Polly's Garage

Good idea and execution but that shape in the left bottom corner disturbs without adding anything to the composition. I think you should clone it out.

Alberto, for me the mailbox in the left lower corner is an essential component of this picture. It suggests someone or something "looking out" from "inside." At least it does to me.

It's your picture, so the decision on the mail box is yours, but I find myself half agreeing with Alberto. I would never suggest cloning it out. That may be possible for a tiny jpg, but is pointless, because it could not be carried over to the print of this negative. On the other hand, like Alberto, I would prefer it without the mailbox.

Alberto and John, you are both excellent photographers and I like many of your images. But, both of you are more traditional in your approaches, IMO. I tend to "see" sightly differently, perhaps a little bit more abstractly. This goes all the way back to the beginning of my attempts at serious photography. I took this one when I was about 19 (1969). It seems that both of you see this is a window. To me, it takes on the impression of something deep and unconscious, seeing the "real" or conscious world, out there. The broken glass is the boundary between conscious and unconscious. Or the boundary between an individual's darkest thoughts and feelings being hidden from others. The mail box is part of this whole image and feeling/mood. Its the "inside" object, separated from the "outside" by the boundary (window).

 

Let me put it another way. If we were all songwriters, we would have different styles. We would like some of each other's songs and some we wouldn't like as much, even if we respected each other's skills and talents. Images are our "songs." This "song" is complete as it is, or I wouldn't have placed it here for public view. I do appreciate that you both commented. I know you meant well. :)

 

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one. As I wrote before, it's yours, you are the creator of it.

I really like this one and find your interpretation of it and what you wanted to say with it very interesting. I see it as a window and perhaps boundaries crossed inappropriately (that of course depends on how the glass was broken). Mostly what drew me to this image is the light and how it transforms something that is everyday and often overlooked into something thought provoking. I really like the composition, the tones and light set this apart. I love the texture and interest added by the dirt on the windows. Very well done. Thank you for sharing. :)

Thanks for your comment, Trisha!  Yeah, for me the mailbox gives this image a feeling of being on "inside" looking out to the world.  It was interesting for me to find out that some people saw it as photo of a window, nothing more.   I did another shot a few years later with a 4x5 camera that's in my folder here:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1895862

which is more about textures and form.