Electric Ice

Probably a tad too minimal but it captures the day. Your comments are

most welcome, thanks.

This one is probably sailing way above most of the crowd's interest. I immediately snatched up the thumbnail knowing what it was. This is really terrific Jeff! Sad, but true, this wonderful image will go mostly unnoticed and it's a terrible shame. Actually, I hope I'm wrong and the gurus choose this for the POW, because this one could easily be better than some of the previous choices. Even if it timidly rests on the last page, it goes into my favorites. Why? Because I know excellent from mediocre!! I do!!!

Thanks Mark, that's very kind of you, and much appreciated. I'm afraid that you are probably right though, most of what I do is not the stuff that makes the front pages these days.

I to think this is a fantastic image in both concept and execution, the dynamics of the line give it the tension it needs. My only criticism Jeff is the blue cast of the typical snow scene, I would like to see that colour cast rectified, or better yet, presented in black and white (I have mentioned that in a few of your mono coloured images). That is my preference, that's said the composition and detail are just fantastic, I agree with all mark has said.

Thanks Richard. Given the image, I did look at doing it in B&W but decided that I prefer it this way. I just thought that the B&W was flat which is exactly what the scene was and that the monotone colour worked. If you can make it work in B&W, I'd love to see it.

Jeff

 

I think this image rests comfortably within your oeuvre, possessing the same subtle and subdued tonality and gentle, understated beauty as seen in many of your seascapes. I am also reminded of another of my favourites of your work Illusiion and reality 2010 #2: Photo by Photographer Jeff Grant - photo.net

 

As for this image going over most of the PN memberships head..... yeah mostly likely going to be the case.  During the brief time I've been at Pn I have noted a decline of members with significant experience and talent and a steady rise of participation by newbies with little or no knowledge or photographic education. While there are many up sides to this trend in particular for the site itself ( the internet is all about numbers ), an obvious consequence is the low quality and redundant, insipid, uninspired nature of much of what rises to the top here as regards what is "popular" .

 

I'd love to see this image show up as the potw .  Recently after suggesting  on the potw forum ( too often apparently ) that the elves try stretching their wings a bit and look farther afield than the TRP pages and previous potw recipients for inspiration I was banned from participating in the forum.  So I'm not the 'go to guy' for pushing change at the potw forum :-)

 

As I suspect you might agree, there is an  enthusiastic audience for the type of muted richness you so often capture, however first one has to cultivate an appreciation for nuance. One has to spend some time soaking in many of your images. Sadly, it seems most often that the internet crowd prefer being hit with a mallet over being caressed with a feather.

 

The minimalism works beautifully, combined with the baby blue softness, you are left with an image which is at the same time very real and commonplace and quite surreal and magical. 

 

I would even suggest cropping out the ground at the base of the poles to further direct focus to the lines and poles and increase the minimal feel.  The ground doesn't seem to add anything aesthetically to the image and it does tend to bring the whole scene down to earth, which may be working against the flow in this instance.

 

 

My favourtite of your three latest posts probably because I can relate to it so well.  It's easy, living here in Central Ontario, to forget that it snows in other parts of the world too.  This is a common scene in my neck of the woods, November to April, and all too easy to pass by while looking for some photo worthy subject.  I like the narrow foreground base which allows for the maximum amount of snow encrusted high tension wires to be revealed.  The fact it is heavily snowing is shown in the dark silhouette of the tower.  Snow on the wire is icing on the cake. :-)  Retaining a bit of blue tone could be argued as valuable in hinting at the cold temperature here.  It's all subjective of course but I think your artistic license has been aptly applied to this one.  Best, LM.

Gordon, many thanks. We are in violent agreement. Unfortunately, it has got to me lately, hence my little dummy spit on the Iceland abstract. With a title like that, it will never be POTW material. The general standard does seem to have dropped considerably. I often wonder where they went, certainly not to Flickr, I suspect.

I wrestled with cropping the bottom and looked at it again after your comment. My initial reason was that I thought that the shrubbery LR was a balancing element but agree that it is probably better without.

 

Thanks Len, always good to hear from you and to get validation of my artistic licence.