thomas_breazeale1

Nice read with the vortex left of the pin Peter,its a bottomless pit in deep rough!.By the way the greens are Bent grass.

After looking at your Peripheral Vision series I must say that it does tie in nicely to this discussion in the fact that I do not believe these images will attain mainstream acceptance due to percieved lack of content.I like them for their distortion free elements(the yellow tones are a bit overpowering at times)and the feeling of absolute vastness which is as real as an emotion can be when looking at the sea.To me you have captured a true essence here in all it's simplicity and although we have all seen this many times there is still an element of fantasy to them.

The bottom line is that most people do not want to see an image(especially landscape)that reminds us of the mediocrity of life in general.Any image that is not shot during the magic hour or under magic circumstances are usually panned by the public no matter how good the composition is or how creative your lens work was..albeit you would have a better chance of acceptance if it was in B&W.

 

I find that most peoples perception of landscape photography IS based on some sort of fantasy which is evidenced by the numerous,highly rated supersaturated images that grace the TRP pages of any photo site today.Mostly Leigh you are an exception to this with your choice of imagery which as Carl pointed out is more realistic than most and certainly more so than many of my images.The late Galen Rowell epitomized the use of nuetral grad filters in landscape and he is still considered one of the very best,not to mention his use of saturated Velvia.In his lifetime he was constantly accused of distorting reality with his use of color and filters but in much the same way as you Leigh in the fact that he did not articially saturate other than film usage.Ironically he was branded a postcard shooter by some magazine editors who refused to accept his vision of reality.

 

Ansel Adams has most assuradely biased many people's views of art by his usage of B&W,and since he set the standards of composition and print making then anything else almost seems a bastardisation to some.This is unfair I believe because surely color is as much art as B&W is.The controversy with color lies in our perception of reality and manipulation,not the medium itself.

First of all Leigh I also think this is well done but must agree with Dave about the intimacy of this image.The scale of all the elements seem so diminutive to the point that nothing really grabs my attention other than the sun.I think by cropping more off the left one can identify more with the individual elements of the composition as it tightens the balance.I like the overall colors but think more definition and contrast is needed to give personality.

I will second that...

What a classic image and example you have chosen to upload!The revolver the executioner is holding is a model 49 Bodygaurd Smith&Wesson with a shrouded hammer for firing up close and semi concealed.The irony is that here it was not needed..it was for the whole world to see.

 

.."the more I look at your attachement the more I like it.."

This is precisely the point..does it take eye candy aesthetics to rivet one's attention long enough to actually 'see' an image which takes us back to risk taking does it not?Doug has been taking risks for years and my recent work is far from mainstream as evidenced in my upload above but the question here is being true to one's self in what they are trying to achieve through photography.

 

Ansel Adams was not a risk taker in the traditional sense nor does his images reflect controversy..he was a skilled pioneer that opened up the worlds eyes to quality imagery through superior technique.

Please forgive me Doug if I interrupted this earth rotating philosophy diatribe between Bertrand Russell and Kierkagaard(spelling?)LOL.It has also been a long time since I have donned my French artist's beret,fortified my reasoning power with tobacco like supplements and then proceeded to solve the mystery of the sphinx,defined Marxist dogma with free enterprise tenets...and then ate a lot.

 

I should have been more specific in stating 'natural color'Doug,not a blue tinted version that has melancholy written all over it and is as far from purgatory as hell is to heaven.As one not to shy away from controversy I would sometime like to take issue with the foundations of which this discussion is based on..mainly Purgatory..which is NOT based on scriptures like a place called Paradise is.This is not the time or place but It should not be lost on us how photography and the circles which evolve within it's realm can have cause/effect on so much.

 

I am going to have to side with Micheal on Moonrise Hernandez probably for no other reason than the fact he commented on my image and you did not so take that.IMO Moonrise Hernandez is also just a pretty image with little or no social value or statement if separated from the context of Ansel.His print making skills were exceptional,especially for his time,but his photographic skills can and are rivaled by many people today...and I aint one of them!

 

Regarding Natalie Shau's knife image in context with this discussion I think the higher key is not near as strong psyche wise as Doug's image here..it DOES showcase her artistic talents with graphics and shock value but after the initial shock is over you move on.To me,if that image was in very low key I could damn well be having nightmares of Doug chasing me through his forest with a sharp axe.Color for the sake of color is distracting when trying to portray an ambience of shadows and netherworlds and the psychological impact is lessoned to no more than being visually assaulted.

 

Doug,I have been staring at your image for hours and it is your simplicity in tones and composition that allows this plus addition of your title.IMO you need not have gimmicks nor a title for an image to shout and this is a good testimony.

 

The masses will choose the knife shot like sheep to the slaughter but it's superficiality will hinder it's artistic endurance and impact forever.

I really like how you have toned this image and the composition IMO does not need cropping at all.The shaft of light in the foreground adds interest..but...I am surprised that no one has mentioned the rubble on the floor,it really distracts from the ambience and overall impact of this image.If it were gone this would really be superb.

I uploaded this image in hopes to furthering some very interesting discussions going on here.I think my image is not very appealing at all,maybe even hideous to some but it does contain basic compositional integrity and the connotations are probably obvious to most.If I submitted this image for critique or rating it would be panned by almost everyone(maybe such as Doug's image here in question)because it makes us uncomfortable even though it adheres mostly to proper photo traditions(mostly).

 

Your image is not outstanding Doug and contains what most would call flaws,same as mine.But...IMO it is powerful BECAUSE WHAT IT EVOKES WITHIN OUR PSYCHE so the question here should it be submitted as you have done but I am gathering that Michael would not?

