Old Movie...

this image could my eye and imagination.. a sadness (whether staged or not) that is powerful and unfortunately reminds me that there are many lonely sad people out there.. and in that way I keep my act together.

thank  you for the nudge.. 

I still like it, Lee. Simply because an image does not resonate with you (or me) does not mean that the photographer has not reached "Stage 3." Is there some kind of linear progression in artistic development? If so, I would like to find out what it is.

--Lannie

I don't think there is a linear progression, but I do think reasons have been given and some kind of analysis can be made, though not everyone will want to do that nor should they. Leroy is not simply saying it doesn't resonate with him. He's giving reasons and directing our attention to the content. For Leroy, it's not there. As a matter of fact, for several of us, it's not there. For me, the content is not all that coherent and what is coherent is more along the lines of a romance novel than anything I would want to latch onto or care about. Now, of course that's an opinion, but it's one that's explained and has some substance to it. Some people who disagree with the assessment that the content is lacking have given substantial reasons why they are moved by it or interested in it and described the content they perceive. I liked hearing their thoughts, even if I disagree. Some simply like it and don't go any further than that in their critique. But this does not boil down just simply to resonating or not. There can be a substantive discussion of the photo and reasons for its resonance or lack can be given without the need for accusations of linearity or over-analysis. That seems in line with the purpose of the POTW forum. It's not that the content is not there because it doesn't resonate with Leroy, it's that it doesn't resonate because of the (lack of) content.

I agree with Fred, at least at my first glances at this weeks POW. And yet, I went to Katerina's web site and her PN portfolio, and I started understanding what it all seems to be about.

On her website she writes, as a sort of declaration of photographic intentions:

and if you read her short account of her young life she emigrated from Ukraine to Israel in her teens. The POW is that.

The main symbol of emigration and emigrants in Europe has always been the cardboard suitcase presented here in the near dead center of the square frame. The broken (a wheel or two are lacking) iron bed without a madras and the old paint of a wooden floor, symbols of what's left behind (not much!) and in the middle of it, a pretty portrait of a bare-feeted young girl with her hair undone, who seems to discover that she is being photographed - and all of it in warm, warm green and yellow shades of color. We have it all: harmony, beauty, femininity and tons of sentimentality.

According to Katerina's own words she finds peace in her artistic work. They are meant mainly for her. We are only visitors that are allowed to have a look. On that basis I would say: hats off ! for a POW that I, at a first glance, only saw as 'pretty", without catching my interest.

Anders, thanks for having added that dimension that probably many of us overlooked and simply assessed the image "out of the blue". I had visited her portfolio before commenting, and my comments were appreciative of some of the fine qualities of the image but in the end it left me with an unfilled appetite as to the content and communication it provided, but I had neglected then to read her bio and artistic approach. Her other images are I feel all very well done technically and aesthetically, but a bit too decorative for me. I realize that that is debatable and is just my personal response. Her "raison d'etre" for photographing and its relation to her personal history, as you aptly describe, makes sense, and that context gives the image some added weight for me. It would be particularly successful, I think, in a series of images exploring that theme of detachment, alienation or uncertainty and could even be well accompanied by some poetry or short prose. The regard of the female subject toward the camera would be particularly fitting in that case.

A photographer fulfilling his or her intentions is laudable and enviable. I still don't care for the content or the sentimentality of the photo. Though I'm happy to know something about the photographer, my response to and opinion of the photo itself remains pretty much the same.

Arthur, I think you are right that if Katerina also writes (prose or poetry), her photos would be able to fulfill a role that they, maybe, do not presently fulfill for others, that easily.

Fred I find it neither laudable, nor enviable. Those are not the words I would employ.

Fred, it is your choice, and I believe you will be the first to tell me, but you are here, as I see it, unnecessary rigid. I wonder how many of us, including you, Fred, would accept that the real value of our work is always totally unconnected from our real life situation. To appreciate the work in some cases, but not always, the contexts is if needed, and can be valuable.
Some great artists and their work are, admired also because we all know the context of the shooting and the shooter. Dorethea Lange for example (I would advise not to make this a discussion on her but point at another if a better choice can be made).

Anders, I find that sometimes the context of a photo affects how I respond to it, and sometimes biographical information will affect my response to photos as well. It depends on the photo and it depends on the context and/or information. I didn't suggest that context or information is unimportant to me or never affects my way of seeing. All I said was that it didn't make much difference to my response and critique of this photo to learn what I have learned. Dorothea Lange is a different story. Her biography adds to my appreciation of her photos, especially because the content already is not only quite coherent but her photos also show something more than dime store novel sentimentality.

