Window And Blowing Curtain

I originally imagined this as a B/W image but preferred the color. It

reminds me of a watercolor.

It's a good subject, a nice crop, and good light/Photoshop. The left side and the upper right quadrant with the window frame shows a little vertical barrel distortion on the lens. Maybe just a tad on the Filter/Distort/Lens Correction/remove distortion slider is the way to go. But that's just fine-tuning. I really like the blue/yellow matchup you have. Some might say the shadow of the railing is too blue, but I'll take it as Photoshop impressionism anyhow. Nicely done.

Thank you for your thoughtful analysis. In fact, the blue shadow actually is fairly accurate as it is being illuminated by the blue sky. Had I tried to neutralize the afternoon yellow light in PS the shadow would have gone even more blue.. Also, now that you pointed it out I find the distortion annoying - i will try to correct... nice catch on your part..

 

 

Thank you again for looking...

Bill G

Flying curtain? Here is one.

Simple in subject matter, richer in message. Tonally rich (not color but tone variation). And humorous: The curtain swells in an arc, due to the wind from inside. Normally we might expect the air movement in the opposite sense. The balcony shadow is not straight lined but also appears curved like the curtain, due to the curved horizontal plan of the top railing. To top it off, the proximity of the camera to the nearest sculptured posts of the railing shows the posts as apparently more spread apart than those farther from view, as if the wind has blown them apart. Perceptive and amusing.

An interesting idea and execution in terms of posing the rhythmic posts solidly as the foreground and foil for the more lyrical blowing and soft curtain. The light complements the sweet ivory color, almost a monotone, which works here. Things that don't work for me: it feels pretty claustrophobic, there's no room for expansion, no ability to step back. And I'd love to see (and therefore feel) the bottom of the curtain in the breeze. That dynamic gets lost behind the banister which feels like a loss to me.

A second thought and continuous with my first impression. I enjoy how the curtain and its air flow seem constrained by the balcony railing which seems to be puffed out by the air that exits somewhere under the top rail (as the arced shadow of the railing somewhat amusingly suggests) and which escapes through the apparently more widely separated nearest posts. This does not make a picture devoid of faults, but its otherwise static impact is enhanced to my mind through that visual humour.

This epitomizes what I love about photography and what never ceases to amaze me about photographers and those who comment on photographs: an expanded awareness and ability (willingness? desire?) to see something worthy in what to most people would be nothing more than a mundane detail, so mundane it would be passed over or passed by completely unseen, with no impression being made and no conscious experience taking place. I think photographers are richer for having these experiences in the everyday events, and at the end of the day that matters immensely, at least to me and I suspect to many photographers and other artists.

While I really like the photograph, especially the contrast in physical properties but unified by color, I'm with Fred in experiencing a slight feeling of claustrophobia, wanting the curtain to have more room to move, as if it, a freely floating object, is going to be confined by its surroundings. I think seeing more curtain and less railing would have a greater aesthetic impact on me. But often we have to take what is given to us, our ability to move to another perspective may be limited, and often the inanimate world isn't ordered just as we might like.....but I still marvel and am thankful that we would notice or care.

One of the first things that struck me about this image was the plethora of repeating vertical lines--in the posts, the curtains and the far corner of the image where they are maybe more staccato. I read Bill's mention of the fact that this reminds him of a watercolor--thus leaving it in color--and I certainly see what he means especially in the sense that the shadow is left blue, something that painters seem to learn about in classes when learning about color and light.

I appreciated Arthur's description as I was hoping someone would see something that I didn't here and Stephen for pointing out that it is very common things that can often offer more if we just stop to look.

For me the rhythmic nature of the image is maybe a bit disturbed by the close architectural detail on the right of the image. These seem at odds with almost everything else going on in the shot and I do think maybe if they were minimized there would end up being more sense of unity in the whole.

The railing top here does cut this image in half which does seem a bit awkward and maybe is where a sense of claustrophobia could be introduced. It isn't a dainty element and adds a lot of opaque weight to the scene. Just holding my hand to cut off some of the near right does seem to allow this line to be a little more graceful and integrated, but it is still pretty heavy.

