pretty BROKEN BACK BARN

Mr. Meyer, we're not in California anymore are we? This is a spectacular image and I'll watch for it on the Critique Forum.

Holy cowpoke, he's back with pictures, and I mean pretty pictures!! And there ain't nothin' wrong with a pretty picture.

 

This is spectacular.

This is indeed a beautiful picture. Looks like it might have been quite cold when you took it. Nice composition. The hill behind the barn and the mountains in the background look great.

Indeed, I'm back. This was my first pic in Montana. Cold? Quite. But the worst was the wind. That low stuff that looks like a cloud is actually blowing snow. I was very fortunate to have hosts that were the absolute best that Pnet or anyplace else, for that matter) has to offer, and I should probably give them the credits on any photos taken on the trip. Thanks for your comments. While I guess I'd rather be somewhere in the middle of Montana (to steal the lyrics from an Iris Dement song), it's nice to be back and mingling with you nice folks again.

this is what I'm talking about. Very beatiful. The blowing snow "cloud" and the softness of the sky give it a feel of mystery, and create an island of the mountains. The BBB has a strong presence, also contrasting the rest of the pic strongly. The fact that it's broken like this only strenghten the feel of mystery. The pic also communicates depth of the landscape well. The exposure is V8 on. What were you standing on? A road, a hill,...? The only thing missing there is a V8 vending machine by the barn. Hope more pretties are coming. Cheers, Micheal

Okay, now you have to give me a break. I've met my contractual obligation for a pretty picture, so I'm off the hook. Glad you like it. No telling what will be next. Whatever it is will have to wait a day or two, as I am exhausted. Thanks for the comments. Guess I better get out there and buy some V8 juice.

Well this image is beautiful...first the land with snow, the hill and mountain on top of the fog...the very subtle sky colours...and finally the dark wood house that contrast in colour and tone to the landscape...a wonderful moody shot with painting characteristics...bring more...Laurent.

Thanks. You need not worry, you will probably be seeing pictures from this trip for quite awhile.

What a fantastic picture!! Love the composition, tones and sharpness of it especially the mountains in the bakground

I see you spent your time with Juan well.....I've got a bit of a pout on that you didn't come my way for at least a day, I wouldn't have sacrificed a chicken or anything repugnant while you were here?! Now you see why we're always touting the Big Sky Country, it lets a persons spirit soar. Beauty in an old beast. The artist in you came out in this shot, very lovely.

Hey I guess this means I can dump all those images off my computor now? and maybe all the snotty tissues you left on the floor of my truck?....Nice pic of my house...how did you clean up all that stuff I had laying around the front yard?

900 miles in one shot...beats my record! glad your safe...!

 

Monida...right on the Montana - Idaho boarder thats how it gots it name...

Yes, you may dump my files from your computer. It appears I got everything home okay. I'm still waiting to see those pics you took while we were out in the wilds.

I'm really sorry I didn't make it out your way too. Don't worry you did not miss much. I'm sure if you ask Juan He will tell you that I'm shy, reclusive, socially maladaptive, a pain in the butt, and I was sick the whole time up there to boot! I'll be putting Montana stuff on pnet for quite awhile now, as I took somewhere between 700-900 pics.

A blustery day at Monida, Montana.

i like this image a lot - i'm from northern michigan, and have an emotional connection to barren winter scenes. however, the forground is mostly an empty field. i would like this image even more from a slightly different vantage point (to the right, i think, though it may not have been possible) and a one-more telephoto lens (i.e. if this were a 50mm, then an 85).

 

but that's just me; it still looks really good, particularly the colors.

 

tbs

Beautiful and kind of sad at the same time. Very well done.

David - Gorgeous shot. I really like the lighting and the texture. Somehow I wish the barn was placed farther left or right so as not to block the mountains. But, then again, I'm not sure it doesn't below right where it is. Nice work!

Thomas, I can see your point, and I think it has a lot of validity. Your concept would be at least as successful as this one was. In my mind, I was thinking that I wanted to show the vastness and emptiness in which this relic was sitting. Thanks for your constructive comment.

 

Doug, once again, welcome to my work. I appreciate your very kind comments.

 

Jeffrey, you may be right. I was kind of taken with the way the mountain appears to be weighing heavily on the barn, emphasizing it's bent spine. Your concept is certainly as good as my own.

 

Thanks to all of you for taking the time and effort to comment.

I am back again...after getting some time to really check this out... while the Eppson is printing...

 

I have to agree with Thomas and Jeffery...the placement of this old guy does not sit well with me either...The placement is too close to dead center for my taste....it does not bother me too much that it's in front of the mountains much...the crook in the back is in a good place...a tad too much foreground with out enough of an interesting subject in it to warrent it...to me the focus of this image is the old one...the vastness is in the snow blowing in the wind behind it...perhaps a pano crop might be tried...Ok now that I have reamed you a new one...I give you many kudos on driving all the way up here to stand in frezzing wind to make purdy pics...I played with this in PS a little ...The light you have captured is wonderful...this is the kind of light I would have made sure that I filled a card with...from many different angles...That is all from this opinionated Venezuelano...for now!

I have no beef with what you guys are saying. I tried to get away from the extremely conventional knowing that the center placement was not considered ideal, and knowing that the foreground might be less than what some might like. I think your image is probably an improvement. My excuse was to try and convey the vastness. Well, if we don't experiment a bit, we probably won't learn. I shall now return to the conventional world. Having met me, Mr. De Santa Anna, do you think I can long survive in that world?

 

 

Nahhhhhhh. I'm going to break the rules again before you know it. I still love ya you goofy Venezuelan.

You knucklehead...it's not about rules...My comment was about what worked or not for me...

 

The fact that it works for you is way more important...anybody posting should know that...

 

Why it works for you is slightly less important to me as... what works for me...He He He...

 

I think we agree to disagree...

WVMM

You guys should plan a stage performance like Laurel & Hardy...it's much fun to watch the debate 20'000 kms away...:-)...Both version are pretty good for me...Juan's has more contrast and focus on the barn as often :-)...David's version is more pastel and more sad and isolated if I dare say ...truth is the light and foggy mood was so good that day I guess you really have to put some hard work to make this shot a bad one...lucky you are as it's more than often the opposite...

What amazes me is how Juan can always be wrong.

I had a look at Juan's version. I stand by your photo. Juan's version loses the "island" feel of the mountains, as he cuts off the cloud of snow on the LH side. It also loses the feel of depth, of the vastness, as he cuts off the foreground. As to the centredness, in this case it's great, because of the island feel, and because the barn is THE subject there. The mountains are there as a secondary, enhancing subject - or it could be viewed in reverse, as well. In any case, some folks got so intense about having everything off center that it sometimes might work against the image. I'd say that Juan's version is a pedestrian, run-of-the-mill version. It is nice, but I like the feel of yours better. (Does Juan drink V8?) Cheers, Micheal

 

Juan does not drink V8 to my knowledge. He does occasionally take a nip of Yukon Jack. His version is fine with me. And, since he sells a fair amount of his work, he might be right for what he does. I do not have to concern myself so much with the rules nor popularity, so I'm thinking this is right for me. The other thing is that perhaps if you are making a small print, it might be best to get rid of some of the foreground and emphasize the old barn. I'm thinking that with a nice large print, all that vastness would work. Maybe not. To each his own, and that's what makes this fun. Thanks for your thoughts on this. Your comment brought you way down to a five on the nut-o-meter.