Circle of Life.

Thank you for your thoughts.

 

I tried to understand for a couple of minutes and never "got it." I felt like I needed to identify what the metal device is and could never figure it out, so that kept me from advancing any further. Asked myself, "Would the egg just sitting on the table send the same message?" and then I thought, "Of course not, that device is part of the message, but I don't know what it is."

In Germany, it's "when you cut wood, you make chips"? or some such. I largely concur with dcstep on this one.

I saw this yesterday and didn't know or care what the machine specifically was. It just looked to me like something that put the egg in jeopardy. It also pitted the man-made against the natural (or at least the chicken-made). So I immediately got the way the title related to the image.

 

I can envision these recent photos as a series, which I think would be a good vehicle for them, supporting and mirroring each other as they already do. And, while the series is emerging somewhat overtly and obviously, I'd love to see some that are less literal and direct in their "statement." If not that, I'd like to feel intentional consciousness of the obviousness of the messaging. In essence, I find the track you're on interesting and think there's more layering of it to explore.

Edited September 14, 2021 by samstevens

I tried to understand for a couple of minutes and never "got it." I felt like I needed to identify what the metal device is and could never figure it out, so that kept me from advancing any further. Asked myself, "Would the egg just sitting on the table send the same message?" and then I thought, "Of course not, that device is part of the message, but I don't know what it is."

Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[ATTACH=full]1401977[/ATTACH]

In Germany, it's "when you cut wood, you make chips"? or some such. I largely concur with dcstep on this one.

I saw this yesterday and didn't know or care what the machine specifically was. It just looked to me like something that put the egg in jeopardy. It also pitted the man-made against the natural (or at least the chicken-made). So I immediately got the way the title related to the image.

 

I can envision these recent photos as a series, which I think would be a good vehicle for them, supporting and mirroring each other as they already do. And, while the series is emerging somewhat overtly and obviously, I'd love to see some that are less literal and direct in their "statement." If not that, I'd like to feel intentional consciousness of the obviousness of the messaging. In essence, I find the track you're on interesting and think there's more layering of it to explore.

 

Thank you for looking my post.

The device is Minnesota Trapline Spring Trap GoWild | Best Hunting, Fishing, & Outdoors Social Network: iPhone, Android, Web, App

 

I hope this clarify my idea.

Lately I decided to mobilize my imagination and do some conceptual work.

Cheers.

Read Sam's take, thought about "Circle of Life", looked hard at the picture again and still don't get it. The metal device could be seen as protecting the egg. I see the cl0uds as the ethereal, pre-life (before egg), but I can't see the rest of the circle, like chicken, then death. Without the title, I wouldn't get that far.

The metal device could be seen as protecting the egg.

It could be. I just right away saw it differently.

I hope this clarify my idea.

That you clarified your idea is just the beginning. Does it matter to you that you had to clarify it for some/most people here to get it?

 

If it does matter, are you considering options?

When i was young we called them bridger traps ... bridgers. So for me the 'circle of life' did make sense but did not resonate. but i was led by a skewed perspective and saw death dominate. I only saw the egg as bait. Death for the unknowing creature that took the bait and for the egg which on the surface may symbolize life ... maybe as you intended.

The contrast of my visceral memory of the brutal bridgers to the nicely done exposure and somewhat carefully presented image including the 2d egg began to tug at me... allowing me to linger beyond the title and i drifted to my past. There, one of The more beneficial exercises that was suggested to me was to photograph eggs & glass and then more eggs and more.... Till i developed a deeper understanding of lighting (natural. artificial. and reflective) reflection, gradation, depth... it was a good eye/mind opener and eggs&glass are not as easy as i thought they would be. But rewarding and has informed my work since.

It is interesting to see what you are doing Pavel.

Read Sam's take, thought about "Circle of Life", looked hard at the picture again and still don't get it. The metal device could be seen as protecting the egg. I see the cl0uds as the ethereal, pre-life (before egg), but I can't see the rest of the circle, like chicken, then death. Without the title, I wouldn't get that far.

 

My apology, it looks like I was writing above response same time as you did this.

 

The trap with closed "jaws" represents the end of life. The egg "includes" birth and life. I like you interpretation of the background as the ethereal, pre-life.

Cheers.

 

 

It could be. I just right away saw it differently.

 

That you clarified your idea is just the beginning. Does it matter to you that you had to clarify it for some/most people here to get it?

 

If it does matter, are you considering options?

 

Of course it matter, one option I see is to mention objects used to assemble compositions.