 

If your image was in color Doug I believe it would not warrant a second look because it does not appeal to the eyes..but in dark tones the mind kicks in and says "stay awhile".

How does this image tie in with the discussion here?

This is one of the most interesting bridal images I have seen.You have used the varied lighting conditions to your advantage here and the fact that your flash did not get full coverage IMO was good fortune.Aside from the really cool pose(very original)it is the diverse colors and tones that makes this image so powerful.

 

The way the gown trails of into the darker areas gives your bride an almost disembodied feel to her which I think is almost surreal in its concept.My only nitpik would be the shadow over her left eye but only from a traditional sense of portraiture of this genre.In reality it fits with the offbeat nature of your composition...which is why I like it Kristin.

Hello Francis...thanks for stopping by my image so I will return the favor and with pleasure.You have a great portfolio but this popped out at me begging for comments so here goes.

 

I think what I noticed first of all in this image was the eveness of exposure throughout the composition aided of course by the ND grad.I do think the very upper sky shows a tad too much grad but not a serious flaw IMO...I have seen Galen Rowell images with the same thing and I can tell you are a student of his.

 

I think what makes the upper sky blend enough is the identical contrast in the trees mid image which in my opinion is an interesting touch here..it adds drama.

 

I like the foreground as far as the water goes but am not quite sure about the lower right,its cropped in such a way as to make the viewer beg for just a little more to anchor this area.Overall very fluid with a nice eye for composition.

The connotations are endless and is impactful today as it was 60 years ago..."NEVER AGAIN!"

 

A great piece of docutography that is well seen and exposed..'ashes to ashes'...the irony is not lost.Haleh my dear,I am by your side.

In small amounts its not overpowering but I sense a 'warmer feeling' with the sepia that almost seems out of place...maybe contrived?

I guess it depends on what you were thinking when you submitted but the sepia does not give the sense of purgatory as much as your original IMO.I get a Blair Witch feel here Doug...a place that is only fitting for people who have falsified their credentials...the blocked area bothers me a little but maybe it is symbolic for something?

Hello Marina.I think this image has more potential than what we see here.I really like the natural colors,it is nice to see some realism in regards to color tonality.I like the circle around the rock in the foreground but I get the feeling I am missing something by the tight crop on the left..a few more feet would have opened this up more IMO.Lovely reflection but two things are bothering me Marina..the centered horizon and the perception that the horizon is not level.I said perception because I believe it is level but the water action on the right is deceptive to the eyes.Overall,not bad Marina...

Superb exposure in a difficult lighting situation,no burned out highlites or blocked shadows even though darker areas might even make it more dramatic than already is.Did you use an ND grad here or just crop out the bright part of the sun?The bottleneck intrusion of brush and land really add to the composition along with the warm color tones.My only nitpik would be the tight crop of the reflection but maybe this had to be done due to distractive elements or position of photographer.Either way I really like this...

Larry,there are some images that just do not need a lot color and this falls into this category IMO.When compared to your color version,this has much more tonal structure and varience that really enhances the sculpted hills.Well done...

I am going to jump into this frozen quagmire all the way and take the position of Doug here Carl.Even though I do not know jack sh...frost about this I would say the human element does take transcedence over 'cutsey'images such as this.Visualizing a shot of snow on a dock(with proper light and composition)would stir up many more emotions that are meaningful and thought provoking..more than this POW that only screams'where did you get those colors?'

 

I struggle on a daily basis with my love for saturated colors and eye candy shots as opposed to more natural,well thought out compositions that are enduring.So often we are duped into the wow factor not only on images such as this, or even the previous POW, by superficial stimulation that is not unlike drug usage.When a truly good image comes tagging along with it's tail between it's legs we are left wanting more than we think it has to offer..all this in the true Pavlovion spirit.

Taken presunrise on a haze free day..all comments welcome.

I just cannot get past the effect of colored stencils on a window during the Christmas holidays.Thats not to demean what the photographer has done but the end product is so artificial looking that any technical achievment becomes null and void.

 

As Marc G said,a B&W rendition would probably have more visual impact but only with a better crop.As is too much negative space with really not much to focus on and agree that this genre should be explored more but with emphasis on texture and design.

David,I think this and your other post are just great!The tones really give a 3D effect and your exposure is spot on.Did you have to do much cloning removing artifacts from the plexiglass?I have had this problem in the past when trying to take shots from planes,your images have good clarity and definition.Well done...

I am having a hard time with this one Carl.Although I like the general feel of the composition I almost think that by blocking the shadows some drama might just pop somewhere.I think I feel this way because the tonal ranges almost seem redundant and the detail left in the house is actually distracting to my eyes.I also think the crop is somewhat claustrophobic like you were trying to hide something below the reflection..

Personally I like your original crop as is Carl even though Richard's crop works well too.The space on the left is so full of cool textures that by lessoning this space the detail on the right almost becomes too much to bear IMO.The exposure values to me are spot on Carl and the colors work so well together.Have you considered a crop almost dead center to form two vertical images?By doing so the left side takes on a totally different character that would really make the viewer guess as to subject matter.Nice image Carl...

Congrats Tam Tam on the POW..but I like others do not find this image palpable.I just don't see the point in producing an image with clone work that is very distracting and makes me wonder what kind of hidden meaning we are supposed to be missing here?There are no elements of Surrealism by which we may overlook redundancy or enough traces of overall fantasy to suggest that it may be ok for identical duplication of subject matter.As the moderator said,'stick to the real issue'so for me the boats just ain't workin enough to pull it off.