BLUE STREAK

was someone playing a laser tag in there? That blue streak in the blakness makes the photo. The geometric shapes that are formed by all the elements of the image are pretty good, though I'd prefer to see the top brick line straight.

Did you check your jacket after taking this shot? No burned holes in it? Cheers, Micheal

 

It was just a passing grab shot, so the framing was not too good. I just looked up in the window (2nd story) and saw the blue line going across. It seemed pretty strange, so I knew that I had been called upon to photo it.

Windows are fascinating. Wonder what this was supposed to be?

Great colors, David. Abstract building window with blue line. I always take building shots on crazy angles to avoid the line convergence thing. Short of having a crane to get on a level plane with the window, not sure how to get around the straight line dilemma. Find with me just to accept it when it's a striking image like this. Sunlight helps the colors blaze. Very nice. Two 3/3s and counting. You don't really care, do you? I know, it bugs me too!

The problem is that sometimes I let those bastards dictate to me what images I'll put up for critique, or even post at all. I don't want to feel that I have to cap my vision because I can't handle rejection. It is clearly not a rational thing, because any fool knows you just have to go ahead and do your own thing and the public be damned. But the emotions. Those damned emotions are always getting in the way....

Do you have a personal rule about only using full frame images? I understand if you do; I feel that way a lot. However (if you draw the line at using Transform in P-shop), I would crop out the top bit of red brick to help keep the eye focussed on the window. That and you end up with a more architecturally balanced image (i.e. the base being larger than the crown, etc.).

Sorry to carp so early amongst so many great shots (just having picked a photo at random), but the thick black border is so similar to the graphic elements in the shot I find it distracting. The sun, the colors, the drama in the window, the small square balanced on the bottom edge; I believe all would fare better with just an elegant line rather than those bars.

I wouldn't bother to write if this weren't eye-catching...

Yes, you might be right, and, no, I have no rules (in photography) that I won't break. Certainly cropping is the least of them. When I was a film photographer, I always liked to compose entirely in the camera and print full frame. But digital frees you up so much that you start to break rules, and pretty soon you are breaking all the rules. Being able to fix so many things in post processing does that. I'm glad I have my film training though, because I think it serves me well. That may or may not be a good thing. Overall I think it is, but one has to use some self restraint.

 

Certainly, having been a Polaroid guy, you know about previsualizing.

 

As for the black frame, I don't know. I kind of like the way it becomes almost architectural, similar to the dark red bricks. More straight lines to go with all of them in the building. Too bad there is a different angle to the lines because of the convergence in the image.

 

Thanks for the thoughtful comment.