DARK TIMES

David this is my final word on the matter. I believe that if the original posting had been done with the rope being already gone that you'd still have gotten the same praises and ratings. Then had you later shown the original that included the rope, everyone would agree that the edited version without the rope is much better. That is just human nature and that is what I think.

I tend to be more of an artist than a photographer and had I taken the photo the rope would never have been a topic for discussion.

I'm out of town, and have limited connectivity, so there won't be much coming from me for a few days (hold the applause). I will say that I had a guy contact me and mention buying a copy of this, which is a first for me on Pnet. Since that occurred, and, since money talks, the rope will stay until someone pays me to take it out.

 

Shawn and Laurent thanks again for your cogent and kindly words.

And here's what I visualize, the ropes hooked to the bumper of my truck and I'm going to drag the whole shebang home, convert the buildings into a studio and guest cottage and start my own "photo tour" business......oh well it's good to day dream and use creative thinking. Now for the serious stuff, I think it's an excellent image and conveys that stark barren feel that many of these old homesteads had, but was their life good or not....I must ponder, my Grandparents lived for a while on one of these hardscrabble places, they never did manage to find water so they "starved out", but from one of my Grandmothers old letters there was a quote... "there's no more beautiful place in the world than right here on Flatwillow bench", she was referring to the area where they were living, I've been there and it ain't that pretty of a spot but they loved it for the short duration they were there.

I suppose you are off to Utah and points north, south east and west by now. No doubt about it, we read into events, images, music, any stimulus, whatever we want. Simon & Garfunkel: "All lies in jest, Still a man hears what he wants to hear, And disregards the rest." And so it is. I suppose in the thirties when many were on the dole, work wasn't to be had, except for selling pencils on street corners; a spread out in the country like this might have been a slice of heaven in comparison to city life. And certainly the beauty of the land hasn't changed much either. But in a time when virtually all of us enjoy material goods to the degree that we do, it is hard to believe that the type of existence these folks lived would cut it. Success? Well, I would think that if it had been successful, that the nice house would have continued to be used, lived in and expanded and remodeled, and the folks would still be there. So, in my mind it represents a time when life was hard, and economic success slim. But I didn't put on my rose colored glasses this morning.

 

Have a great trip. Look forward to seeing you and hearing from you at some point in the future.

Very nice this one. It conveys an incredible feel of solitude. I love it.

Thank you. Very kind of you.

I'm not into ropes or hoses and to be quite frank I don't really care. What I do care about is that this is one great image. However, dark times or not, I'm not too fond of that greyed out snow. Altough it's quite possible that it's just like you have seen it, I think your image would improve if you increased the contrast a little.

Thanks for your thought on this. You may have a point and I shall have to see what I can do.

... increased the contrast a little AND erased the rope...

Wasn't that issue already argued? LOL

"DARK TIMES' And darker times ahead. Time to time, I coming back to study, and enjoy your images. I never commented on this, so I going to do it. The image is prophetic, and the composition is very dramatic. The big emptiness behind the abandoned farmhouse, the fence has no purpose anymore, the place bare, and empty, white snow covering everything. I like it. It is a very nice image, with a story to tell. Bravo David.

 

Cheers; Bela

Thank you very much for the nice comment. I haven't heard from you in quite awhile, and thought you had lost interest in my images. Glad to see you here. Take care.