The bottom line for me is that I like the seeing of the rhythm and form here but am not sold on the story, although I appreciate that view, as I feel Bill's work is a bit more straight forward than that. This isn't the most elegant of images, mostly because of the way the image is cut in half by a rather bulky object, but otherwise I can appreciate what was seen and rendered.

I appreciate the photographer's observation. The geometric repetition of form, the monochromatic tone with some shadow color, and a touch of red/brown of the window's frame.
For me the only " life" here, is the light wind blowing the curtain,and it is not enough for me as a subject that will hold my attention for long. That said I really say it again,I like the photographe's eye for his nuances observation.

I think this photograph is boring. I've tried to find it interesting and cannot. There is also something wrong with the color. Seems there is yellow fringing. The framing is all right. But the color gets in the way. This might be better in black and white.

On second thought, the framing is not all that great. There are a lot of desperate elements fighting for space. I've tried an experiment, converting the image to monochrome and cropping a little, eliminating the distracting drain pipes. I still am not impressed with the image, but at least it no longer has that awful yellowish glare.

The yellow tone has a degree of warmth to it that I find to be quite pleasant, somewhat old-fashioned with this scene.

The warmth that Stephen senses, which I simply saw first as an interesting tonal palette, is appropriate, just as I think is his yesteryear sense on viewing the image. There seems to be a concept type intent with this photograph that allows me to privilege that effect and overlook any compositional discord that might be present. Some of the other portfolio images of the author also appear minimalist, but most to my mind do not illicit the same effect as this one. It seems to parallel the approach of other concept photographers, in this case presenting an apparent scene fragment that is probably not seen as being strange to many who have a past in an urban background.

Then it is a matter of taste. I still find this photograph uninteresting. I would like to be convinced otherwise.

This photo barely interests me. And I think I'm interested only because I'd like to fix it to show the bottom of the curtains billowing out of the window. Looking at a photo several times with an eye to correcting its weakness isn't the sign of a good photo. A disturbed viewer, maybe :)

After looking at this gentleman's portfolio, I wonder why I even bothered. This is a non-paying member who hasn't posted a thing since 2008. Who cares? Obviously, he doesn't.

Elves, you can do better.

Yeah, Bill was active for about two months some three years ago. Still, the POW is about a photo, and maybe that limited degree of participation in PN shouldn't matter. But, I'd guess it does matter, to some extent at least, to many members who participate in the POW.

The obscuring of the bottom of the curtain is, in my view today, a fatal flaw, because to my eyes it's the primary element in the photograph -- I see it as the reason for the photograph being made. Bill might or might not agree; maybe we'll hear from him. An ongoing discussion with the POW photographer often enhances the dialogue, something I would think the elves might include in their consideration of possible POW candidates.

I don't know if I would agree with this. I think it helps what can be seen (and probably is by most and why there are no comments) as a pretty ordinary photograph maybe get some legs. I also think a liberated curtain would render the image more expected. As I said, I don't necessarily buy Arthur's story as to why Bill might have composed this way but certainly could be wrong. Bill's work seems to be about pattern, rhythm and form and my quick survey didn't reveal anything more complex than that. This image might be more of an anomaly, and maybe a good sign for things to come, if Arthur's analysis were behind the actual creation of this composition.

Why the curtain bottom isn't showing could be just coincidence, but I think it further emphasizes the repeating vertical lines throughout the image--now our focus even in the loose curtain which may have been lost if it were flapping freely. Being contained, the vertical strips are what we focus on.

Again Alex, maybe like walking in the forest, I think we all have associations with certain places or elements. Myself, I could see a sickly greenish cast here maybe if it were an image of something else, but contextually, it conveys a sense of an encompassing warmth with maybe a little bite in the air to me. The color combinations are also something I have seen many times in water colors as Bill mentioned in his intro. Personally, I thought the area you cropped was very unified with the image whereas I do think the near side, our right, of the image is where some improvement could be had.

