PIG

Beale Street, Memphis

Funny

And just what type of commodities were sold here? I love the clutter of signs in the background, and your soft contrast of the image.

Thanks. This was taken late in the afternoon, and the sunlight was just aglow and washing everything with that golden color. Everything but that pig sign, which seemed impervious to the power of the sun. While clutter is often a problem, I'm quite fond of the background here, because of the cacophony of color, steel beams and advertising. It truly reflects the chaos of Beale Street.

Your Memphis shots give me a nice feeling of our paths crossing. I lived and went to school there from '65 to '72. In those years the Beale Street area was a place generally thought best to avoid at night. I walked through there often during the day, and there were none of the 'tourist' places they have now. I just recall a few old record stores.

 

I like your composition here, and with the dominance of the sign, I don't find your shot too busy at all. The afternoon sun does give the scene a wonderful glow. This is Memphis very nicely captured!

 

Did you try the barbeque?

We did try the barbeque. When we arrived on Beale Street it was about dinner time (or do you guys call it supper?). We immediately went into a restaurant, but I think it was across the street from this scene. We ordered, and then I stepped outside with the camera, because I knew I would not get much time with this kind of light. Snapped a few and went back in to my beer and barbeque. It was good. As you know, this is a totally tourist driven area now. Still fun for a quick visit, but certainly not the highlight of my trip. I'd rather be in the countryside.

First of all congrats for the well deserved ratings and appearence on the first page of the TRP! The coloration is what has me coming back time and again for another look, it so reminds me of postcards from the 50's or later, a wonderful "hand colored patina" that's so appealing to the subject matter. The composition is just perfect....from the street light on the left and the pig with an attitude on the right and all the interesting sights in between.

Thanks. I had no idea it was on TRP. I never go there. At first, I didn't really see much in this image, but the more I worked on it the fonder I became of it.

ha ha ha... you push the accelerator on signs lately...I am a fan of your humour/sign serie...well I guess one could be anything in life the only important being to have an attitude no ?....:-)...Oh and as you say the late afternoon light is great and the busy BG is just reflecting the busy street....

Thanks. Appreciate the look. Not too much like this in Switzerland, eh?

Very good composition,light & exposure,David.'Pork with an attitude'-that's fabulous statement:-)

Thank you sir.

David...you might be surprised but illuminated signs are extremelly tightly controlled by law (no light move, flashing, etc...) here in Geneva...so yes we don't find many...quite the contrary...and no Pork with attitude for sure...:-)...that's why I enjoy the difference...

I would have expected more restraint from the Swiss, so that is not a big surprise. Sometimes a little restraint is good, and sometimes it is stifling.

I think you must have played with this one a bit but you got the color just right, removing it from the everyday and turn it into a timeless image, I never thought of you as a colorist along the lines of Jeff Long and Kent but I'm going to have to revise my opinion.

By now you should know I'm all over the place. I have no particular strengths, so I wander around in the PhotoShop wilderness blindly seeking the Holy Grail. Every now and then I get a pretty good lead that shows some promise, but it's mostly blind man's bluff for me.