Cheers.

When i was young we called them bridger traps ... bridgers. So for me the 'circle of life' did make sense but did not resonate. but i was led by a skewed perspective and saw death dominate. I only saw the egg as bait. Death for the unknowing creature that took the bait and for the egg which on the surface may symbolize life ... maybe as you intended.

The contrast of my visceral memory of the brutal bridgers to the nicely done exposure and somewhat carefully presented image including the 2d egg began to tug at me... allowing me to linger beyond the title and i drifted to my past. There, one of The more beneficial exercises that was suggested to me was to photograph eggs & glass and then more eggs and more.... Till i developed a deeper understanding of lighting (natural. artificial. and reflective) reflection, gradation, depth... it was a good eye/mind opener and eggs&glass are not as easy as i thought they would be. But rewarding and has informed my work since.

It is interesting to see what you are doing Pavel.

 

Thank you inoneeye.

Yes, the one of the ways to compose the still life is to position the objects next to each other on the table. I tried to go further, I tried to create more dynamic and narrative interaction between the objects.

There is no the life without death - as soon as the life born its "lures" the death "in to the picture" as a conclusion.

Cheers.

No! I don't think the photo would speak to me at all if the egg was sitting next to the trap. In fact the sprung or yet uncocked bridgers and the unfried egg suggests that no creature was hurt in the making of this image. yet.

unfried egg

Hmmm. I see it as unscrambled …

& soft scrambled for me while you're at it. Edited September 15, 2021 by inoneeye

Figures. I prefer mine hard.

Although Freud apparently never actually said this, he is widely credited with having said "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." I just saw this as a still life of an egg in a trap. (I recognized it as a trap right away.) It's visually interesting anyway.

 

Why so much space devoted to the background? Seems to me that you want people to focus on the egg and trap, and devoting almost half the vertical space to the bacground above them draws the eye away.

The background features prominently in a lot of Pavel’s recent work. I wonder if the backgrounds aren’t there to allow space for the concepts to wander as opposed to the objects just being seen against them. This may offer a kind of expansiveness over focus and may telegraph that this is one of those times when a cigar is more virile than it might at first seem.

No! I don't think the photo would speak to me at all if the egg was sitting next to the trap. In fact the sprung or yet uncocked bridgers and the unfried egg suggests that no creature was hurt in the making of this image. yet.

 

yes, I try to be politically correct.

 

& soft scrambled for me while you're at it.

Figures. I prefer mine hard.

 

I compiled your scenarios in to sunny up today for breakfast, and so far, no any negative reactions from my body, yet.

 

Although Freud apparently never actually said this, he is widely credited with having said "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." I just saw this as a still life of an egg in a trap. (I recognized it as a trap right away.) It's visually interesting anyway.

 

Why so much space devoted to the background? Seems to me that you want people to focus on the egg and trap, and devoting almost half the vertical space to the bacground above them draws the eye away.

 

Thank you paddler4.

I just try to obey to 1/3 rule.

Cheers.

 

 

The background features prominently in a lot of Pavel’s recent work. I wonder if the backgrounds aren’t there to allow space for the concepts to wander as opposed to the objects just being seen against them. This may offer a kind of expansiveness over focus and may telegraph that this is one of those times when a cigar is more virile than it might at first seem.

 

This backdrop is only real one I have. I use it to hide distracting background for my compositions and add some 3D touch with the narrow DOF.

This backdrop is only real one I have. I use it to hide distracting background for my compositions and add some 3D touch with the narrow DOF.

Interesting and thanks for talking about that. I was talking about the amount of space in the frame you've allowed for background, which means something to me or at least helps telegraph something.

Interesting and thanks for talking about that. I was talking about the amount of space in the frame you've allowed for background, which means something to me or at least helps telegraph something.

yes. I missed the mine idea of your post.

Cutting out the half ( this is as much as I would agree to cut ) of the negative space will bring more weight to the objects and turns the pic into documenting of some artifacts, and in the same time will bring a claustrophobic sense that does not appeal to me as oppose to "... to allow space for the concepts to wander..."

Edited September 16, 2021 by pavel_l.

yes. I missed the mine idea of your post.

Cutting out the half ( this is as much as I would agree to cut ) of the negative space will bring more weight to the objects and turns the pic into documenting of some artifacts, and in the same time will bring a claustrophobic sense that does not appeal to me as oppose to "... to allow space for the concepts to wander..."

the main idea

the main idea

Of course, since it was your idea you could also say, "it was mine." :)