The Guard - West Wing, the National Gallery Washington, DC

[bribrius]

i cant imagine it was hard to take. i

I have to admit that this made me laugh.
It was easy to lift up that bitty camera and press the shutter release but it took me ~5 years of effort to get ready.

five years doing what? im at a loss at what is so special about this photo. Don't get me wrong, i couldn't even being to take it better, this isn't a question of your ability. My perception anyway, i think it is good, but i don't think i would give it more than a moments look i just see a door casing.

 

[manaheim]

bribrius... really... please stop talking.

 

[bribrius]

bribrius... really... please stop talking.

typing.
And i really am just looking for some insight and explanation. This is a photo forum. is their a technical achievement here im not catching?

 

[manaheim]

You've been given some. You've dismissed it.

It's not a matter of technical achievement. It's a matter of artistry, rendered effectively through know-how.

Basically, what you're not getting here... are things that I don't think you're going to get from anything anyone here can tell you.

And give me a break on the "talking"/"typing" thing. Really?

 

[mmaria]

I know I'm late here but I really wanted to write something to bribrius

If you don't get it can you try to recreate it? You'll realize many things about photography while trying to capture something similar.

 

[bribrius]

I know I'm late here but I really wanted to write something to bribrius

If you don't get it can you try to recreate it? You'll realize many things about photography while trying to capture something similar.

yes i could try. i'd prefer not to. I probably couldn't re-create it without a lot of trial and error and a grand in photoshop programs.. something to think about, doubt i'd go through the headache just for the sake of doing it though..
that would be a lot of work and money for a door casing i don't want a photo of..
But if the o.p could shed some hints on it for me, to carry over to my own bw it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[The_Traveler]

But if the o.p could shed some hints on it for me, to carry over to my own bw it would be greatly appreciated.

There is no explainable point. It's like a very good Scotch, if you have grown to enjoy the taste of Scotch, you will love good single malts.
If you don't 'get' this kind of photo, only time and experience may help.

 

[bribrius]

But if the o.p could shed some hints on it for me, to carry over to my own bw it would be greatly appreciated.

There is no explainable point. It's like a very good Scotch, if you have grown to enjoy the taste of Scotch, you will love good single malts.
If you don't 'get' this kind of photo, only time and experience may help.

double shot bourbon straight up, save the rocks i don't like mixing water with good liquor.

 

[JoeW28]

How difficult it is to take a shot isn't much of a measure of how good of a job it is in terms of composition. I could dangle from off a cliff by a bungie cord shooting a nesting eagle as wasps feed on me. Degree of difficulty...a gazillion+...but shot could be poorly composed, over-exposed and blurry.

We've all seen a gazillion door ways (and probably walked through them). But just b/c we've seen 'em doesn't mean we've "seen" them as photographers and captured them effectively (especially an ornate doorway indoors with a security guard in reflecting in silhouette). It's not that this is a rare thing that is only seen once in a lifetime. Or that that shooter was hanging from the ceiling as wasps fed on him while he composed the shot. A good photo starts with someone seeing the possibilities. That any others could then look at the shot and say "oh, I've seen that before, I could have taken the shot" ignores the reality that (a) the photographer took it (and we didn't) and (b) the quality of the composition. Framing a subject is a classic example of a powerful composition tool. The lines in the photo work very effectively (especially as a B&W).

 

[Rick Waldroup]

An excellent photo, Lew. There are so many frames within frames within frames......each getting smaller as we proceed towards the main subject. It has emotional appeal and an interesting subject that is composed just about perfectly. Great stuff.

 

[bribrius]

An excellent photo, Lew. There are so many frames within frames within frames......each getting smaller as we proceed towards the main subject. It has emotional appeal and an interesting subject that is composed just about perfectly. Great stuff.

bribrius, you keep mentioning that you feel as though the impact of this photo was created using multiple photoshop tools. I just do not see it. What I see is a well executed photograph that was processed normally using Lew's standard PP applications. Nothing fancy here, just good photographic skills. All you see is a door casing. Others see a door casing and also see so much more. Let me ask you, don't you get tired of other people constantly pointing out your ignorance?[/QUOTE]

no. Been around the block a few times, could care less. it allows me to pick and choose what i want or need to know and the direction i choose to follow. The more they point out, the more i second guess and reflect to see if i am missing something. I do dismiss many things and regard them as b.s., but not all without reason. And before dismissing something i have to be sure im not missing something that i need to know or that i am dismissing it prematurely without giving it due consideration. which is what im doing here, seeing if im missing something i need to know. It is all about sorting through the b.s. for what is tangible. IM generally not a very artsy type of person either. so i am still looking for this emotional appeal but it isn't reasoning at all. just a doorway. sorry. It is a well done door casing, if that is what you are looking for. My wife would probably like this photo more than i. But then again she is into drawing, painting, better at both than myself but cant seem to balance a checkbook to save her life. She would find emotion in this i bet but she probably could in a bag of cheese curls.

 

[scotts2014se]

My parents taught me that if you cant say anything nice then dont say anything at all. That being stated, as soon as this photo appeared on my screen, I said "Oh wow" out loud and by myself. Really nice! Good Job!

 

[Rick Waldroup]

I edited my post, taking out my offensive remarks about your ignorance. I see that I did not do it fast enough. I apologize for my bluntness.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Also, are you some type of engineer, by trade? Just curious.

 

[JacaRanda]

I happen to see beauty in this image along with something kind of eerie. The Shining comes to mind.


Oh....and I have already gone back for 3rd, 4th and 5th takes. If this was printed large I am sure I would stare for quite some time.

Can't explain it, but I just would.