Pool

Too much information in this one. Call me wicked, but I would've cloned out the metal loops (what do they call those things, anyway?) and the hose at the left, and cloned in a lighter line at the very bottom. And emphasized the color of the bucket. But that's me.

The previous member made a comment about removing several "key" elements from this picture.

Clone here..., clone there, and you end up with "digital art" and not a true photograph.

I do not have any problems with cropping since it is mostly a limitation by the format of the camera, but removing several elements from a photograph takes away the true virtue of it.

In fact, if one removes the poles and hose, the image looses its identity. Those are the elements that "cleverly" tell us that there is a pool in the image.

 

Regards,

 

Cesar Fernandez

the only thing we would like to Clone here is "Philipp Coggan",, to try to get more and more good and real photographs as him. (I hope the use of Clone is well understood here. by Clone, I mean Cloning,,, and not removing).. Best Regards Philipp and go ahead with your great work...

It is interesting that I consistently notice a tendency on PN to "clean up" images. In many cases, that means to neuter them, rendering them perhaps more easy on the eye (perhaps!) but usually more impotent. People seem to like that classic, well groomed look. Like every photo should have just gotten a haircut and put on a fresh shirt.

 

My main critique of many photos on PN is that they don't tell stories but rather are "captures." There's an irony in the thought that many people probably do have stories in their photographs, which they wind up cropping or cloning out.

 

You do a lot of storytelling and this photo exemplifies that beautifully.

 

Aside from the "details" of the shot, it is very exuberant, to me. There is an energy here that really draws me in. A simple act turned into a compelling vision. The lighting, the movement, the perspective all make this very grand and universal, yet grounded and earthy.

 

Nice work.

 

(By the way, I don't agree with Cesar that cloning takes away the virtue of a picture. I don't think photos have virtue, people do. I think a photographer must do what helps him succeed in creating the vision he wants. So I have nothing against cloning whatsoever, as a practice. I do, however, have something against cloning out the elements suggested in this photograph because I think it takes away much that makes the photograph what it is. This is not just an iconic image, which is what it becomes more of if the elements suggested are cloned. It is an image offering both and iconic sense but also a very grounded aspect and the sense that in everyday life, there is something greater to be seen.)

Thank you Fred. I also feel that cloning the elements of pool out wouldn't be a good idea - the viewer needs to be able to put the man's actions in context (he's sluicing down the concrete surround of a hotel swimming pool). There's also an element of humour in there of course - him and his bucket of water, and those stormy-looking clouds about to dump far more on top of him. The water in the bucket needs to be seen to coming from somewhere.