IN THE GARDEN OF TARGET

I don't mean this in a mean way, but I'm glad you get bad ratings sometimes too--sometimes I feel like I'm the only one. Is there a blurred person in front of the driver's side door?

Yes, that is a blurred person. I've kind of gotten over the ratings thing as far as bad ratings bothering me, and I knew there was a very good chance that this would get trashed. I like having ratings because they can make it easy for a person to give a thumbs up or down without the trouble of having to write what they think. The problem I have with those lousy ratings is that it becomes very difficult to know if they are really on to something, or if they are just ignorant jackals. Most of you regular guys do not want to hurt my feelings if I post a stinker, so there just won't be any comments placed, and I will have to infer that it sucks. But there are times when the masses just don't have a clue. It would be a fun experiment to put up some of Robert Franks' images or Robert Adams' images and watch what happens. My bet is they wouldn't make it above 4/4 on many of them. Yet, they are well known and published.

 

Soooooo, Doug are you telling me this sucks in your humble opinion?

Now, David, you know me--if I thought it sucked, I would tell you flat out that it sucked! But I don't think it sucks. It's not your best shot aesthetically, but it's an interesting shot because it captures a completely ordinary slice of life we don't normally spend two seconds thinking about and it makes us slow down and consider it. Any photo that can do that is good.

 

I agree about the ratings, and I'm trying to get over my pettiness--I know that they shouldn't really matter, but since so few people bother to comment, sometimes it's all I've got. I'm going to try to craft the perfect photo to get all 7/7s. It will have puppies and naked women frolicking in a field of beautiful flowers by the seashore at sunset with an interesting rock formation on either side, and it will be glorious!

This wouldn't be one I'd comment on...and yet it holds my interest. The movement of the people, the effective lighting -- a little slice of what now passes for normal life (we don't have Target, or even Wal-Mart, where I live). A worthy posting.

That might work, but don't forget "superb composition."

Which is kind of the response I anticipated. In essence, it is indeed a nothing image. (I'm not being facetious) You are an English teacher, so I'm going to give you a little bit of poetry. Actually it's the only bit of poetry I can quote from memory, and it may not be perfect. In J B by Archibald McLeish, the existence of God is questioned. That is not the issue here, of course, but the ending is what drives me when thinking about this image.

 

If God is good, He is not God,

 

If God is God, He is not good.

 

Take thee even or take thee odd,

 

I would not sleep here if I could,

 

Except for the the little green leaves in the wood,

 

And the wind on the water.

 

And those last couple of lines have a kind of subtlety that just bang my poor balding head. Kaboom! Just some little fragment or minute detail, and there is justification enough. It's there for me, but, I truly and completely understand why it may not be for others.

 

Thanks for your views. I really appreciate it.

I love poetry as I love photographs, which is to say I love maybe 10% of the ones I see...and that's a lot of riches to love. To each his own. Sometimes I'm the only person I know who loves one of my mine...but that doesn't change how I feel. I know you understand.

Then again, maybe mere low ratings aren't the worst thing in the world--this guy wants to fight with me just because I didn't like one of the pictures he'd put up for critique earlier this week. I admire that so many people like both you and the photos you take, even if you draw low ratings every once in a while.

Tim, I hear ya.

 

Doug, that is a problem if you rate something low or make a negative comment. Some people get really upset and retaliate. I guess if we are going to set ourselves up in such an exalted position of judging their work, we do owe it to everybody else to be thoughtful and deliberative. Yeah, I've seen some pics that made me say "what could you be thinking?" For sure, if a negative comment is made it should be backed up with reasons. No question about it.

 

AS for the circle of friends I've developed (you included), I'm grateful and humble. Keep working hard and it will come. I don't even get half the hits of guys like McRitchie, Long and Goldsmith. Don't expect I ever will. But I'm okay with the folks I know. I'm a happy clam. BTW, what has this got to do with the image? I'm sick and my mind is really fuzzy with codeine cough syrup. What a buzz.

Truer words...I opened this picture and thought, well, David's done it again. This is a messy picture of messy life. But the little minds with their little manuals see the main focus smack-dab in the middle of the frame, immediately run through their check list of photo no-no's and reach for the 3 button. What they fail to grasp IMHO is that this is not carefully and artistically composed life, this IS life. If you can't recognize that, there's really not much hope for you. You'll be chained to the Golden Triangle or The Rule Of Three or whatever dictum you insist is the bedrock of a good photograph. To those people who think this is a 3 picture I humbly suggest they join their local church's photo club. They'll find enough tropical sunsets there to make a dozen gorgeous calendars.

 

ps: I will have to take exception to one thing you said, that is the number of hits I get. Don't be deceived, the great, great majority of those hits came when one of my pictures was quite unaccountably chosen as POW. Take a look at the number and breadth of commentary on our respective pictures and the truth will become apparent.

I knew that if anyone would find any affinity for this image it would be you. Never a doubt in my mind. And you are right, it's not a posed, composed, carefully considered and crafted Ansel Adams image. It's just a bit of life. Well, no wonder some folks don't like it. No guns blazing here, no sirens and flashing red lights. Ah, but such beautiful trees!!! And I know you hear the wind on the water....LOL