 

Alberta, ditto, you are not a disturbed viewer, as I wrote before I don't find anything interesting in this photo, and I agree as well to your last 3 lines...;-))

There are many non-paying participants on PN for a variety of reasons. The site has decided that's OK. I tend to assess photographs rather than photographers or personalities and don't judge someone's work based on financial arrangements they've made or their frequency of posting or participation.

Alex, I find this shot mildly interesting and pleasing, mostly in that I'm curious that someone saw something here. It's certainly not something I'd invest time in convincing someone else to like. There are important photos and photographers that are not easily accessible that would be worth some time to explain to someone who showed an openness to appreciating new things, which can take time and effort. I've had people talk to me about some work I didn't like and open me up to possibilities, but I don't put this photo into that sort of category. This photo, to me, is simply a matter of taste and, in the scheme of things, not all that significant.

One of the small things that does attract me here is the suggested movement (life) within a more graphic rendering. Not seeing the bottom of the curtain, IMO, fails to take advantage of that interplay. Others might want this to be even more graphic or static or find that not seeing the bottom of the curtain establishes a more stilled feeling. That view also seems perfectly valid as does the view that there's really nothing to see here. Some people prefer chocolate, others butter pecan.

There is a little bit of the bottom of the curtain showing in the center of the frame. I like the picture a little more for having finally noticed this. The yellow cast? Isn't that just the color the late afternoon sun takes on when it falls on a white surface?

All the vertical and horizontal lines? They can be rather seductive when you see them in the viewfinder, but more mundane later on, when you see that you've only taken a picture of a window, or a staircase, etc.

Paying or nonpaying, I don't know that it matters to advertisers, who just want exposure for their ads. Nobody pays to participate in Facebook, which makes money, despite its falling stock price.

<<<The yellow cast? Isn't that just the color the late afternoon sun takes on when it falls on a white surface?>>>

There may be a somewhat yellow cast, but it looks to me like the paint was an ivory color to begin with.

Fred, I did not think about the point Alberta brought up, as I look at the photograph and only later on the photographer's files . But after reading her comment and thinking about it for a while, I think that she has evoked a point about paying /non paying members, active/non active ones, for choosing a POW photo, I think that it is a point that has merit for discussion .
If PN administration wants the site to be better and profitable, it needs basically two things :paying members and active ones. without this I assess that the site will be much less attractive,.I know how many good photographers left the site telling me the site is not up to their expectations.I have many names that told me this reason for leaving the site.

So I think as Alberta that paying /active member need to have priority in the site over non paying non active member in order to keep the first category in the site. But in more than the POW subject.

Lots of good comments, you guys do a heck of a job giving each other fodder to think about/debate. Been away creating in Croatia, so I've missed a lot of weeks here.

As a non-paying customer, I'll just throw my one cent in. I agree with Fred G. right off the bat, a bit claustrophobic (thank God for spell check, that's a 'doozy'), but I believe it's because, as John A. rightly pointed out, it's got the 'big railing' dead center- a bit static because of it too. His attempt to help it by cropping the right did not help he said, I agree.

I too like the yellow cast, it compliments the bluish shadows, and it adds an antiqueness to the whole piece, whether from the low angle of the sun, which would warm it up, or the color of the paint (although the cast permeates all, including the curtains, so I'd guess the former more).

I'd imagine the inclusion of more curtain, shooting from a higher angle, might be a nail in the coffin, as the darkness and who knows what else that we'd see might ruin the whole effect, a 'lightness' effect that's going on- and what you can see around the edges shown shows it's dramatically darker.

And lastly, the piece might be improved, in MHO, with a bit of crop, but from the left, and from below, thus allowing for a more controlled eye movement through the entire scene, and a change of overall balance shift. I've given it a shot.

I agree that this image isn't very exciting. I wonder if it would have had a bit more appeal if Bill had:

• used a longer exposure to give the sense that the curtain is fluttering in the breeze (make the image active rather than static)
• used a shallower DOF. It's difficult to say what should be the focal point
• included some bacon. Bacon usually adds appeal.