* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #781 / Revived #002 on 2023 04 12 *

Thanks.

Source is lights on a building. Motion is smooth because shutter speed was high and camera and lens inertia dominated the motion. Handheld. Shaken.

Looking over Winnie's Shoulder

In my continuing look through my recent attempts to explore abstract photography, I came up with these two interpretations of a Winnie The Pooh subject found on a concrete wall. Do either appeal? Or does one appeal more than the other?

I love this one. I like the contrast between the shady and sunny parts of the image. I like the recurring leading lines and angles, and the two curves that fan out to lead us to the dead end of the fence. I like the rich textures of the building materials. I like the street art. The street art might have persuaded you into presenting this one in bright colors, and that too would have made a nice image, but it works quite well in black and white where you can best benefit from the contrasty light. But best of all I like the way the man mimics the masked image on the distant building. Both of them are looking towards us with a similar alert wariness.

Well spotted and captured, nicely presented.

While my first instinct suggested that it could use a different crop, I really like the sense of scale in this image. So perhaps the unusual format is actually increasing that effect. I also like that both people in the boat are looking back, giving the reflection and towering bridge additional importance. Well spotted and captured!

Thank you all so much for your nice comments and interesting observations. I'm happy that you share some of my fascination for trying to provide a different view on something ordinary and see the (mostly) hidden appeal in its details.

It's actually lifted into the air, although only for a couple of mm... I pierced the piece of bread with a small metal needle, which was stuck through the paper background and held it in place. Because it's so light, it was easier to do than expected. (That's the exception though, a lot of the time, I imagine something might work and it turns out to be way more complicated... 😓)

I love the way the low sun angle accentuates the texture of the boards, especially around all the knots. I also appreciate the counterpoint provided by the rows of nails. Since I've been thinking of this for my own work lately, it occurs to me that the image might "read" better for some people if it were flipped horizontally, so that the leading lines flowed from lower left to upper right. It might be worth a quick try to see if you like it better. Then again, it might look horrible....

-Mike

Thanks for looking!

There was no attempt at composition (other than unconscious). I don't find much use for concepts such as leading lines and flow of an image. Although I find S-curves showing up a lot in my images, I don't intentionally seek them out. It was one of my first excursions with the GFX 100S and the wonderful GF 45/2.8. And I was just kind of shooting randomly.

There's a long, steep ramp up to the boardwalk, heading into the sun. As soon as my wife and I got to the top I saw the incredible texture the low-angled sun was creating on the oak and I quickly got the shot. I should have included something in the shot for scale - those timbers are huge. The nail heads are at least a half inch across. There was literally a football field of boardwalk stretched out before me. My only regret was that I didn't shoot more of it. But it was crowded and I couldn't get more than a small view without distractions. I'll be going back for more.

Rich

I, too, thought at first about cropping then discarded the idea. In a perfect world there would have been something more interesting right at the bridge pier location. But photographers very rarely are presented with a perfect world. That pier provides just enough information about what is casting that golden reflection to make the photo what it is, an idyllic calm scene in gorgeous light. The reflection of the boat and occupants is a welcome bonus. Nicely done.

The image is simple but successful, with so much detail in the warm boards that we can sense how they would feel to our bare feet. The denser knotted parts of the wood are raised and the smoother parts worn deeply and smoothly from all those feet. The diagonals dominate the composition. Wood abstracted down to its basic structure.

Oh now, however did you find Pooh in there? The urge to anthropomorphize is irresistible.

As an abstract it is satisfying for the pleasure of exploring texture (Those 3 casual splashes of gray brown paint, the surface pecking and particles) and color but the fun of it is finding Pooh, or whoever else is hiding in there. It is hard for me to appreciate abstracts without seeking what's inside. I like the one with the muted colors best because it doesn't overwhelm my search for what's hidden.

I think this is the best of the images on this thread. The technical aspects are great with good exposure, focus and sharp details. Texture and details galore. The strong diagonals make for a powerful image. More importantly I can see the creativity, innovation and the fine art aspects of artistic expression and vision. You should definitely revisit this are and take advantage of the length of this feature.

Thanks. I would not have guessed a building. I've not experimented with fast shutters and camera motion. Interesting.

That sums it up rather well Simplejoy. The sharper focus on the larger animal means we interpret things from that animal's perspective. The carried infant is clear enough however for it to be identified for what it is. The viewer transfers their own experience into the image.

Love the portrait of these two. I often say animals won't do as we wish for posing but these could not have been more helpful. There is a strong diagonal with the slope of Mama's head that sets the stage for the composition. The expression is intense and grabs our attention that way. Their eyes are focused off the frame but along the diagonal. Variations in sharpness and light make Mama the star and baby the supporting actor. We even see the seeds in her mouth. The highlights in her mouth might could benefit from a slight reduction but that's a small thing. Well done on all counts.

There is a somewhat fantastical quality to the image with all that gold in the water, but interrupted by the harsh reality of the bridge support post. I am undecided about whether I would remove it by crop or edit, or leave it in. Cropping it would remove the line of clear blue at the top which I think the image needs for balance. Disappearing it with editing tools would have the boatmen drifting on a larger and more magical river. But, the post and the boat are balances for each other compositionally. So I'm of two minds here. Either way, or as is, the image conveys peace, balance, and warmth.

I have no idea how I came to post the same picture twice. I was trying to add a comment to Simplejoy's comment on Roel's picture. I'll work on it.