Hide Your Darkness From Your Lover

Hi Jeff. This has great texturing and light. The shadowing is well placed. Perfect composition. And as so many of your pieces, there is a wonderful double meaning in what you do. Your work is poetic, filled with a tad of mystery.

Indeed, very nice! It's such an ordinary scene, but such an extraordinary image. Processing on this is gorgeous. Dreamy and filled with mystery.

I really like the name of this image and I like the image, too! :-) The contrasted and grainy editing and the radiating light add punch to the rusty/rugged texture of the wall. Fine work out of unaesthetical elements, well done!

 

Alpo

What does this remind me of? It evokes such a strong emotional reaction, it's as if it were a scene I'm intinately familiar with and yet the precise assosciation stays just outside the twilight of my consciousness. Maybe it's that very elusive quality that gives the image such power. There is a light source out of frame to the right, this we know from the shadows and for me there is an accompanying sense of foreboding, of the imminent appearance of another shadow, that of a hand, reaching across to flip the switch and plunge this world into darkness.

My sentiments fall in line with Jack's on this one. The hard side lighting and the PP give it a sense of some imminent event lurking around the corner and the title adds to my suspicions that it's not going to go well.

Whoever flips the switch is a person in control. Judging from the middle one the setting is in OFF already. Perhaps the truth will come to light. Jeff, you once again elevated the ordinary into something extraordinary.

I'm sure all her three "switches" are cold and inactive .The old bluish fainted tint on the wall,also contributes to the coldness this image evokes.But I can also admire the resistance of the material,and I see all screws are in place!

There's mystery here.Is this appearance promising,annoying or a well hidden secret?Is the "lover" still there?

One of the best titles i have ever heard. And the strong way how you made this shot to look like this, is awesome. The texture on the wall and the colour are great, so is the composition of the switcher. Also the strong shadows makes a unique taste for it. Great piece again. Best rgs Tero.

The title has an abstract feeling like the image Jeff. Both are original and enigmatic, like a shadowed story that we don't know the end....( also has some Jack in it....;-))

After reading all the other comments on this image I am speechless...

winer up there!

Ahemm...Jeff, don't take this wrong, but, uhh, I think you need to paint your walls. I mean they make a damn cool picture but this one looks like its growing something that may be harmful to children!

Man, this just reeks David Byrne in song title and funky style. Except here I'd say Lights Off, Somebody's home. The treatment you gave the switch plate emits energy and radiance that buzzes below the surface. The contrast of the angular shadows and bright scratchy wall are intense.

 

Kirk

The title and composition is simple genius, don't know how you make it every time:) This is such a fine and subtle work!

Beautiful, jeff. The expressionist side of it makes it strongly emotional and deeply evocative. My first thought was that of an old detective movie or story from the 40s. We imagine a story of course, of what lays beyond the shadows, whose hand has just switched it off, or wasn't it for the title who's gonna turn it on? My second thought would go to a LP cover, very 70s like. You know, the kind of music we love listening to when we get a nostalgic feel of our lost 20s. Well, at least for me. That's what so good with great images. There are both so simple and complex. Something for everybody's own personal emotions and memories.

 

P.S.: your processing is breath-taking.

Very interesting interpretation of the mundane. The light and shadows obviously make this, aided and abetted by your original PS treatment. Excellent work!

Margaret: Thanks. I'm glad you liked this one, and I love your kind description of this as poetic.

 

 

David: The original, as you can imagine, was quite bland, but was fun to tinker with. Since you're a guy with an eye for irony, I'm glad you liked this one.

 

 

Alpo: Thanks for your nice comment. Wishing you warm days and happy shooting.

 

 

Jack: You've written an entire plot to accompany this picture. I like where your imagination took this.

 

 

Gordon: Although I like titles, I always wonder whether they take the photo in a direction that is too scripted. What do you think? To title or not to title?

 

 

Adan: The truth shall set you free, as they say. Yet, sometimes flipping on a light can be more cruel than leaving someone in their darkness. You never know.

 

 

PhoS: We always seek good light. However, sometimes the shadows add as much beauty as the light.

 

 

Tero: Thanks. The title is a twist on a line from a Ryan Adams song that kind of lingered in my head. I'm glad you liked this.

 

 

Pnina: Yep, I was channeling Jack here and his enigmatic inspiration.

 

 

Shawn: Speechless? I don't know what to say.

 

 

Nadya: Thanks. I hope you're not getting as snowed-in as we are here in Boston.

 

 

Kirk: No worries. We're not having a mold problem. This is a funky PS maneuver to make a boring scene better. You've got some good taste in music, Mister. Which song does this remind you of?

 

 

Adela: Thanks for your always generous thoughts and comments.

 

 

Laurent: From a guy who loves musical nostalgia, I still can turn out all the lights and put on classic rock from the 70's and get lost in it. Darkness is a good way to tune in and tune out.

 

 

Roger: Thanks. I never know whether I've taken the PS stuff too far such that it interferes rather than enhances. Since you have a discriminating eye, I appreciate your feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, the song didn't have the lyrics I thought it had when I looked it up. It was just in my head, the tune to "His Wife Refused" by David Byrne ("I'm gonna wait until the light comes on."). I thought somewhere in that song, he said, "Lights on, Nobody's Home". Because to me, there is more light in this image than darkness.

 

Sometimes my brain does that, for instance, in the song White Riot by the Clash, and the line "White Riot, I wanna Riot, White Riot, I wanna Riot of my own", I thought for years that line was "Rock, Rock, I wanna Rock; Rock, Rock, I wanna Rock'n'Roll". I would have bet my paycheck on it until the CD came out and I finally had the printed lyrics to read and enlighten me.

 

In this image, if I didn't know that was a light switch, and in the down position, the lights are off, I would feel a strong sensation of light from the prominent angular shadows. Of course, me and everyone's mind has been trained to know that there is a light switch in this picture and it is likely turned off by the position of the switches. I know, that is sounds confusing must be the warm weather down here has fried some of my brain cells.

 

Kirk

 

You've created a photo essay masterpiece out of the one object that has consistently ruined so many of what could have been my greatest indoor photos.

 

I will always look at light switches in a new light :)

 

Cheers ~

If I was to choose a picture that reflects what "Less is More" means in photography, I believe I could go for this one. Amazing compositional essay Jeff, congratulations!

Very original and intriguing composition.

Great job with the texturing technique and saturation Jeff.( on a side note that doesn't mean a whole lot, I think you could do better with the borders) You've made a simple subject stand out!

A lot of nostalgy from the faded wall colors and old switch design...the lateral light is wonderful...a very expressive image about time and light, aging and nostalgy....

The light switch cover -- plastic, utilitarian, reassuring pattern of threes, well-kept like a dull man-made island in a flamboyant sea of rusty blues, like cement sea water, bearing colors of sea-eroded rocks, plants, and wood. The electrical cover -- man's dim attempt to outshine the process of nature. Nice lighting, shadows, and texture, Jeff. Your title is intriguing and multi-layered.

I'm late as usual, and so many fine analytic and responsive comments have already been written. I can only add a ringing "Bravo" to the mix. Regards...

Original toma,estupendo juego de luces y sombras,con unas magnificas texturas y colores.

 

Un cordial saludo -Tolo.