 1.4/24G

1) Olvera street

2) bus stop

3) huge magnolia

4) Woman selling fresh fruit and cold drinks

 

[Frank F.]

a few houses

5) LAPD headquarters

6) AT&T headquarters

7) Art made out of airplane debris

 

[Frank F.]

The Disney Concert Hall

 

[WesternGuy]

I think that you have made an interesting attempt to portray a "hot day", but for me the only one that comes close is #4 and even it would have been better if you had shown her actually selling a cold drink to someone. The rest of the images are shots with mostly flares in them or of people. I think if you want to convey the idea of a "hot day" then you might want to show things that people do on a "hot day" - cooling off in a pool, pond, by, or in, the ocean or at a flowing fire hydrant; eating ice cream (not necessarily a hot day activity, but close); wearing minimal clothes and other things. Another shot would be one of a thermometer showing how "hot" it was. My image for such a thermometer reminds me of those big, old, round ones that are often seen on the sides of stores, or in parks. We only know it is hot by the way people behave, unlike "cold days" in places where it snows, you can't really show a "hot" day equivalent of the snow often seen on "cold days" in some parts of the world.

WesternGuy

 

[Frank F.]

Very interesting point you make there. Basicly you say, that shooting into the light is NOT a good symbol for heat and that more concrete things could better symbolize the situation. Let's test the hypothesis. In LA downtown there was a lemonade stall and I shot a series, some into the light some with the light direction. Which of these four does best work FOR YOU?

 

[WesternGuy]

In the context of a "hot day", I think the second one probably comes closest as it shows a guy in a sleeveless shirt pouring lots of ice into a glass. Why would you be pouring lots of ice into a glass if it wasn't for a cool drink on a hot day. The other thing that might work would be to show folks eating ice cream in the shade .

The clothes he has on, you would not be wearing if it was cold outside, at least I don't think you would. Would I recognize it as signalling a "hot day" without having been posted under that heading, I don't know. Regardless, I think it, the second image, conveys the idea of your subject better than the "building" pictures. Without knowing that they are in LA and only folks from there might recognize them, they could be anywhere and still have a flare in them.

Trying to convey "feelings" such as a "hot day" without using people is, in my opinion, very difficult to do. Some "feelings", such as cold, or wet, are probably easier, but I like your approach of trying all kinds of things. It is only through experimentation that we, me included. learn what works and what doesn't work.

WesternGuy