Geometry

Abandoned Elementary School, Nara Prefecture, Japan

Doric order, harmony, depth, shapes, volume and shades and a lovely wedge of light on the top left corner. That "rebel" imaginery line defined by the white dots on the stairs brakes the democratic dictatorship of the vertical and horizontal lines.

Thanks. That's a pretty good deconstruction of the picture.

B/Wism+,,,,,,98% perfect if you cut the windows top,,and 99% if it was 100% a B/W,,,:),,,...//,,what is the meaning staying here at PN,,,if we forgotten to say honestly want we think,//,,no one 99% perfect,,not even the best criticism,,,,// ,,instead of all that heavy backscratching,,,,and 3 ratings,,;),,, I would prefer a sincere heart-to-heart talking about the image,,the main subject/object,,,,isn´t it the freedom of expression,,,we fight for,,,,more now than ever,,,or what !,,,nn

Jack, this study in form, shape, and space also serves very well as a study of minimalism (on which I have commented previously).  It also is a visual version of tired old phrases dealing with the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  There is light both at the bottom and at the top of the stairs.  Your sparse use of desaturated green and red adds atmosphere.

I like this on so many different levels, Jack. This image originally caught my eye because I was so intrigued by how successfully the composition deals with the large dark mass on the left, and again to a lesser extent on the right. There’s so much riding on those slivers of horizontal light tones—the crack of light at the top of the door (or window shutter?) on the left and the light from the top of the leaning board at center right. It’s the dark masses that give such power to the image, and it’s those little slivers that make the dark masses work. I’m also thoroughly enjoying the reflected light in the right-hand background that pulls me into the depth of the image, and the fact that my view is obstructed by the mysterious big red thing. On a second level, I’m enjoying the strong sense of being in a place that maybe I shouldn’t be—peeking from behind a partly closed opening, apparently from the eye level of a very young child, seeing what look like cobwebs on a well-worn stairway. And that opens the third level—the mystery of the scene. What is the big red object? What’s the bright thing at the top of the stairs? (Interesting how important that also is for the composition—my eyes are doing a circuit between the base of the stairs, the distant reflected light beyond the red object, and the bright form at the top of the stairs) Why are stairs that look like they’re accustomed to heavy use looking so abandoned? There’s a strong sense of solemnity here, and the unsaturated blue and red contribute a lot to that mood—I’m glad you rendered this one in color. Exploring these levels kept me thoroughly engaged for more than 15 minutes, and it’s an image I could happily look at for a lot longer than that.

What a perfect title!  The geometry of the image was what first caught my eye.  Then the light allowed my eye to travel through the image from the brightness in the front, up the stairs with their horizontal light, along the diagonal banister, to the light slivers at the top.  Through this journey, I lingered on the red object, wondering what it is and why it's there.  A complex image in its simplicity.  Well seen and beautifully captured!

I like the way you've left that sliver of light at the top of the stairs, inviting us to wonder where this goes.

 

Yes, the geometry is fabulous, Jack.

 

--Lannie

How many time we see this  and  newer thought to photograph it. You did, and  you did an excellent work.  Again, you sharp eyes for details.

Cheers  to you Jack.

Thanks for the very interesting and somewhat unexpected response to this picture.

 

Michail - (and sorry for calling you Michael last time) Your comments addressing this picture are as astute and perceptive. as the care with which you approach and photograph your own work. I'm honored.

 

Niels - I'll certainly settle for a 98 from you; it's a hell of a lot better than what this deserves. As for the light at the top, I can see your point but will have to side with the "includers" below. As always your remarks give me something to think about - and thinking about things is what it's all about.

 

Michael - Of course you would be drawn to the abstract qualities of the picture since your attention to form and relationships within the picture as well as the impact of color is so evident in your own work. Thanks for taking the time to give me your views in detail.

 

Leslie - Thanks you for the extended response to this picture. Photonet is a community and like any community only thrives when its members contribute more than they receive. Your exceptional photography, elegantly perceptive comments and generosity of spirit are as refreshing as a fresh breeze on a stifling summer day (such as we are now experiencing here in Osaka). You are certainly a welcome addition to the band.

 

Lynne - Thanks so much for taking the time to comment at length. none of us live or create in a vacuum so it's important to have intelligent feedback such as you have offered. By the way, I've learned that the big red ball and the white one barely visible behind it are used in school sport festivals (dosokai). Huge teams of people try to push the ball over the opponents goal. Sounds like fun but, alas, never again to be played here.

 

Lannie - Thanks. Glad you like it. As for the sliver of light, you're going to have to take the matter up with Niels (comment above). Just for the record, I'm on your side.

 

Bela - Thanks for the generous comment. Believe me, I draw a lot of inspiration from your work.. Isn't that the value of a site like this, to inspire and support one another. There's so much ugliness in the world, one must side with those who value the beauty and the creative approach wherever one may find them. There is poignancy, order and surprising beauty even in an old, abandoned and decaying school. One must simply know how to look. .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a fine Picture..Jack,,,if we made a compromise,,,the problem is the beam that Hurts my eye ! :),,,,if you remove the beam top,,,,the Whole Picture will match the golden section (1:1,618),,,Uc,,,and B/W only will suit the Whole geometry.

Markku Salonen once asked me to change a Picture,..and to show it side by side the first one,,,,,and if you don´t tell him,,,I admit he was right,,,this time !,,,,,Nobody is perfect,,alone,,,best niels

Geometry yes! but not only... this is more like a study, an education on the language of lighting and forms within photography. A grammar on the rules of space and angles on depth and lines, on proportion, on contrast, on balance. This is a geometry of pleasure with photography and it has all the attributes for whoever wants to learn and progress into this beautiful Art.

... going to the fear zone... Hi

Thanks for the comment. I guess I should have called it Waiting in the Shadows.

Excellent control of tones, Jack. Wonderful composition, colors and presentation. I like that part of the stairway is not in view. Adds some mystery. A super looking image. Greetings, Paul.

Thanks, Paul. Very few people ever go back through archive pictures like you do. It's kind of a blast from the past. I notice this picture got over 400 views back in the old days of PN; nowadays it would be lucky to get 1/10 that number. It's a little depressing to wander through the ruins of what was once a magnificent edifice.