New to Photo.Net - Don't hold back...

[DesertRatt]

Just joined today. Without me saying anything - here for your critique "Drive-in."

[Woolsocks]

It's just a blank screen. I'm bored already. I would remove the crap on the bottom of the screen with clone tool. But you should only bother if you intend to show an exhibit of other stuff in the area, or other blank screens. Otherwise. Sadly as I said this is a boring.

Strong contrast and good blacks and whites but subject is boring.

[inoneeye]

Welcome D.R, I have always been mesmerized by abandoned drive in theaters. Always fewer of these to be found. And like this one rarely with the speaker posts or as I often found, with abandoned cars. It has a loud nostalgic atmosphere and appeal to me.Rich in memories and mystic. 
i do like it… yet the way it is framed feels restricted for me and makes me wonder what if it was a bit wider? 
I look forward to seeing more of your photos. 

[John Seaman]

It's a poignant scene and is worthy of recording. But as has been stated, a large percentage of the frame is basically blank. You need to look at ways of creating more interest. For example trying different angles and perspectives. Also there does seem to be some detail or texture in the screen itself, burnt out somewhat by the exposure. Different exposures or post processing may bring this out more.

[Ricochetrider]

Hey welcome, and thanks for posting here in “Critiques”.
I’m a fan of abandoned places so this speaks to me but that blown out portion of the screen does have me wishing the texture seen at the edges was there across the entire surface.!

Is the whole thing softly focused? Or just out of focus? Is this an extreme crop of a larger photo? I like this on one hand but wish for more from the shot on the other hand. 

Look forward to seeing more of your work. 

[samstevens]

I’m good with it. Blanks done like this allow some emotional fill-in on my part. The atmosphere helps that along. It’s definitely not a landscape with fall foliage and a flowing river. Nor does it want to be.

[ericphelps]

It's a great photo - Saying that because it's exactly the type of scene I'd spend some time walking/shooting around. I don't 'get' the comments that there's too much blank white in the scene, it's like saying 'too much wing' on a shot of a 747 airliner. It's soft and contrasty which gives the screen that messy smeared look - I like it.

[DesertRatt]

Thank you all. This photo is highly representative of what I like to shoot. I am NOT a nature photog because I can't really hike miles into the woods. I am trying to document and record the "world I see as I move around in it." That world is filled with man-made structures that are new, old, and decayed, too.

The photo is slight crop from what was taken. I wanted very much the large expanse of faded glory. Movies are "bigger than life" and I wanted to have that feel of being at the drive-in, but hey, the drive-in is broken.

Again, thank you all for taking the time to comment - I am thrilled that there are people who care enough about photos to spend the time! I have not been a part of any online photo forums in a long, long time. So, it's looking like this will be worthwhile, informative and provide lot's of learning for me.

P.S. It is a bit OOF because at the time (2010) I had trouble with my eyesight and had trouble focusing some of my cameras. I also did my own developing and half the time was learning about chemistry and technique.

Cheers to all!

Mark

 

[inoneeye]

Imo the lack of sharp focus works for this photo. It enhances the glow and deepens the ethereal feel, both appropriate here. Sometimes intentional less than sharp works well.

[Ricochetrider]

@DesertRatt It just dawned on me that the big screen reminds me vaguely of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photos of deteriorating, historical move theaters I’m certain I’d have been drawn to this myself, and there’s the fun in photography: seeing how others would shoot a scene that I myself would find interesting.
And this group is actually great, hope you click with us, any of your shots I’ve seen so far, I really like, so definitely look forward to seeing more! 
 

Edited November 3 by Ricochetrider

[DesertRatt]

Many thanks again for the comments and encouragements. I'm 76 years old and started shooting in 1969. I tossed in the towel 10 years ago and sold everything. I ran out of inspiration. Two months ago, the bug bit me again. I bought half a dozen cameras, developing machines, assorted items and dove back in with both feet. I've got 12,000 images in Lightroom, so I've got enough ammo to bore everyone into a coma! I've shot 10 new rolls in the past month, so I will have some more work to show soon!

