7am facing west with a polorizing filter.

Any comments or questions?

This is the sort of image that wins prizes in photo magazines. They like the bold colors and the strong lines. If you'd tilted your camera you'd be heading for a major exhibition...

 

Your picture is not for me. That doesn't mean it's "wrong", just that I don't get it. To me, the desk is washed out (over exposed) and, while I like bold colors, the images does not seem to have any real staying power. What are you trying to say? It is essentially a still-life, I guess, but from still lifes I expect flawless technique.

 

Anyhow, it did catch my attention :-)

I'm not sure if this is a desk... it looks like a building shot almost straight up from the ground to me.

Bill, I think the visual is kind of neat. It took me a minute to figure out what it was, and not a boring minute, either. The title helped add to the confusion, as well. Perhaps just "7am facing west"? (Confusion in a mysterious way, not an annoying way.)

However, I agree with Alan; this is way too overexposed, and a little soft for my tastes. It's not a portrait; it's architecture. (Sort of.)

I would have bracketed this shot due to the extremes between the deep blue and the bright off-white. The cables may disappear into the sky, but the polarizer can compensate for this. Also, maybe another version taken at an angle, emphasizing thirds? This looks a little flat.

I, too, think this image is neat. However, unlike Allan and Ezra, I feel that the light areas actually contribute to the image. (This washed out effect is due to x-processing, is it not, Bill? I am becoming increasingly fond of this process.)

 

I have spent a reasonable amount of time looking at this image, liking it and wondering why....And I think I personally can conclude that the strong horizontal line is key. It keeps me there and soothes me, while offsetting the intense contrast between the beautiful blue you caught in the sky, and the elusive wall of the building. There is a paradox between the visual responses that doesn't let up, and as soon as I try to look away, it flirts with me some more.

I am sorry, I just don't get it. To suggest this is a contest winning photo? Its a building shot showing the electrical service. Like an electrical inspector took it to show a code violation. Help me see what I'm missing. Mr. Tucker has some great shot but this one.... nothing special... check out his Misc folder... those are some cool shots.

I work in photofinishing, and believe me, electrical inspectors do not take pictures as nice as this one :)

 

David, my take on this is not about wires and electrical hookups. It's about the componants which form the image, be it a picture of an elephant or the moon. It's about manipulating both physical and intangible elements and principles to create the final product. In this case, the subject, I feel, is irrelevant. Its importance comes into play only when we realize how mundane it is, yet key factors such as intensity in colour and contrast contribute to its interest visually.

 

As well, one may interpret this image not to be of the building and cables, but of the sky behind....

This and the Tide image are my two favorites from your cross-processing adventures, but I think the aesthetics of this one are a little better. To counter some of the "I don't get it" comments, here's my interpretation.

 

The deep blue sky versus the washed out white facade is cut by just the right shade of red. I especially like the angles at which the wires connect to the facade, though I find the one on the right hand side is a little too drawn out -- steeper would have been nicer, I think. The ventilation tube reminds me of a submarine's scope, which kind of makes the building seem like a monolithic ship emerging from the deep blue sky. The fact that you can't see the edges of the building contributes to the sense of hugeness. Another image I see is, again, strange machinery, this time being manufactured or tested by way of the electrical cables.

 

My only complaints are the loss of detail on the aluminium siding, what seem to be water spots in the sky and an overall lack of sharpness, but that's just being picky. It is by no means a "boring" shot...