Jump

minicoop1985 · Apr 30, 2014

Jump by longm1985, on Flickr

How did I do? Comments/critique welcome. I know what I was going for here (I think I achieved it), but waiting to see what you guys think.

Braineack · Apr 30, 2014

Not the picture I was expecting from the title.

timor · Apr 30, 2014

Hmm... What that might be, what you achieved here. Scared all the cars away ? Or is it some sort of technique ? "Palette" of grays is nice, if that was your goal, now use it on something more perplexing, so beside creating a mood it will be interesting mood.

mishele · Apr 30, 2014

Yes!!

minicoop1985 · Apr 30, 2014

Timor, that's pretty close to what I was looking to accomplish-a mood, but there's a bit of a story people might not understand behind it. Basically, the title's a clue to it. Someone in a mindset most people don't quite understand would see that gate as an opportunity to get out of that mindset permanently. Often, we hear the phrase "He (or she) had everything going for him/her. I don't understand." Well, mental illness (a particularly important cause to me) can actually drive someone to that point, and they may not be able to stop themselves. In the "Dark Side Gallery," you can see my credentials on the subject. As has been said, art that has to be explained can often be dismissed as "not good art" (I've perfected the art of crappy art, I know), but some things just can't be understood or seen by people who haven't lived the mindset the photo intends on bringing forth. While Timor might not see anything particularly interesting, the gate IS the interest of someone looking for a quick way down, shall we say. Anyway, that's my take on it. If you see what I mean, I appreciate it, but if you don't, I appreciate you looking.

bribrius · Apr 30, 2014

I like it. Great photo.

timor · Apr 30, 2014

minicoop1985 said:
Timor, that's pretty close to what I was looking to accomplish-a mood, but there's a bit of a story people might not understand behind it. Basically, the title's a clue to it. Someone in a mindset most people don't quite understand would see that gate as an opportunity to get out of that mindset permanently. Often, we hear the phrase "He (or she) had everything going for him/her. I don't understand." Well, mental illness (a particularly important cause to me) can actually drive someone to that point, and they may not be able to stop themselves. In the "Dark Side Gallery," you can see my credentials on the subject. As has been said, art that has to be explained can often be dismissed as "not good art" (I've perfected the art of crappy art, I know), but some things just can't be understood or seen by people who haven't lived the mindset the photo intends on bringing forth. While Timor might not see anything particularly interesting, the gate IS the interest of someone looking for a quick way down, shall we say. Anyway, that's my take on it. If you see what I mean, I appreciate it, but if you don't, I appreciate you looking.

I don't think art any time should be explained. If I don't understand it's my problem. On the other hand great images are relatively easy to read for most viewers. I understand now your inception of this photograph, however that still doesn't work for me to picture, what you did say. It may be taken, that this emptiness may symbol hopelessness, but hopelessness is a sort of a torment and in this picture is way too much serenity of a warm, very peaceful night. I think if you would include a human element in this picture and (maybe I am just ultrawide crazy) use of very short lens to distort a bit the reality it may work better. It is just a complicated message you want to include in that pic. As it is it may work pretty well on your blog, but then it is an illustration for the context.

minicoop1985 · Apr 30, 2014

Here's the thing. If you don't understand what the artist (I'm using that term loosely here, obviously) is communicating, I don't think that's entirely your fault. Maybe if we're looking at Picasso's Guernica, that's one thing, but sometimes artists fail to communicate anything meaningful. Let's take performance art, for example. I have no idea how cracking eggs with genitals is supposed to make a statement about the plight of an antelope in Africa. I'm not sure many of us would connect the two, but apparently it was a thing that happened at a nearby liberal arts school, so... yeah. That's kinda my point there. I'm still trying to connect them, though I should have given up a couple days ago... :lol:

bribrius · Apr 30, 2014

personally, I wouldn't want to understand this photo in that context. it sits quite well with me as it is. Considering someone jumping off the building would probably ruin it for me. I can appreciate a train photo without thinking of someone laying on the tracks.

BrickHouse · May 1, 2014

Awesome awesome photo!

minicoop1985 · May 1, 2014

bribrius said:
personally, I wouldn't want to understand this photo in that context. it sits quite well with me as it is. Considering someone jumping off the building would probably ruin it for me. I can appreciate a train photo without thinking of someone laying on the tracks.

That's the nice thing about photos. You can see whatever you want in someone else's photo, though I would be a little worried if you saw dragons and flaming skulls raining from the heavens. Unlike some people, I like hearing how other people interpret what I've done. There was a guy in a film group on Facebook last week that pretty much ridiculed people for seeing his stuff in any way other than he intended... I mean come on.

limr · May 1, 2014

Two very minor things: 1) is this a perspective thing again or does it need to be just a tad tilted to be straight? 2) What's that big circle on the top right(ish)? Is that the sun peeking through or is it a water spot?

Words that came into my head after reading the title and seeing the picture:

Disembodied.
Void.
Murky.
Uncertainty.
Oblivion.

minicoop1985 · May 1, 2014

Ground is sloped and the horizon is straight. The big spot is either a flare or a water spot-I'm not sure which, since there's a light just out of frame in that direction. I'm thinking that may be a combination of the two really. Thanks for the comments, everyone.

otherprof · May 1, 2014

Brilliant. One still photo that leads you to see a different moment at the same spot. And nicely executed.

cynicaster · May 2, 2014

This photo was a pleasant surprise considering that, based on the title, I was half expecting a hackneyed shot of a newly engaged couple on top of a hill leaping into the air together (*groan*).

The first thing I got from this was a sense of being "high up" somewhere. So immediately, my thought was that "jump" was in reference to jumping off.