OLD STORE FRONT-- HELMVILLE, MONTANA

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interesting photo. There are not very many straight lines. My eyes were very quickly attracted by the shed on the left. It's leaning away from the main building and seems to be supported by the skids. In this photo I would crop the large foreground. I think this photo would look better in wide format, as a panorama shot. Everything in the photo would support it: the wires across the frame on the top; the spread-out buildings. I like that the background is empty, as it makes one pay attention to the weather-worn wooden buildings. Cheers, Micheal

 

These old buildings really show off at their best in the snow, don't they.

Micheal: You might have a point about the crop. I, once again, tried to show the vastness that was out there and a certain barren quality. I thought having nothing in the front yard added to it.

 

Jack: I think the snow inevitably makes the photo closer in essence to black and white and is always and agent for removing clutter. I mean there could be a dead body or a kids sled on the front yard, but the snow graciously covers it up.

 

Thanks to both of you for looking.

I like the tone...with the snow the building really pops out...the store is starting to lean to the left showing it is really tired of resisting to the elements....I like the straight and almost nude horizon far away...as for the foregroung I would not crop it, maybe even more or the foreground would be good for the horizon not to be in the center...

David ...just a quick & dirty trial from me on that point....just for discussion (I do not claim it's better)...

I,m not sure what I think about your change. I'm reserving judgemet until I get home and can see it on a big screen. The laptop I'm using on the trip is small, and not a great screen on which to be looking at images.

David I am not suggesting any change actually...I just did a quick trick adding (by cloning) a small amount of foreground to see if it changes the balance of the image, this just for discussion...a way for me to learn...

For what its worth, I wouldn't change a thing except maybe the toning, which, to me, makes the snow look too creamy.

 

I love the isolation of it, and the feeling that people lived their lives out there in some degree of contentment.

 

I like this a lot.

Thanks very much. Laruent is a great photographer, and I respect both his work and his opinions very much, but I like the original as much as his suggestion. I know he is okay with that. So it stays pretty much the same. You are probably right about the snow, but I will have to look at the big pixel save to know for sure.