Powerlines - I know they serve a purpose, but boy are they annoying!

[steve_robb1]

I remember as a kid my Dad telling me stories about HIS Father wanting to get a

good photograph of a sunset, he'd go out for drives in the early evening trying

to get the right shot, only to come back with prints of pretty good shots...

criss-crossed with power lines! (UNintentionally, mind you!).

 

I'd never really put too much thought into it until I moved to the city seven

years ago and would often frame a beautiful shot of some wonderful old house,

or church or old office building, or nice park, or river, or cloud scene, then

stop because I suddenly realised... THERE ARE POWER LINES EVERYWHERE!

 

At first I didn't notice (being a country boy and all), but now, I'm so

concioulsy aware of them, it's really bugging me! I guess on the good side,

I'm making a point of planning regular camping trips with the main aim being

photography, just to get away from the buggers!

 

Anyway... rant over... would love to hear your thoughts.

 

Cheers,

Steve

[bobatkins]

Isn't that why God invented PhotoShop?

[Matt Laur]

I'd like you to meet your new friend, the clone tool.

 

Yes, it IS maddening. On the other hand, I recall hearing someone complaing about how they had the PERFECT shot (of a dog, in this case), but it was just RUINED by "all of those trees in the background." Heh!

 

Speaking of background... sometimes a shallow DoF can really help with the urban clutter.

[mike dixon]

Just be glad you're not living in Hanoi, Vietnam.<div></div>

[emre]

What an ugly sight. On the bright side, you wouldn't have to worry about falling out of the window. Oh wait...

[jgalyon]

it is a CONSTANT problem and perhaps my biggest pet peave. thank you Jesus for Photoshop or I'd have about (4) decent shots to my name........

[Spearhead]

Sometimes the wires are interesting...<p>

 

<Center><img src="http://www.spirer.com/SFjuly29/images/wiresandsky.jpg"><br><i>Wires and Sky, Copyright 2006 Jeff Spirer</i></center>

[thomas_hardy1]

Yep, too many power lines.

[Spearhead]

I once found this photographer in Japan, he shot just powerlines in Japan, it was amazing. It was what inspired me to take the shot above, I just wish I could remember dude's name.

[steve_robb1]

Rubber stamps, Clone tools... hmmm, sounds like some fancy "Digital" stuff you're talking there ;)

 

I have to agree, there are a couple of streets around here that are just SO cluttered with cables I have stopped to take a few shots of them on purpose.

[mendel_leisk]

In the biography movie Crumb, Robert Crumb reminisces about hiring a photographer solely to shoot skylines, telephone poles, tranformers and the like, for reference material.

 

Anyway, a Photoshop tip for getting rid of long lines, at least on uniform backgrounds, say with healing brush:

 

<alt> click at your starting source point, then <shift> click at begin of line you want to delete, then pan as required to end of line and do a second <shift> click. PS will do a healing stroke between the two <shift> click points.

 

Obviously, the line has to be straight, and this only works in uniform tone areas.

[les]

Can't beat them ? Join them !

 

Jeff's image is a good example of how to turn an enemy into a friend :)

[don_e]

I agree with Jeff. They can be interesting, especially at night<div></div>

[alex_lofquist]

You can buy line filters at Radio Shack.

[jgalyon]

how much could a man buy one of those filters for Alex? :)

[chris_waller]

Here's a thought. If it were not for those power lines you would not be able to be there taking photographs.

[William Kahn]

"They can be interesting, especially at night"

 

.....Or at sunset.<div></div>

[bwcombs]

Sometimes, you need a cooperative model to help make the powerline "disappear."

[bwcombs]

Forgot the image....<div></div>

[thomas_hardy1]

Well they might not be pretty, but sometimes make a powerful image.

[frank uhlig]

Of course, in most of Europe they bury their power/telephone/cable/DSL wires inside cities. You still have the 200,000 V overland power lines in the countryside, though.

 

So, if too annoyed, simply travel/settle away from the annoyance ...

[chris_waller]

I wish they did, but since it costs ten times as much to bury cables than to string 'em between poles we get this;-<div></div>

[steven_moseley1]

Hi,

 

I actually really do not get this obsession with jumping into gizmoshop everytime some slight thing happens to upset in the frame.

 

USE THINGS...I agree with the attitude of the Japanese photogrpaher..make things work FOR you. This whole 'shoot it' and fix it later syndrome which digital has created is actually not a good, or professional way to work..

 

cheers Steve.

[Spearhead]

Why not use the tools at hand to do the job? There's no good reason not to.

 

Regarding the Japanese photographer, he shot them intentionally, they were the subject (like mine above.) For all we know, he removes power lines from his other shots.

[leo_grillo]

This is a helluva fine art project! I'd buy a monograph of a power line study in a minute.

Maybe collect some prints too. "One man's trash ...."

 

Being in the country I photograph power poles -- because they are the bones of trees. In

the city the power lines would be a gold mine!