* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #852 / Revived #072 on 2024 08 14 *

Beachside Bungalow 1222

The Strand, Oceanside, CA, south of the pier.

Rich

Oh yes. I like the colours, the lines, the contrasting textures, among other things. It's the simplicity of the image, which is so appealing and rewarding to look at.

Thank you, Chris! There are a few little "complexities" I hope will be seen. 🙄

Rich

Chris,

Is that a real "seagull" in the window?

Tim

I don't know if the building is completely abandoned. It's certainly very neglected and falling apart. Notice the grass growing inside the foundation ventilation window.

I think it's fascinating finding abandoned buildings with the belongings of the last inhabitants just left in place as though life is meant to just pick up again as though there had been no interruption, some day. There are lots of such places along this run-down stretch of The Strand.

On the other hand, the place may be an actual rental property, just waiting for a customer. One man's trash is another's treasure. What I describe as abandoned and decaying may be perceived as vintage and attractive to someone else.

I'm glad you noticed the silhouetted seagull model inside the bungalow. I liked the angle the sun was coming in the window, illuminating the far wall below the sign/tapestry hanging there.

The flat color, the high-contrast light and shadows, the "mundane," ordinary subject, reminded me of the style of a painter whom I'll leave unnamed, for now.

Rich

It seems to me that the important part of the picture is your friend. This crop really allows one to see him well. I like it very much!

David

Into the Unknown

The Bara Imambara in Lucknow, India, has a huge 18th century hall, which is one of the largest rooms in the world with a vaulted roof without any beams. It was built on marshy ground, so the huge walls and arches needed for the support could not be solid, and are hollow, with hundreds of arches and passageways within the walls and foundations. Almost inadvertently the builders created a massive maze, which formed a useful escape route for the royal family. Tourists are shown around the upper galleries, with many glimpses of the ornate rooms below, but the lower levels are too difficult to navigate and are out of bounds. Apparently a British explorer, who insisted he was up to the task, is still down there.

Interestingly this huge, ornate building was started by the local ruler during a famine to provide income for farmers who would otherwise have starved. He knew their pride would not allow them to simply take a gift of money. It is said that each night the nobility would knock down what had been built the previous day, thus prolonging the building work until the end of the famine.

The photo shows one of the galleries in the maze.

(I am on a rainy beach holiday with grandchildren at the moment, so had to find something stored on my phone. Only phone cameras were allowed in the Bara Imambara, so that is what I used. Pixel-peepers will be disappointed!)

The best camera in the world is the one you have with you.

Great shot. The extensive DOF of the phone camera served very well for this need.

And don't go down to the lower levels!

Rich

It’s a fine portrait, and I am sure the family will be delighted. No doubt they are most interested in seeing him, so I like this crop. I also agree that the mask, teeth and cooling cap should be left, showing him true to life.
On my iPad, the photo seems to have a slight green cast and is a bit too bright, so have tried to fix that. The adjustments used in iPad Lightroom were
Red +12
Yellow +2
Exposure -0.37
Highlights -27

Thank you Chris 😊

I could have used a polarizer, but I didn't know what a polarizer was yet.

I think simple, spontaneous headshots make a nice way to remember someone.
If the tractor is something he is known for, then I would keep it in the image.
If not, then I would crop in pretty close to make him easier to see.
In a perfect world, assuming you could retake an image, the arm from the tractor wouldn't intersect with his head and a mild background blur to increase his separation.

When my Uncle passed, my cousin and I scanned hundreds of photos from his life time and choose random ones from different eras. Everyone remembers a person from different times and experiences. We didn't remove or alter the images, we left in all the friends and family members to help every one remember the times they were there with him. We played them on a loop on a tv from a memory stick.
For family, my cousin uploaded all the images to a cloud drive so family members could get copies.

I am sure that gentleman has put some miles on that bike so it's a good thing it's suited for heavy duty. A nice travel shot with the impression of a universal meme: men sitting about chatting while watching ladies move past. The sightline of the fellow on the left leads us to them. It looks like the ladies have been down to the water. Their traditional red outfits are a lovely eye anchor at just the right spot along the leading line of the wall as it moves towards its arrow point (at which time our eyes turn left and figure out the city behind). The greens and blues and their reflections are soothing relief from heat and concrete structures.

Lovely flower image with rich complementary colors that work well together, nice bokeh, and water drops to make it special.

I haven't a clue what these ladies are devoted to, but clearly something. Most of them don't look at all happy, so my first thought was that this was some gigantic casket. I think I've spotted some rendition of Jesus and Mary so perhaps it's a religious celebration of some kind. Definitely made me curious. I've not seen anything quite like it. Well spotted and taken.

A beautiful heron of a type I've never seen so likely one of your unique Aussie-birds. I know his American relatives quite well though, and he has the same body type and flight style, though his coloring is different. Hard to get such a sharp clear eye in one of these fellows in flight. Well done.

Wonderful moment and so cool that you could hear them! I chanced upon a moment like that in Yosemite and took their picture too (one for me and one for them). I like that you've parked them right in the middle (above the Staff Parking signs) for balance. And I like the little boat to break up the perfection of that balance. The water line is a little tilted to the left.

A simple composition of squares and rectangles and terrific blues. It becomes more involved as we study it and find a poster and what looks like a carving of a bird in the building, and explore the surrounds in back - water, pier, signs, people, road, city, and a line to follow to get there. The colors and shapes dominate but the story is sitting there waiting for us when we arrive.