 Cheers to all!

Mark

[tyelar]

I agree with the comment about the scene "being an empty screen, boring", but thought it could be an interesting backdrop for a double exposure of some type? Perhaps old timey family photo or horror movie prop?, antique cars parked 'watching', etc.

[William Michael]

Assume from the Author’s comments this was originally shot on neg.

There are a few techniques employed in the photograph: maybe consciously or subconsciously contrived, or perhaps present here by way of ignorant happenstance, moreover I reckon these are worthy of comment.

The Palette within the Palette – adds/creates juxtaposition – the landscape vs. the nothingness; the living vs. the dead; the present vs. the past, etc..

The Negative Space – often the dark void, but here it is the vivid white; definitely the eye-catcher and ‘in your face’; annoying to some folk perhaps, but nonetheless one can’t help but take notice of the photograph for more than 3 seconds, in so doing the image has indeed passed Base One in pursuit of interest – to achieve same is definitely not boring.

The use of Eighth Profile – usually seen in Portraiture, yet it seems effective here. Just not Square-on and not Quarter-profile, the Viewer’s Eye wanders to the left (notoriously annoying for most of those who read right to left), but can never escape the Main Palette, perhaps this is part of the reason why some folk will seek to ‘fill in’ (the white) Negative Space with their own story, experience, emotion, etc..         

Appreciate that it was mentioned why the photograph is OoF. Being OoF does not enhance.

Enhancement may be achieved by toning, at first I considered Sepia, but a more austere presentation may be more effective, so I’d consider Selenium (purple tone) – though I doubt old school techniques would be employed now that the neg has been digitized. Iron Blue would be worth a try, too.

If it were mine I would go all-in on the Negative Space – cropping to Aspect Ratio of 10:9 would do the trick, keeping the white cloud bottom right and loosing much of the foreground. 

This Photograph could work well as a constituent of, or the springboard for a Series; not necessarily all of the same Subject Matter, but within the same theme of Juxtaposition. If this is a course you wish to follow, I would encourage you in the making new images, and not sorting through the twelve thousands you’ve already made.   

In any case, I don't recommend sorting through the twelve thousand already made: unless there's the one life-time cracker already made within that bunch, but if there were, you'd know it.   

WW

[inoneeye]

Naturally the attention and comments focus on the screen. But I was also drawn to the expanse of foreground weeds. The photo for me was not limited to the blank drive-in screen. as is. It conjures more than an empty screen and helps tell a story. The lack of speaker posts, no cars. More than an empty billboard which it could have been (and shy of a title) mistaken for.

[DesertRatt]

22 hours ago, William Michael said:

This Photograph could work well as a constituent of, or the springboard for a Series; not necessarily all of the same Subject Matter, but within the same theme of Juxtaposition. If this is a course you wish to follow, I would encourage you in the making new images, and not sorting through the twelve thousands you’ve already made.   

In any case, I don't recommend sorting through the twelve thousand already made: unless there's the one life-time cracker already made within that bunch, but if there were, you'd know it.   

WW

William,

Thanks for taking the time to critique this photo.

My photography journey (a popular word these days) is rather lonesome, which means not many people go "oh, that's beautiful!" when they see my work. Having done many shows and exhibitions, I watch people from afar and see puzzled looks quite a bit. I also believe in the "3-second rule"—and as long as I get that 3 seconds from the viewer, I feel the goal is accomplished.

I find beauty in concrete, steel, and machinery of the industrial age. As an artist, I try to put form and meaning to the man-made world - often juxtaposed to some shred of remaining nature - even if that is only grass, weeds, or a tree or cloud. For me, spotting a fantastic Mack truck or ironic billboard is what others might feel when spotting a moose in the woods or red-tailed hawk on the wing.

I have been busy making new images - I've shot 12 rolls of film since October 1, when I got my first camera again after a 10-year layoff.

Thanks again, Michael. I enjoyed hearing your views!

Cheers,

Mark

 

[pavel_l.]

I like this shot - the old page for the new message.

Cheers.