Towards the post-pandemic era

 

Towards the post-pandemic era

All the best, Uli

Hi Uli, I really like this photo, especially the play of light & shadows and the warm, reddish-brown colors. The arched window and door for an interesting background. There are lots of diagonal lines which add interest to the photo.

I like your title too. For me, the photo does indeed symbolize 'coming out the darkness into the light'. But I also like the figure on the left in the shadows. He/she adds balance to the 3 people walking in - and the couple 'stepping into' the light'.

The photo is great 'as is' but one small suggestion I'd make is to crop off the small piece of wall in the top right-hand corner by cropping a thin slice off the left wall. This is the only (very small) piece of wall that acts as a ' vertical visual boundary' at the top of the photo. Removing this piece leaves the right-hand dark top of the photo to 'flow' (unrestricted) to the edge of the photo.

Another minor comment is that the sunlit side-walk is quite bright compared to the darker areas of the photo. This is of course natural! Visually, the side-walk has a stark contrast with other areas of the photo. Depending on how much you can and want to post-process the photo, you might want to experiment with reducing the brightness on the sidewalk by just 10%-15%. The side-walk is then still bright and sunlit but IHMO the small reduction in contrast, helps the side-walk blend in better with the rest of the photo.

I enjoyed viewing!

Mike

(...)The photo is great 'as is' but one small suggestion I'd make is to crop off the small piece of wall in the top right-hand corner by cropping a thin slice off the left wall. This is the only (very small) piece of wall that acts as a ' vertical visual boundary' at the top of the photo. Removing this piece leaves the right-hand dark top of the photo to 'flow' (unrestricted) to the edge of the photo.

You are right, I overlocked the corner.

Another minor comment is that the sunlit side-walk is quite bright compared to the darker areas of the photo. This is of course natural! Visually, the side-walk has a stark contrast with other areas of the photo. Depending on how much you can and want to post-process the photo, you might want to experiment with reducing the brightness on the sidewalk by just 10%-15%. The side-walk is then still bright and sunlit but IHMO the small reduction in contrast, helps the side-walk blend in better with the rest of the photo.

Yes, specially behind the group of people. I can reduce the light .

It was a cold day in october in Bologna (Italy) and the light flooded unfiltered almost horizontally through the city. The center is built of red bricks and this shined deep red in the sun.

Thank you for your accurate and detailed advice, it helps a lot!

Ah, and it is exactly the symbolism as you understood it.

All the best, Uli

By the way, I'm not sure it's symbolism that communicates any tie-in to the pandemic. Your introduction does that. I think the introduction is a reasonable way to communicate your intention and the photo illustrates it as companion. I don't see the photo symbolizing it, which would mean I could find "freedom from pandemic" within the photo itself, which I don't think I would without your words.

Yes, absolutely right. The whole thing only works as an image-text combination. If you just take the picture, there's nothing in there that shows "freedom from the pandemic."

I should have communicated that somehow. I'm just too close to that.

I sometimes make explicit image-text combinations that, at least for me, create a third context. This newness has nothing to do with the images directly.

Hm, I have a project that works exactly like this. I can post it here as a trial. But it will take a while...

Really thanks for the considerations that the photo must be seen as it a picture-text-combination. I had instinctively assumed that was clear. But that was just my (inside) view. Sorry.

Best regards, Uli

Yes, absolutely right. The whole thing only works as an image-text combination. If you just take the picture, there's nothing in there that shows "freedom from the pandemic."

 

I should have communicated that somehow. I'm just too close to that.

 

I sometimes make explicit image-text combinations that, at least for me, create a third context. This newness has nothing to do with the images directly.

 

Hm, I have a project that works exactly like this. I can post it here as a trial. But it will take a while...

 

Really thanks for the considerations that the photo must be seen as it a picture-text-combination. I had instinctively assumed that was clear. But that was just my (inside) view. Sorry.

 

Best regards, Uli

Sure. I appreciate your response and it's an interesting way to go with any photo or series. Thanks.

Hi Uli

I'm delighted that you submitted this photo 'for critique' so soon after joining PN and that you reacted to my 'minor suggestions' so positively! I keep saying to myself that I should submit more of my photos 'for critique'. IMHO both photographers and 'critics' learn equally from each other when 'critiquing' photos. At least, I do.

So thank you for giving me the opportunity to enjoy your wonderful photo and to learn.

Best wishes,

Mike

You are right, I overlocked the corner.

 

 

Yes, specially behind the group of people. I can reduce the light .

 

It was a cold day in october in Bologna (Italy) and the light flooded unfiltered almost horizontally through the city. The center is built of red bricks and this shined deep red in the sun.

 

Thank you for your accurate and detailed advice, it helps a lot!

 

Ah, and it is exactly the symbolism as you understood it.

 

All the best, Uli