Oblique (EBURD Project)

[unpopular]

Your thoughts and comments are encouraged!

 

[zombiemann]

I'm not sure if I can really explain myself properly here so bear with me. Something deep inside me says "I shouldn't like this, it's just a picture of a wall" but something about it grabs me. I can't quite put my finger on what. And bear in mind I was asked to leave an art exhibit for commenting that I had a very similar picture hanging on my fridge from my daughters preschool. I'm not above saying something is crap if I think it is.... but this isn't and I don't know why

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

I'm not sure if I can really explain myself properly here so bear with me. Something deep inside me says "I shouldn't like this, it's just a picture of a wall" but something about it grabs me. I can't quite put my finger on what. And bear in mind I was asked to leave an art exhibit for commenting that I had a very similar picture hanging on my fridge from my daughters preschool. I'm not above saying something is crap if I think it is.... but this isn't and I don't know why

Because an artist makes you see what he/she wants you to see.

 

[Jaemie]

As I see it, the signpost and shadow are the main dynamic. One creates the other, then says, "STOP," and freezes the shadow in mid protest. I find this "hidden" civic drama intriguing.

The other elements tend to distract my attention a little too much: red spot looks like the Japanese archipelago, rust has a face, and the drippy graffiti is ...just drippy graffiti. The light is wonderful, and you've nailed this technically from what I can tell. What camera/equipment did you use?

 

[KenC]

It's a good, well-composed shadow image, but there are two things that bother me. The first is that the shadow should be darker - could be just my preference for really dark, dramatic shadows, and others might disagree, but that's how it strikes me. The other is that the thin rectangle in the upper left is distracting. You could crop it and part of the graffiti and I think this would improve the image. This would also place the stop sign closer to the upper left, which to me is a stronger position.

Did you consider a bw? I'm not sure the importance added to the spot on the wall and the rust because of their strong colors is warranted. In conversion, you could adjust their tonal values to be anything you want because they're so different in color from everything else.

 

[unpopular]

Thanks everyone.

For me this image isn't only about the shadow, it's more about spacial ambiguity, tension and environment. So I didn't want the shadow to dominate the image, this got my attention more as a spacial cue than a formal element. I think if I got rid of the rectangle at upper left, the composition would run off on teh left side, drawing the eye away from the image. IMO it's a closed composition, so opening up one edge would not be beneficial. I approach composition a bit differently than most people do, I shy away from the traditional hierarchal approach. I like elements to be evenly distributed with little emphasis on any one element, I'm not saying that the stop sign and shadow aren't at all more dominant, but at the same time I don't want these elements to dominate. I like tension and ambiguity.

B/W was a hard choice, but in this case I think that the warmer colors at right further close the composition and de-emphasize the stop sign, though I was a bit torn between B/W, and the B/B version did work, but in a different way. Furthermore I also feel it is representative of the project, which I am planning to be color. The EBURD area has this kind of color quality which strikes me, and is one of the qualities about the neighborhood which will change as it modernizes.

I hope I didn't come across as "you're all wrong! how dare you disagree", your points are valid, just not really the direction I wanted to go with this image.

Jaimee - it was shot on an a350 using a Minolta 50/1.8 at 1/320 f/8, ISO 200 - IIRC, and processed in Raw Photo Processor, Daylight, Normal Color mode with a Brightness Number of 50, everything else default. Some post processing to saturation, with modest local sharpening.

 

[FanBoy]

You said the photo is about tension and environment. Why not add some "grit" to it, enchance the shadow and graffiti and bring out the rust.

 

[rexbobcat]

I think it has good balance. The shadow is a very visually heavy element, but the pipe and graffiti have enough counter-weight (I guess you could call it?) to kind of even it out.

 

[unpopular]

You said the photo is about tension and environment. Why not add some "grit" to it, enchance the shadow and graffiti and bring out the rust.

The environment isn't "gritty", more desolate. I don't really think of the area as dirty as much as "worn down".

I mean, further east it's pretty gritty, lots of divey motels and saloons with prostitutes and creepy guys hanging around. I haven't mustered the courage to take my camera that way yet. Eventually hopefully I will, it's all part of the East Billings Urban Renewal District, and how they proceed with that project will affect those people the most - but for now it's just too creepy.

Next I'll probably head to further south along the abandoned rail spar. There are some larger warehouses and factories there. I also have to arrange to photograph at the recycling facilities, they're a huge part of this neighborhood.

 

[rexbobcat]

The environment isn't "gritty", more desolate. I don't really think of the area as dirty as much as "worn down".

I mean, further east it's pretty gritty, lots of divey motels and saloons with prostitutes and creepy guys hanging around. I haven't mustered the courage to take my camera that way yet. Eventually hopefully I will, but for now it's just too creepy.

Next I'll probably head to further south along the abandoned rail spar. There are some larger warehouses and factories there. I also have to arrange to photograph at the recycling facilities, they're a huge part of this neighborhood.

Don't tell me you're not gonna go get some street shots of the prostitutes? You own the ultimate shoot-from-the-hip street photography camera. Lol

 

[unpopular]

LOL. No, this project is more about environment and redevelopment than it is specifically about people.

also, what do you mean - I'm shooting a normal SLR with a vertical grip. Not really discreet at all.

 

[Jaemie]

You own the ultimate shoot-from-the-hip street photography camera. Lol

Just curious.. How is the Sony Alpha A350 "the ultimate shoot-from-the-hip street photography camera"? It's small-ish, but hardly discrete and inconspicuous.

 

[rexbobcat]

Just curious.. How is the Sony Alpha A350 "the ultimate shoot-from-the-hip street photography camera"? It's small-ish, but hardly discrete and inconspicuous.

I was referring to his Leica. Heh.

Oh wait...Nevermind, I was thinking of gary...oops

 

[unpopular]

You're probably confused because I used to shoot Contax while I was still shooting film ... i'd actually prefer a G2 over an M9 if we're talking film.

 

[amolitor]

I think it has good balance. The shadow is a very visually heavy element, but the pipe and graffiti have enough counter-weight (I guess you could call it?) to kind of even it out.

This is precisely the way I see it as well.

It's a graphically nice photograph, well done. Not sure it *says* anything to me, but it's an appealing arrangement of shapes. As an exercise in composition and form, it's terrific. As art, I'm not sure.