* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #801 / Revived #021 on 2023 08 23 *

Swinging away above the clouds that are nestled in a gigantic mountain range far below is totally unexpected, and we immediately register it in the impossible range of things. We appreciate the unlikeliness of it and try to figure out how it could be possible, but we can never fully reconcile it emotionally in spite of believing your explanation. So it remains in the realm of nebulous possibilities, a scary but fun photo that we will never emulate. Brilliant framing and timing.

I would not be able to resist compositing it with a photo shot out the window of a commercial jet, one of those that shows the wing.

One of the more intriguing modern glass front buildings I've seen, because of those pyramidal-shaped structures extruding from the glass surface. The reflections from those smaller structures intermingle with the reflections on the overall glass surface and we can easily slip down a rabbit hole of figuring out what is being reflected and what isn't. You caught the building at a very photogenic time, either very early or very late in the day at "good" light, and with gorgeous clouds that work very well to show off the reflective nuances. Well done series.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris .... That is the Tennessee River and I probably should have extended the view to the right to give you a better view that he sees .....

WhyNot

The blue/orange complementary color contrast is by far my favorite, so this would appeal to me even if it didn't have other assets, and indeed it has several. There is wonderful texture to appreciate, as there often is in older marine treasures. Even the lettering itself looks like it's from another, more tactile era. The slant provides the kind of lines that read well visually, from lower left to upper right. Well spotted and well taken.

Another lazy hazy summer day in the American South, captured well for your collection. Composition is quite nice, with the perfect angle for the young man and for the bike, with the trees doing their part to help create a triangular configuration that the eye can easily follow for discovery of all the parts. I am not a huge fan of the way the processing creates splotches on the hammock or the boy, but it works well on the greenery and bark, and it isn't noticeable unless you look at it from close distance. A very peaceful summertime vibe caught in an image.

Cast away on high ground, it seems. In the distance it looks like there are haze covered mountains at the bottom of the craggy hills. Is that what they call the High Prairie? There has to be a name for that kind of elevated farmland that always looks like risky business for farming. Here the vintage farm implements have gathered to die, their bones overlooking distant lands where civilization has moved to. And am I the only one who sees the animals inside the implements? The goat in the left foreground, the ox on the right, and to the rear a larger more ominous beast, perhaps prehistoric. It is a wonderful image, perfectly composed, ripe for storytelling.

Passing Squall - Central Plains, Molokai

Rich

I love this one! The scene is beautifully composed, idyllic, and that ancient Islamic-style architecture makes us expect to see an Aladdin figure in billowing harem pants striding across the plaza. The exaggerated processing helps us imagine the dream you've sold us. There is some speckling of the sky, some haloing at the tips of the branches, some loss of detail in blacks and whites caused by the excessive contrast necessary to sell the dream. But those things contribute to a certain look that I identity with illustrations derived from etchings and printed in ancient encyclopedias like the 1912 Book of Knowledge I found at my country house. If you want a modern photographic look to the image, I am sure you can develop an alternate version with more detail and smoother transitions. But I may still stick with this one (I'd take out the small white vertical sticks though). I am always a sucker for nostalgia.

Indeed again!
It has everything: bright primary colors, great contrast, excellent geometry, and it's named for one of our very own members/contributors. It looks like a place we all need to gather for dinner.

A beautiful dreamy scene with skies to die for, an abundance of delicate yellow grasses and a green bush for a main subject, amounting to nothing much, but incredibly lovely nonetheless. The richness of the colors and the contrasting textures are so striking and the arrangement of the elements are so balanced, you could use this as a teaching photograph for use of the rule of thirds and color contrast. I would bet this has already made a very lovely large print.

I love the vibration between the blue and orange and the multiple color bands marching
down the image with diagonal tension. The raised numerals are the final touch in this excellent piece with their highlights and shadows giving depth and dimension.

Rich

I really like this one - it tells an interesting story and I also think the version you show here works very well, if your intention is to show those old tools as being forgotten and in a desolate state. For some reason, I was also thinking about trying the opposite though, namely showing our Earth with its abundance of shapes and colors completely unimpressed by a couple of rusting metal things, which will have fallen to dust in no time, compared to everything else which this planet has brought to life and kept alive for millions of years...

Thanks minniev :-)
It's all about catching the right angle for a shot like that.
It is certainly real. This next terrible snap shows what the rest of the (harmless) swing looked like :-)
After this snap we moved over to where the little girl in red is swinging in this shot, so I could get that better angle with the mountains in the background

Splotches?? ...... Your comments and critiques are always anticipated and welcomed but you do make me think about what I'm doing. Let me say that what I do with these types of pictures is almost always deliberate but I may not have a reason that I can express in words .... but for today's interpretation let me say that these pictures are what all these pictures usually are -- my window onto the world. I select the frame. If you choose to look out, I usually try to give you a place to stand next to me .. but then as you look out through my window you might notice that this world is not quite real and I leave it to you to find a story .... So those splotches are of no interest to me here but I am aware of them and some other times I may use them more explicitly but they can be an annoyances or part of your story ... whatever that is ....

Tomorrow I'll have a different explanation .... maybe ....

Thank you for making me think .....

WhyNot

I've taken similar pictures in the Rockies and in the Smokies and I always like taking them and seeing what other have seen. Seeing this picture I wish I were in one of those places or Vancouver right now ....BUT ... only vicariously through this picture I fear ....

WhyNot

I like the first of the marina in the fog ... But I think I'd crop down to that second mast for symmetry with the reflection....

WhyNot