* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #823 / Revived #043 on 2024 01 24 *

These are well taken and presented photographs .... I usually resist comment, I confess and I'm sorry ... These got me to go back a reread Janson but that is what they mean to me -- a page in an art history book... or perhaps remembering a day in an art appreciation class .. or maybe remembering one of my frequent trips to the Art Institute in Chicago .. the classical statues were in the basement at that time as I recall, but of course no David ....

So why is David wearing a hat??? and boots .. and nothing else .. How do I relate this statue to the Biblical David?? I don't and that is a problem ... Why "David" ? ... maybe the name of the subject posing for the picture??? I don't really do critiques (and I have read the 5. 7, 10 steps that should be taken but just can't do that) I generally try to find meaning in pictures and relate them to my life and understanding ... My interest in classical art today mostly consist of interest in the transition from ancient to Renaissance perspective which was then destroyed by Cezanne and the cubists ... and then lost in abstraction ... Photography cannot escape Renaissance perspective,, IMHO .. (of course my understanding of art history is also questionable .... so I always accept critique!!)

Sorry but pictures of architectural detail and classical art rarely keeps my attention ..... or thoughts ... but that is just me .... So why have I shared this stream of consciousness?? ... probably because I like both of your photography when your not in a museum frame of mind ... so entertain those who appreciate this more, I'll come back later and I'll resist further critiques or whatever this nonsense that I have written is ......

WhyNot

Thank you for the time spent looking at my photograph and the critique -- much appreciated .... I confess that I often take considerable time to find meaning in the pictures that I post. Occasionally I get enamored of a picture just taken and post it and then wonder later what I saw in it ... This one is from a set taken in January last year and I'm still not sure exactly why I liked it (but I do like it for whatever reason.) .... My pp treatment of humans on the street has evolved a bit but I usually do the same whatever the situation in the picture .... I think it makes them closer to everyman and gives them some anonymity where the viewer can fill in the details and concentrate more on the meaning or memory they might find in the picture ....

Thank you again

WhyNot

"A Man and His Machine"
The first 4x5 that worked right.

I like the use of light and exposure to bring out the curves of the arch edges. That's what they are all about. Ref the second shot. To me (this is an architecture rather than photo comment) I often found in the Alhambra that some of the pillars look too thin for the weight above them?
You'd have to be wealthy. Imagine the housekeeping dusting.

And yet there are. The path makes us very aware of humans. It is a human construction on a significant scale. It is centrally placed to make it the subject. It has the straight lines that are our trademark. The absence of the omnipresent humans here becomes the point.
The image is better viewed larger to bring out the details in the thicket and this further contrasts with the non human presence.

It's essential to view this as large as possible. The technical marvel that allows stitched panos to be done (remember the days when you needed ultra expensive wa cameras or when we made crude overlapping composites with lots of zig zagging individual images).
Lots of details here to enjoy from the sand ripples to the rock face to the hills on the horizon. We work along the bright curve from foreground to background while picking up those details. The curve and the subtle and extensive range of blues ties the image together while the gold/browns creates the highlights.

I like the framing details of the ripples at the bottom of the image and the way the still water opens out from there. ie., I prefer the original.

To me, the instant impact of the image is the colour. That's a particular shade of blue I can't look at without an association with jazz and Blue Note. I can see this photo being used on any number of vinyl releases from that label. I see building and repetition of notes and a stretching for something hard to define. Definitely modern jazz.

How many lenses do you have Simplejoy?

I'm having problems with this photo. We are at a venue where art is displayed and the art on the walls has a particulat style. The PP treatment of the image has added a style not unlike that of the paintings on the wall. My problem is that we are drawn to look at the faces. The treatment makes three of those faces difficult to distinguish (the two children and the woman on the left.) It isn't the painterly distortion that's my proble, it's the high key removal of details so they become something like masks. This feels like an uncomfortable fit to me alongside the other three faces in the photo where the treatment still leaves the details.

Bhutan! I'm envious. That's not an easy place to visit. Apart from the scenery, it's notable for the reputation it has for the happiness of the people and the steps taken by the government to protect the country from over tourism.
I wonder if I hadn't been told this was Bhutan if I would have seen it the same way? Now I see a simple life, peace, contentment, education and the mountains. Foregoundhumans and background mountains are linked by the colour. The focus and sun flare softens the background and lifts the human group.

They aren't friendly demons either. All the weight at the top presses down on us. Fingers and eyes and spiky bits. Lots os shapes that are reminiscent of spiders and maco photos of insect eyes. The red glows with the life of something we don't want to meet.

These sent me off on a googling exploration trip. Kosciusko is a potent name in Australia as well. Our highest mountain is Mt. Kosciusko, named after the same person. I looked for details on Kosciusko Mississippi and decided it was time I had a better idea of where the borders of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia were in relationship to each other. Got it.
The courthouse precisely fits the way I envisage the courthouse in "To Kill a Mockingbird." The picture theatre is of its time, it could have been taken in small town Australia as well. Love the portrait. A pe and his life - the best kind of portrait. The man, the pick up truck, the sweet potatoes, the fruit box, the cues from the T shirt, the grin. I see why you might have wanted the portrait lens but I'd be pretty happy with this.
OK, I have never been to Kosciosko but I'm sure you have the flavour of the town in these images.

The colour variations don't seem relevant to me. What I like here is the three panels and the repetition of the bush shapes at the top and bottom right and the diagonal line it gives from bottom left to top right through the intersection of the panels. I'd strnghten this by removing the small bushes along the bottom edge in the middle and on the left.

This bronze statue in particular and also the marble version, have a lot of artistic and political significance. I searched for the meaning of that hat and finally found it. For those who want more info on the importance of these statues, check the following.
smarthistory.org/donatello-david/
They are considerably earlier than the Michelangelo David and almost certainly Michelangelo was thinking about them when he created his version.

Looks to be working well. Even illumination with minimal shadow but still retaining a 3d feel.

Thank you very much - I‘m happy you think so.

Yes, that‘s a zipper. It was really fun experimenting with it close up - such an awesome invention btw.!

No idea… I think I’ve read somewhere that the appropriate number of lenses to own is "7 times 70", but I might be mixing something up again. 😅

I find the curves of the arches appealing, especially the smoother first photo.

The gold color with the reflected light has a warm tone that is appealing as well. Light reflected from white tile or water surface?