* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #797 / Revived #017 on 2023 07 26 *

Moody, but hopeful in that nature will survive whatever humankind throws at it? Visually compelling.

A thoughtful, instructive, much appreciated "explanation." LOVE this forum!!

Fireplace,

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Finally, a response to this image I can really sink my teeth into.

You are absolutely right! The image is too low in the frame! What's up with that? Where's the rest of the house???? What's with all that empty cloudy sky? (It's actually "Southern California Marine Layer" - just ordinary ol' fog - hanging on the coast line with momentary glimpses of sun/sky breaking through.)

I always worry how my images will look on others' monitors, compared to the way I view them. I have a 27" 5K ("Retina") iMac and an old 42" plasma screen TV.

I view the iMac from "normal" working distance (14-18") and as I'm editing an image (always in Photoshop), I frequently cycle with the "F" key, toggling into full screen mode with a completely white background, as though the image is sitting in a limitless white mat surround. Primarily because, the destination of my images is almost always as a print on matte art paper, framed in a white mat with large borders. Occasionally I glance at the 42" monitor which is across the room, just for secondary reference.

I always "worry" that others will be viewing the image in some completely different visual environment, such as at a rather small size, on a computer monitor on which there may be a myriad of competing windows and visual elements. It's just not going to look the same. And frankly, I am pleasantly surprised that I get some of the positive responses I do, knowing that there are so many visual environments in which we all ingest the Internet.

I intended the minimalist composition of this image. The rest of the building just did nothing for it. It's actually a 38" x 22" print on Canon Photo Paper Premium Matte from a Canon Large Format pigment printer. It's behind a white mat with 4" borders, so 48" x 30." No plastic or glass cover. It's a very sharp image (as I've commented earlier). At the large size, in the mat, the image is quite a bit more compelling "in person" than seen here in its JPG version. IMHO it comes across better as the graphic I hoped it to be.

But wait. There's more!

This is just one of five "companion" images. Three others are the same size, the fifth is 32" square. The other images are situated in their mats much as this one, repeating the theme of the top edge of a particular beach bungalow/condo low in the frame with expanse of sky above. The group is meant to be displayed together, though each can stand alone. The repeating graphic treatment of the group emphasizes the appearance of each individual frame. They all are buildings recognizable to "locals" of a particular SoCal beach town, presented in an unusual way.

"Repetition begets legitimacy."

"Repetition begets legitimacy."

A long time ago, in my struggles with learning to play a musical instrument, I was advised that (one) of the distinguishing characteristics of a pro vs an amateur, is that a pro never worries about making a mistake. An amateur, on playing a wrong note or chord, frequently becomes embarrassed and unnerved, tries to cover up, backtracks, and immediately tries to correct, to re-play the error, only bringing additional attention to the problem and embarrassment, increasing his/her anxiety.

A pro just goes on with the line, even holding the "wrong" note, seemingly unconcerned, then sliding into the correct one as though the sequence had been planned. Even circling back and repeating the entire "wrong sequence" one or two more times, exactly as it occurred the first time, "because no one will ever believe you could make the same mistake repeatedly. You obviously meant the piece to go that way." And, amazingly, it does sound "right" on repetition!

So maybe, making five prints, all with the same "misplacement" of the images in the frames, will convince someone that the technique is right. 😜

A gallery manager here, on seeing my large matted images thought they would be compelling on a wall devoted just to them. They have both local and wider-spread appeal (she thinks). Her partners, not so much. An entire wall devoted to one artist is a lot to ask for a small gallery. We're negotiating.

Rich

Linda I agreed with Whynot to correct the white Slats vertically but also the hawker bench slightly. May I assume the processing is DAP.

Lou

Linda,

The PP in the first place it's not a solarizing filter as I don't use Nik filters. It is a night shot with a professional treatment to reveal all the details and make it ready for etching on metal. The image is only added to get an impression of the length of the corridor on the ground floor and nothing more. Furthermore, a comparison difficulty is associated with one being Mono and the other being in color.

Personally I would have been better off giving comments like that of Pete who sees the cloud as the effect of an empty bucket of water. Something that is quite a disrespectful comment.

I know this is a CC thread and the majority are possibly hobbyists who are quite easily offended by some CC comments and that could be why comments are mostly positive with less genuine commentary.

That is also my reason for being humble when giving comments.

Lou

Lou, is DAP Dynamic Auto Painter? If not, I'm not familiar with the abbreviation. I used a Topaz Studio 2 filter for the main effect. Thanks for your time!

My comment about Nik was not at all meant as a crticism. I was only making a reference to a processing effect I'm familar with. I'm not understanding your meaning re "disrespectful comment" or being humble when offering feedback, or what might be "less genuine."

Because of my near-zero experience with formal critiquing and my lack of training and education, my contributions here are of minimal value, certainly. But from my own hobbyist pov and love of photography, I am as genuine and sincere as I know how to be. No agenda!

