UNBEARABLE OPACITY

There's something both prosaic and eccentric about this building. It seems innocent and harmless enough but god only knows what goes on behind that brass door.

Well, if it were a green door we could speculate........

 

Actually the door is stainless steel, and the early morning sun is coloring it yellowish to make you think it is bronze.

This is an all day thing which was seen and taken very well - I like that kind of formal stuff. Congratulations!

Thanks for looking and commenting.

Nice, effective use of lighting to accent an interesting, stark, and engaging composition. The linearity is palpable. The door comes alive as do the painted lines on the road. The telephone pole is selectively placed to work well.

 

Not sure about exposure. Seems like there would have a been a blue sky and not sure the leaves of the trees against the sky got an exposure that allows them to read well.

 

This is a great scene, well seen through your eyes.

Thanks for the thoughts. This is the sort of image that doesn't get much viewing time as it is a bit too mundane for most. You must understand that in the San Joaquin Valley where I live, the sky is most always polluted, except after a rainstorm or a good wind blows through (BTW, some of that stuff comes from you bay area guys, but I'm gonna let you slide on that ). Anyway, when I go to Monterey or other coastal places, I'm always struck by the wonderful blue clarity of the sky. Here in the valley, it is much harder to get that. So, alas, that explains the white sky. It really is a more brownish orangish color than that pure white, but not very blue. And two other factors may have come into play. One, it was about seven in the morning when the sun was very low, and I did desaturate some in order to bring the whiteness out in the building. But, I've looked at the original, and there is simply no blue in it. On the other hand, I am of the opinion that the white sky rather nicely mimics the plain white building. Having said that, I find myself wondering if it would have benn more interesting to have lightened the street. I did darken it quite a bit because I thought it made for a good contrast.

David, just found your comment under my "interview". Thanks a lot for that because I sincerely appreciate that as I do all you comments. Could you possibly drop me mail?

My first impression is the "clean" execution of the frame. The construction vs. the free growth of the trees that brings interest to the composition and are "breaking" the clean look. Geometric vs.nature..... The gradation of color palette from strong brown to white sky are fitting the composition and are having a nice subdued look. I like the way you have cropped the tree on the R , composition wise being "un even" and good!, adds to the whole .The upper L tree leaves can have a bit more punch but really is minor. Very nice David's eye.!

Thank you. This is one of those "nothing" shots that really is something (if that makes any sense. Because of the window in the door resembling the porthole on a ship, and the whiteness oof the building, I saw something nautical about this. And those windows. Somebody sue wanted the light, but didn't want anybody seeing what was going on inside.

I looked at it as a deserted place, not in use anymore closed and bared ( I may be wrong too...;-)). the only life signs were the trees...and your well obsereved and composed the whole.

actually I know who lives there Dave

http://morrismichaelj.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/pierre_et_gilles21.jpg

 

on a more serious note though this is so linear it almost hurts which rather sets of those trees rather nicely. I think that works out nicely. Have to agree with Fred though, the lighting conditions for this shot are anything but ideal.

so what if you took it completely off the scale...

 

 

The only thing prosaic about this building are its lines... the steel door (funny gray bottom), the gridironed windows (all with weirdly individualised dimensions) with what seems thick opaque glass (very appropriate caption) speak of an obsession with privacy and security... that it's occupied is suggested by the lights under the overhanging roof... are those lights inside we're seeing through the left-most window? (two of the bright spots are from the vertical pole but the left-most two...) -- no opaque glass there?... doesn't seem a very deep building with that treetop looming over the roof... thank god for the trees!... lovely white flowers that harmonize with your very intriguing composition... did you find what IS this place?

for goodness' sake, what's that building? A washroom for the president? A swimming pool? I like the caption, it suits the photo well. Cheers, Micheal

Pnina, it is still in use, but I'm not sure for what. (Top secret ☺)

 

Ton, that started my day off with a good laugh. For crying out loud, that guy looks like a person who might live here. As for shooting you, that might not be nearly as good as just whacking you a good one with a baseball bat (just kidding).

 

Rajat, good observation about the lights. As for any lights shining through over there on the left, I cannot say, but I think reflections are the more likely source.

 

Micheal, I know you would just love to see a big old V* splotch on the side of this building to give it some color and some character.

 

Thank you all.

Hi David....Excellent shot....What it make this shot great is the balance of colors...that golden door, the yellow line on the street, the white building, the silver roof and pole Etc...everything in a nice harmony.

 

....Ektor.

Thank you so much for your appraisal. Much appreciated. /Cheers

The title sells it. How many human experiences give the impression of having clear vision only to discover later that our view was obscured by our own endeavors.

 

 

The empty street only amplifies the feel of being isolated and shut out (or in).

Cloistered to a phobic degree, I get the feeling complex passwords and elaborate rituals are required to gain entrance beyond that heavy door with its giant peephole.

 

I agree with Ektor, there is a wonderful balance and harmony here. For myself, I like the whiteness of the sky, both for its clinical feel which adds to the sterility of the scene and because it blends into the roof line, thus breaking the frame horizontally into thirds in a way that supports the inclusion of the road in the foreground.

 

I wish that the tree behind the building was not peaking out over the roof as it breaks the flow.

 

Nice stuff Dave, always a pleasure to view the world through your eyes.

As always, a great observation. Much appreciated.

Now that you mention it, I do think the white sky is appropriate. Maybe the title should have been, "The Unbearable Opacity of White." You are right about the tree in back of the building.

Very well seen. Nice job on the composition. As for the exposure, perhaps you could have shot this a half stop down to retain slightly more detail in the white sky and get slightly improved contrast between the upper part of the building and the sky, but other than that I like it.