Tree Stump

darin3200 · Sep 7, 2005

In this shot I am trying to show how people use nature for their own ends. That this tree was at one time big and old and it was just cut down like so many others to build a nice, pretty 2 car garage. This picture is supposed to be a criticism not of just cutting down one tree, but the general over-consumption and unsustainability of our lifestyles.

Onyx · Sep 8, 2005

to me a successful picture doesnt need an explanation of what you were trying to convey. if you find that it does need that explanation then i would try to think of a way to convey that without words. IMHO it just looks like an overexposed stump.

lazarus219 · Sep 8, 2005

It dosent really get the message across- too much distraction in the frame, and the stump is severly overexposed

Vmann · Sep 8, 2005

Onyx said:
to me a successful picture doesnt need an explanation of what you were trying to convey. if you find that it does need that explanation then i would try to think of a way to convey that without words. IMHO it just looks like an overexposed stump.

I agree... maybe a shot looking more straight down showing the detail and life rings of the tree.

I think a series of shots would potray your message a bit stronger than just trying to draw a conclusion from one.

tirediron · Sep 8, 2005

Afraid I have to agree with the previous posters!

elsapo · Sep 9, 2005

Onyx said:
to me a successful picture doesnt need an explanation of what you were trying to convey. if you find that it does need that explanation then i would try to think of a way to convey that without words. IMHO it just looks like an overexposed stump.

While I agree with you, generally, the forum rules say you have to give details about the shot - either technically or about what was intended. So, while I agree with you, the shooter may have been doing that.

elsapo · Sep 9, 2005

I get where you're going with the image, but I think it falls a little short. The tree is too far from the house/garage, and it seems to be surrounded by other trees. It's just not the best example of the idea you're trying to get across. Of course, it's easy to say that and then envision all these scenes: a field of cut trees, a city rising in the background, and so on... sometimes, when what you've got is what's there, you make do.

I think the photo might benefit from being in B&W, and also it's too contrasty. Try shooting in softer light, either morning or evening.

darin3200 · Sep 9, 2005

Thanks for all the feedback, some of the problem was that I had my own vision, so even if it wasn't perfectly articulated, I still understood.
elsapo, thanks for the ideas and I really never though about the other trees in the shot

Middlemarch · Sep 9, 2005

some of the problem was that I had my own vision, so even if it wasn't perfectly articulated, I still understood.

As I tell my writing students, if that's all you're going for, fine. However, if you want to express this vision to an audience, you have to consider their perspectives. This is not to say you should bend to the will of the masses, but it is something you have to consider. Otherwise, why share it at all? Just a thought...

Keep shooting!

ShutteredEye · Sep 9, 2005

Middlemarch said:
As I tell my writing students, if that's all you're going for, fine. However, if you want to express this vision to an audience, you have to consider their perspectives. This is not to say you should bend to the will of the masses, but it is something you have to consider. Otherwise, why share it at all? Just a thought...

Keep shooting!

The thing I have a problem with is translating the vision in my head to the film. My eyes must have auto crop/photoshop or something, because I will at times completely overlook an element of a photo and will be utterly shocked when it shows up in the print.

Keep shooting Darin, you're thinking bud, and with thinking comes learning......i think.... :lmao:

darin3200 · Sep 9, 2005

Middlemarch said:
As I tell my writing students, if that's all you're going for, fine. However, if you want to express this vision to an audience, you have to consider their perspectives. This is not to say you should bend to the will of the masses, but it is something you have to consider. Otherwise, why share it at all? Just a thought...

Keep shooting!

Yeah, until recently I took pictures for the sake of taking pictures, just to try to make some beautiful. Now I'm trying to go for meaningful and symbolic pictures and haven't really considered everything involved. But it is just something else new to learn

darin3200 · Sep 9, 2005

mountainlander said:
The thing I have a problem with is translating the vision in my head to the film. My eyes must have auto crop/photoshop or something, because I will at times completely overlook an element of a photo and will be utterly shocked when it shows up in the print.

Keep shooting Darin, you're thinking bud, and with thinking comes learning......i think.... :lmao:

I know what you mean, once I get an idea in my head it get tunnel vision and just focus on that, and don't take into considation other parts of the picture.

elsapo · Sep 10, 2005

The thing I have a problem with is translating the vision in my head to the film. My eyes must have auto crop/photoshop or something, because I will at times completely overlook an element of a photo and will be utterly shocked when it shows up in the print.

This is actually truer than you may realize. The human eye-brain combination does a tremendous job of cropping and reducing or maximizing depth of field so that we can concentrate on what we're looking at. The result is that what we see and how we remember things is often really different than what shows up on film.

The easiest way to see this is contrast -- when you shoot outside in the daytime, you often don't realize how glaring the light is, how much contrast it creates and for instance all the shadows that get created on a face.

Anyways... there were a lot of good comments in this thread.