'Wood Chisels, Thailand'

'These wood chisels are exactly as found, on a bed of textile and

matting next to where the woman teak and rosewood wood carver

was using them to make exquisite wood carvings in rural Thailand.

Your ratings, critiques and observations are invited and most

welcome. If you rate harshly, very critically or wish to make a

remark, please submit a helpful and constructive comment; please

share your photographic knowledge to help improve my

photography. Thanks! Enjoy! john

John, I like that "peacock tale" composition and vintage looking grain. I wonder why you did that picture, what moved you when you took it? lgiht and subject is not that exciting. What should I see in that still in your opinion? with all respects, Vlad.

PS. It feels like a dull image, and, I agree, I had a feeling, that I shoud take more "dull" pictures, not kind of "wow" pictures, but I don't know why I have that feeling.

While you found 'light and subject not that exciting' I found exactly the opposite.

While I had not taken any photos on that trip, hardly, I was moved to run get my camera, put film in it and take this photo when I saw this 'composition' just sitting there.

I found its lighting to be stunning; it features sidelighting, which is the lighting I most prefer, and the range of lights to darks is in my opinion impressive.

I see that you commented first on the composition, then you seemed to say you found the photo not that interesting and 'dull'.

I say the photo is 'interesting and far from dull because of wonderful lighting, and that while this is a 'still life' you probably were expecting something different from me; like someone laughing, smiling, or with special eyes or looks.  I don't always take those shots; I am more than a simplistic photographer and can take more than one kind of shot.

This is different from most of my work, but if I had a chance again, I'd take more of such shots.  I looked at my feet, saw this, and ran to get my camera, invoking the wood carver to touch nothing until I had recorded this.

From then on, when I have a camera, it's around my neck as it should be, lens cap OFF.

I think already this one is growing on you.  (Also look at its histogram and you may find it's not 'dull' at all; it practically sparkles.)

Best wishes.

john

John (Crosley)

The young woman wood carver is an artist of high caliber, yet probably is fairly inarticulate (she spoke Thai so I could not judge) and as well, as I was told, probably could not read beyond a very basic level.

But she was an artist, and the layout of her tools reveals that she is an artist at heart; the layout is artistic in itself, though it probably serves no practical purpose other than satisfying her, and possibly making it easier at the end of the day for her to roll up her tools in the cloth holder to take them home.

For, like most chefs in the United States, my understanding is that such wood carver artists, despite who provided them a place to work and a market for their output, own their own chisels and carry them home each night. 

Chisels, like knives for a US chef, are highly personal and not to be provided for (or trusted to be supplied by) any employer or supervisor. 

john

John (Crosley)