this old porch is just a long time of waiting and forgetting

Comments/ suggestions welcome.

so many interesting details. lines, curves, shadow, light, along with beautiful tones. very nicely done.

watching the world go by, as we think on the things that have transpired, but not in Houston in the summer, too hot, too humid, too many mosquitos.

Very good composition,play of light & shade, and tone,Jeff.

Porches in summer are the best places to hang out with friends and family or a dog or a book. They are the more social cousin to the hammock. I like the shadows, depicting leaves--one looks like a bird--and the implied comfort here, including the well-tended flowers, shade from sun, homey imperfections of cracks and sags. Domestic man meets domestic nature. : )

Hello Jeff,

 

Thanks for dropping the comments on my shots, been away for a few days. I really like this shot in B&W, I like the lighting and lowish sun that drops a very dramatic shadow. I think it works well with the weathered look of the structure.

You created an warm sentimental atmosphere, Jeff. The chosen tones double underline what you express in the title. Well done - have a nice veranda summer, wherever you may be! Regards, El

This one has a very soft silence, the light is to " blame", as well as the shadows and texture. The form looks " closed" with vegetation taking place inside, but there is still some DOF., it looks like time has left its signs, on a closed chapter. beautiful light, composition, and B/W rendition

Very remarkable work, Jeff! Best regards, Ruud.

Very sensitive and beautiful capture Jeff.

Mary: Thanks so much. I paid more attention to details here than I usually do because the texture of the porch was so interesting. Thanks for noticing.

 

 

Manuel: Yep, sitting on the porch in Houston this time of year would only yield a buffet for mosquitoes. Stay cool.

 

 

A.K.: Nothing particularly deep about this photo other than what you mentioned. Thanks.

 

 

Donna: I'm lurching toward that part of life where everything consists of cracks and sags. I'm glad you found the humanness here. I often poach song lyrics, wondering if anyone will discover them. You cracked the code. I thank you. Lyle thanks you.

 

 

Bob: This was taken toward the end of the day after a hike in Vermont. Someone's porch. I did my equivalent of a drive-by shooting, running up into their yard, snapping, and then running away. Crazy Boston maniac. Get out of my yard....

 

 

El: Thanks. We've had a cool summer here. A lot of lallygagging around outside, enjoying the weather. I hope you have a peaceful summer as well.

 

 

Pnina: A beautiful comment. Soft silence is exactly the perfect description. Thanks.

 

 

Ruud: Thanks so much!

 

 

Michael: Thanks for your comment.

Very good capture! I like the play of the shadows and the composition. Best regards. Glauco

For me, this is a standout. For its heart and warmth, gotten through the most mundane of subject matter, a corner of a porch with cracked facade. Many on PN are attempting these kinds of shots lately, in my mind, with very mixed results. Sometimes . . . often . . . a mundane shot is just a mundane shot. One has to imbue it with something personal or some reason to have become a photo other than, "here, I can do it too," shoot weeds coming up through cracks because it's like the opposite of the pretty sunset which has become so overdone and expected. In the hands of a thoughtful and sensitive guy like yourself, light will add its voice, perspective will step up to the plate, a bit of mystery will ensue, mood will be created. All that is accomplished here and it becomes a story. Very nice work.

 

As I look at it, I also have some reservations. There seem to be some details here that you've kept hidden which, brought out a little and within the overall context, seem like they would add to that mood you're conveying. For instance, top left, in the background, I sense some brickwork that, if brought out a hair more, would add some nice texture and overall depth. The heavy shadow behind the center bars doesn't look like it offers much, so that might have to remain your lost area, which doesn't bother me in a shot like this all that much. Finally, I think the flower pot on the right, with its aptly-set curved shape, might, if given a little more presence, make a nice offset to the more linear quality of the rest of the shot. A curve like that, deep in shadow, yet a little more noticeable, could have a lot of subtle impact.

 

These suggestions are likely as much about my own vision as yours -- as are many critiques, I suppose -- in that I tend to find *more* mystery or evocation in shadows that reveal a little more, drawing me in, rather than keeping things as hidden as you have. My guess is, knowing you, you have your reasons for approaching the scene the way you have, and I'd love to hear your own thoughts on these particulars.

Very nice composition Jeff, lots of rule of thirds here, the overall image being divided by the strong vertical pillars and the secondaries between the pillars. A lot of dark shadow area, adds a sense of mystery about the many stories concealed under the several coats of paint. Nicely done.

Jeff, when an image evokes a longing to be present at the scene you have accomplished much of the aim of a photograph. I think this porch represents our yearning for comfortable memories in a quiet place of refuge. It struck me, when viewing your recent images, what a contrast this is to your bedside table 'essay' and perhaps underlines my point.

Porches are the apron of a house with all the aromas of a summer day. Well captured, Jeff.

Excellent climate.Beautiful light and detail.Jeff;warm regards ant thank you very much.Janusz.

Great lighting Jeff, beautiful tones and well defined textures. This is beautiful

Glauco: Thanks. The shadows are my favorite part, too.

 

 

Fred: You're right about old porches joining the ranks of the trite, so despite liking photos of them and taking snaps of them from time to time, I haven't posted many. Here, despite the title, the goal was to present the light and shadow more than the porch. When I tried to recover some of the dimmer elements (like the pot and bricks), the composition seemed too cluttered and suddenly became more ordinary. I pictured these two posts as movie screens upon which nature could play out its drama with the shadowed leaves, Originally, the pot of geraniums was the most brilliant part of the photo, but the B&W made them recede. Those were my thoughts. Thanks always.

 

 

Jim: I think you hit upon the main goal of this photo. The three parts with shadows. Thanks.

 

 

Hannah: What can I say? Sometimes nostalgia arm-wrestles with immediate necessity. I saw these two photos as two sides of the same coin.

 

 

Margaret: A more poetic description could not have been uttered.

 

 

Janusz: Always nice to hear from you. I'm nowhere near as prolific as you. You have an enviable gift for keeping the production line on creativity always moving.

 

 

Artur: Thanks. I'm so glad you liked this one.

Sometimes we all need to find a corner for comfort. The porch provides a restful respite from everyday's burdens and is a place where we can reconnect with ourselves. It's important to listen to our own voice and find ourselves. I like how you captured the light and shadows in here creating a relaxing and serene feel.

Dear friend. I am very interested for your comments on my last creation. Michael.

So little is needed to invoke the muse of past innocence and have her spread the sweet dream cloak over our troubled souls.

Fantastic tones and composition, great lighting too, Jeff.

 

Alberto

Adan: Thanks. This was taken during a trip away from the kids, which was restful in many ways. Plus, I actually had some time to take pictures!

 

 

Michael: I'll stop by.

 

 

Jack: You're a poetic soul. Between the dream cloak here and the canine baptism on your photo, you have a way of conjuring up images where photos fail.

 

 

Alberto: Thanks. This scene had some interesting lighting, which really drew my eye.

Eloquent and evocative in my mind. I suppose almost any subject matter can become a cliche in the wrong hands, but there is that intangible something that you bring to the image which is your considerable gift. Fred may be right and one would be a fool to take lightly his words, but I think he is attempting to make it his vision and no such changes are called for. It's a damn fine image as far as I'm concerned and I'm envious that I didn't make it.