I concur here with Fred's statement. Context can make all the difference in the world to how we read an image. It can, in fact, be pivotal in our understanding of those things outside of our awareness. But that contextual information has to resonate within the image and in a profound way or that information can end up being essentially irrelevant.

The successful image gives us insight and stimulates thought and that rarely happens when things are on the surface and/or overplayed. I end up where I started with the information, that this image is just trying to hard and thus just doesn't connect on a deeper level than its visual performance.

It must be tiring to read for others, but I agree with both Fred and John on their last mails. The POW is for the viewer, more like a rebus than like dark deep lake, to read.

By the way, Anders, just a language thing. You quoted me as saying "I don't care" which misses something. I said "I don't care for . . ." which means I don't like. "I don't care" is something different, a disregard, which was not my meaning. In other words, I care about Katerina's story, her intentions, her goals. But even though I care about (am interested in and moved by) her story, I don't care for (like) the photo.

You are right Fred, the not caring (for) was linked to the photo and not her story. I think we all understood that.

I realize we are in economic hard times which is a bit depressing but I would like to see more upbeat photos selected. Some of the funniest movies came from the depression and other hard economic eras so let's lighten up and feature some joy. It has always seemed to me that artists tend to concentrate on the drama vs. the comedy so quit it.

I like this a lot. In fact, I think it is so good that I'm depressed I'll never achieve such a level of control, technique and creativity. Now this is studio photography, which means that every single aspect of the picture is controlled by the photogtapher. That level of control makes this type of photography true art, true creation. There's no message in this photo, and there should be none. Is there a message to the Mona Lisa? This lady photographer has great talent, superb technique and a fertile imagination. Looking at her portfolio, however, makes me wonder why there are no men, old people, children in her photos. I am deeply jealous of such talent.

I don't look for a message here and I don't look for one in the Mona Lisa either. I do see content in both, however. The content in the Mona Lisa is her expression, her connection with me as viewer, the almost mythical handling of her in the environment, the earthly embodiment of her mystique and ambiguity, the realism of her surroundings. The Mona Lisa is direct. It does not rely on romanticized stylistics which, to me, is more of a distancing mechanism that lies on the surface rather than a connector that allows for depth.

The indie movie "Sweet Land", inspired by Will Weaver's short story, immediately came to mind. In my own (Swedish) family background, so many young women from Europe emigrated to America to start a new life, often only with an infant. This hopeful, but indecisive portrait of a young woman around the turn of the (19th.) century inspires the immigrant spirit in many American's roots. (Apologies to the the First Nation folks).
G.R. Revelle

Though compelled to comment, I would feel rather inadequate to do so if asked. The image is stunning. The use of the square frame format is challenging as it is, but is capitalized upon with the starkness of the bare walls and floor. Although the title of “Old Movie” seems to be a slight misnomer based on the story I see, the only response here would be, “A rose by any other name.”

Only one thing disturbs me in the composition, and that is the placement of the fog machine. The effect on the right side is brilliant, but the sharpness and obvious source of the fog on the left surely detracts from the mood of an otherwise flawless composition.

Bob Irvine refers to the fog in this picture which, I believe, accomplishes Katerina's inspirational
"Old Movie" by suggesting mystery in this girl's future... The fog is an indication of the unknown.
This girl has either arrived at her destination or is about to start her trip, both of which seem uncertain,
hence the fog surrouding her... Katerina's composition remains flawless to the best of my understanding!

Katerina has many mind-blowing pictures in her portfolio, such as this one: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=14058422. However, the one picked as the POW is more than expertly taken, but looks to be something of a cliche.

This is so beautiful! The composition is superb, and the mood is very haunting. Excellent work!

In the foreground, abandoned, she's so unsure with all her belongings in an old suitcase waiting...for her savor, or a ship to immigration perhaps.She is not dressed in rags, a simple frock, yet elegant.The misty background could be a dock, no one can tell.She looks so familiar.Yes, life can bring, all of a sudden, everyone in the threshold of non-existence.A reminder and a wonderful photo.The eeiry lighting is the key of creating such an atmosphere.Excellent work Katerina.My best regards

My eyes want to keep exploring the image and try to figure out the story in the picture. Very nice. Love the lightning, smoke and dreamlike effect.