First submission for C&C "Who am I?"

[Wildcats160]

This is my first submission for C&C.

I'm an attorney by trade, but have a strong blue collar background and retain a fairly blue collar life outside of work. This is the cause of a great deal of cognitive dissonance. I spotted the dress shoes I wear for work next to the boots I wear the rest of the time and the juxtaposition struck me. I'm pretty new to this hobby, but want to improve so please let me know what you think.

 

[Watchful]

Shoes.

 

[xenskhe]

The picture communicates assimilation rather than dissonance (to me).
What can one add? The dress shoes could be at the foot (no pun intended) of the picture, as if the photographer is wearing them, while the 'work' boots are kicked off and lay in a pile on the floor. As it is, the shoes are orderly and centrally placed in the picture; this is matter of fact and imo not very interesting. We're a bit too far from the shoes maybe, there's no near and far perspective. One pair could be closer, the other more distant, they could face in different directions etc.

 

[dxqcanada]

I like the fact that it caught your attention, and you thought of taking a picture of it ... too many people never see images that are right in front of them.
Keep seeing.

 

[Wildcats160]

The picture communicates assimilation rather than dissonance (to me).
What can one add? The dress shoes could be at the foot (no pun intended) of the picture, as if the photographer is wearing them, while the 'work' boots are kicked off and lay in a pile on the floor. As it is, the shoes are orderly and centrally placed in the picture; this is matter of fact and imo not very interesting. We're a bit too far from the shoes maybe, there's no near and far perspective. One pair could be closer, the other more distant, they could face in different directions etc.

Thank you for your input. I have feeling creative composition will come to me slower than most.

 

[xenskhe]

You're welcome. No slower than most anyone else I'd say, it's just playing around with ideas. Somethings work when placed centrally, matter of fact, little or no ambiguity. You could start very close to the objects - filling the frame - and move gradually further away. I do like using window light when it's there.

 

[Wildcats160]

I like the fact that it caught your attention, and you thought of taking a picture of it ... too many people never see images that are right in front of them.
Keep seeing.

Thank you for the encouragement.

 

[JBes97]

Although I suppose the shadow in front of the toes of the shoes are framing them, I find it a bit too distracting. Keep shooting!

 

[Designer]

.. please let me know what you think.

I like the rectangular patch of sunlight perfectly framing the shoes. I wonder why B&W? The two types of shoes doesn't inform me of anything in particular. I wouldn't automatically assume that both types are owned and worn by one person, and even after you told us it still doesn't mean anything to me. I own those shoes and others myself, so seeing them posed together doesn't mean anything.

 

[Wildcats160]

.. please let me know what you think.

I like the rectangular patch of sunlight perfectly framing the shoes. I wonder why B&W? The two types of shoes doesn't inform me of anything in particular. I wouldn't automatically assume that both types are owned and worn by one person, and even after you told us it still doesn't mean anything to me. I own those shoes and others myself, so seeing them posed together doesn't mean anything.

Thank you for your thoughts. I suppose it wasn't just the nature of the shoes that caught my eye, but their condition as well; one is tattered and rough around the edges, the other polished and clean. In my mind, it's a metaphor for the real me and the person I pretend to be 60 hours per week.

Oh, and I went B&W because my carpet and walls are ugly as sin.

 

[Designer]

Trying to invoke a metaphor in a photograph is very hard to do. I would expect that you'll try many different ideas before you get one that really works.

 

[MaximS]

I really like what dxqcanada said, I think people often get carried away in equipment and specs and all of that, but in the end photography is an art. Look at the world in a different light, I bet 99.99% of people who would've walked by those shoes wouldn't have had the vision to see a picture right there.

I don't think there's any reason to stage the shoes in a different way as someone else suggested, because this is how you keep them, and this is a picture that shows who you are.

Nice picture.