I like this shot and while I initially thought I'd go for a different framing, I actually realized (when viewing the bigger version) that it's spot on. The thing which impacted my judgement was the color. The blue light coming from the back at the center of the image is gorgeous, but for my perception it's too small to make a real impact...

This is why I'd go for either

a.) a B&W version:

or

b.) an edit with stronger colors plus a bit more balance between them:

Of course I'm not sure if either would suit your style preferences, but that's my conclusion. Great work on the composition/capturing of the lines and I love the shadows.

Yes, the original continues with another musician to the left, another full face above (you can see his eyes and nse in the crop) the full head of the trumpet player and it goes down to around his waist. When taking this I knew I was going to crop it. The reflection had to be big enough, detailed enough and positioned so that viewers would look carefully at the reflection and it needed to be big enough for details of the buildings to be apparent.
When I came to do the cropping I wanted the tuft of hair . I also wanted the forehead line to pick up the trumpet curve and I liked the eye and nose repetition on the face behind. I cropped where I did to bring those things together, especially the position of the tuft of hair and the forehead/ trumper curves. If I increased any of the borders I thought these details were diminished by other lines and the viewer's exploration of the extra details.
So, all of that but most importantly, the reflection lost the detail and prominence. It began to look like an accidental extra that might or might not have been picked up when looking at a photo of a band.or musician.
The above decided on, there was a lot of thinking about the hand. Was it too disjointed? I could have cropped higher or removed it. It didn't take long to decide that I liked the framing effect around the trumpet bowl of the sliver of face above, the face to the right and the hand, IMNHO, this framing brought the eye where I wanted it to the off centred reflection.

Many thanks for your detailed response. I didn't take the time to look at the sliver of face behind the instrument, so I missed the repetition you speak of. Very instructive information, much appreciated!

You hobnob with kings and fools. Enjoy the company.

Nice shot - I personally prefer the B&W version!

Hi Rich,
That is quite a thought provoking post.
Here’s my attempt at a reply, but I’m not particularly good at rhetorical responses, so this might appear a bit less than profound.
Anyway,…
I agree, a photographer is an artist, and one of the most important characteristics of any artist is self-confidence.
Without that, you might begin to experiment, but would give up as soon as the first person says he doesn’t like it.
The approach to embrace little mistakes and incorporate them into your version of your image is what Bob Ross had always encouraged his aspiring painters and viewers to do.
The same would apply to your example with the musician, and indeed that “embracing” does seem to get easier when you have more experience.

To create a style, or series, then display it boldly, defend it , and stick to it over a period of time, would probably convince a “susceptible” audience.
And if the price is high, that audience might be even more easily convinced that this new style is something special.
Giving those images a high-end treatment, printing large and repeating the process could certainly help too.
That would be the world of expensive art galleries. There are some quite provocative works to be seen there with such new “art works”.
Basically, if one says an image is a work of art, then it is! It would be up to others to prove it isn’t and that task is of course more or less impossible.
It is difficult to say “Look, the Emperor has no clothes” and get away with it 😉

Yes, local content is popular
I have an open-air gallery in our small village. 28 images are printed big on weather-proof Aluminum, plates 100 x 70cm and 130 x 90cm. It's free for everyone and open 24/7.
We change the photos once a year and then have a re-opening event. The event atmosphere is fun, a bit like a “Village fare” with a champagne reception followed by a 3.5km walk around the circular path where the images are permanently displayed. There’s music playing along the way; this year we had an accordion and tuba player. A second photographer and myself then describe our pictures and answer any questions.
It’s been running for 8 years now, and so far, the pictures have mainly been landscape type scenes with a few unusual shots thrown in.
It is definitely the shots that were taken locally that are most popular. The locals love to see how beautiful their local countryside is, perhaps caught by us in a slightly unusual way.
So the local villagers here think I’m a “great photographer” , but personally I always find things in my photos that could be improved. I guess I just need more self confidence !

Good luck with your negotiation with the local art gallery manager!

Trevor

I'll go for the colour version :-)
It seems more bright and cheerful

I should add that I didn't see all this as I took the shot. I had seen the reflection and I wanted the player's profile. I knew I was going to crop but everything else came under consideration once I looked at what I had on the monitor at home. I certainly hadn't seen the tuft of hair for example.

The red and green catch my eye and not only entice me to look to the end of the lane, but they make the scene warm and inviting. I am interested to know what you enjoy most about the black and white version - to see it through your eyes.

Not being familiar with the location, if I hadn't seen the color I would find it difficult to discern some of the details and wonderful textures hidden within the somewhat limited tonal range. In other words, I'd probably do more with selective contrast. Just personal preference.

Reflective image of het Pope Leo XIII Seminary with ecclesiastical roof shields. Higher Institute of Philosophy.

Beautiful building and still in use as a seminary and student accommodation.

I have seen such coats of arms also on the roof of chapel Leo XIII seminary before on a church roof in Zagreb Croatia.

Lou

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