Your Opinions, Please?

I drive around a lot, working in many different places, and like to take my camera(s) along. I love the imagery of old U.S. highways, the signage or graphics of yesteryear and just whatever. If something catches my eye, I'll stop, turn around, go back, it doesn't matter. I passed this going to work yesterday in daylight but was too wrapped up at the time, to stop. I ended up passing it again much later -in darkness. Took a few photos of it but in the end used the flash, then converted it to B&W, it's my favorite of the series of images of this sign - which is on a fence outside a drive-in movie theater on U.S. highway number 322, somewhere very near dead center of Pennsylvania, USA.

 

What does everyone think?

 

I really like this photo.

 

The composition is excellent, there is a full range of grays, and there is mystery about it. What could "Super 322" mean?

 

I also like the board fence. At first, it appears that boards are missing. I wondered how such a symmetrical pattern could occur randomly. Usually when I see a fence in disrepair, the missing boards aren't grouped into 4s of present and missing boards. Then, on second glance, there aren't any missing boards. They're just painted a very dark color. My eye naturally wants to see what details are in the dark areas of the fence. The contrasts in the fence are very effective at drawing one into the photo.

 

The foreground is interesting too. It has much texture in what looks like weeds growing before the fence. I wondered what type of weeds they could be, since I've never seen any that look like that (tall and thin stalks) where I live. It looks much more interesting than if the foreground was well manicured grass.

I like this a lot. There are different textures from bottom to top, and the strange "message" of the neon. I might like to see a tiny bit more of the building(?) behind the fence. As it is, I find myself straining to pick up details.

I also really like this image. Every aspect seems very intentional, so I don't find much that I would suggest doing differently. Rather, I have some observations as to my impressions. Take them for what they are. If they align with the OP's intent, that's great. If not, then perhaps there's something to learn...?

1. The composition is quite static. It seems to shout "this is what I am, and no more than what you see." No leading lines, no movement, almost no perspective. This is neither good nor bad, but simply just "is". It makes me focus on the few immediate elements, rather than track from primary to secondary to tertiary subjects.

2. The B&W presentation serves to boil this down its most essential elements. I have only the overall composition, variations in tone, and textures to interpret, and these are very finite in number. This makes me, again, focus and evaluate in more detail those fewer elements.

3. The disembodied text of "SUPER 322" is clearly meaningful and referential, and it's neon rendition a powerful visual element, yet it's disembodied state without obvious context makes it mysterious. It becomes a purely compositional element, while simultaneously begging the question of meaning. This dichotomy is what makes this image so engaging, as the viewer is drawn in by the powerful elements, but is then confounded as s/he attempts to find further meaning or backstory, making for both mystery and opening the door to myriad interpretations.

4. I could wish that the flash effect in the center foreground were less pronounced, as this draws my eye away from the most important parts of the image. I find it distracting without adding meaning or context, since, to my eye, it is merely an artifact of the exposure, rather than an intentional compositional element (when compared to the rest of the image). I'd prefer all the foreground to have essentially consistent exposure, which is easily obtained with an oval graduated filter in post.

All-in-all a very nice image and one I would be pleased to have made. Very nicely seen, captured, and presented.

Thanks so much to you all for your thoughts and comments.

It has something but to my mind it's a bit 'square and static'. You might want to try rotating the photo slightly off the 90 and 180 Angles. Just to give it a sense of more surprise, dynamics and spontaneity.

 

Mike

I like this photo.

I see the zebra fence as warning sign - do not trespass, something like area 51. The stems on foreground are dead/dried from something mystical/harmful that is behind this fence.

 

Pavel.