dennisdixson

Thanks David. That radio tower is in fact really there in case anyone was thinking I added it after the fact. Once in a while life presents you with some really interesting things to photograph.

Turn up your speakers and go to this page for some more belly dancing fun.

Thanks for sharing your comment.

Doug - It's an Irish thing.

 

Marc - I see what you mean about the human element. I think I have a tendency to see that more in other people's work than in the photos I take. Sometimes it is an instinctive process. These plants have a strong association with a particular place for me so that is primary attraction that I find in them. Of course there are also people associated with the place but that aspect is not captured here as you pointed out.

 

For a few weeks in the Spring I often end up taking photos of flowers. Those images are attractive but photos of flowers don't really tell anyone much that they could not appreciate by looking at the real thing. Some people are really skilled at taking those sort of photos but there is not a lot of emotional connection for me in a flower photo except to admire the technical skill of the capture.

 

I seem to associate photographs with places or events in the same way that you associate them with humanity or human features. If there is no connection (real or abstract) then the photograph fails in a way regardless of the technical merits. In fact photos like this taken with ancient gear and semi random output, often have more of an emotional and intellectual connection that the pin perfect ones created with superior equipment and great skill. I pointed you to this one mostly as another example of what you could do with this sort of camera setup.

 

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts on the subject. It's always a pleasure hearing your perspective on things.

Perhaps a fence is what I need to keep death at bay. ;-)

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3275/2520638054_45b21ee3b7.jpg

Your new nickname is going to be McConen The Barbarian if you post one more cone photo.

 

I also like the use of lines here which almost seem to replicate the use of strokes in a pencil drawing if that makes any sense. Horizontal, vertical and hatch marks describe the scene perfectly. Except for those few plants it is a totally artificial environment so I guess it's no wonder that there are so many lines.

 

By putting it into a composition you have allowed us to contemplate the significance or lack of meaning of this world we have created for ourselves. I think the title adds to the impression of being manipulated into things which only benefit others, such as building fancy new sports stadiums at taxpayer expense so that team owners can reap huge profits. In that case I guess the cone represents a dunce hat and we only have ourselves (and our elected officials) to blame.

Well I have found at least one thing to like about the site changes and that is those random images that appear from your portfolio on the right side of the screen which is how I arrived at this image. I especially enjoyed reading your comments. I believe that I would have taken a photo like this at the time given the circumstances you described. I don't see any issue documenting the world you are living in. There are plenty of opportunities to do this sort of work around here but the difference is that I would have to seek them out because they are not a part of my daily routine.

 

The other thing is as you stated that I would tend to look for things more uplifting or comforting by choice. No one pays me to take photographs so I am at liberty to take photos of whatever I like, so I choose to photograph things that have meaning to me. So far that has not won me any time in the spotlight or any adoring fans (other than myself).

 

Anyway, even though it has been awhile since this post has seen any action, I wanted you to know that I appreciated the image and your thoughts on the subject.

Yes; our right, her left.

 

"On Belay!"

 

"What?"

 

"Falling!"

 

"What?"

 

"FALLLLIIINGGG!!!"

 

"Whoops."

I wouldn't sleep there either, because that looks a lot like poison ivy to me. You must be a Hobo at heart to hold a can in such high regard. I prefer the ones with beans in them for my camping trips.

 

This is a well constructed image, built to code and to satisfy the specifications of the most finicky clients; which are other photographers. It begs to ask the question, "Which is worse? A rusty cut or a nasty rash?" I can imagine the pus filled scabs every time I look at this. Damn fine work sir!

"And THEY'RE OFF!"

Oh sorry, for a minute there I thought I was at the horse track or something. Man, it looks like you used the large box of crayons for this one. I dig all those colors and somehow they manage to seem coordinated and not competing with each other. That cone in the foreground reminds me of a drunken security guard, nodding off after having his lunch from a plain looking thermos bottle. The fact that there are no cars has the potential of an editorial given the current cost of gasoline around here. As always, I enjoy your use of impressionistic tools of the trade to divide the foreground and background straight up the middle in effect creating a sort of diptych composition. Really two photos for the price of one. What's not to love about this? Good work.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2086/2511258191_9dd2340713_m.jpg

I don't think I was really aware of this looking like a head or a face at the time I was taking it.

 

Side note: Does anyone remember those cabbage patch dolls from a few decades ago? I think my main interest in this was the lacy pattern of the leaves after the insects had eaten their fill. There were about a dozen of these cabbage heads in a little plot which is part of a park devoted to several old historic farm buildings in St. Louis County.

 

I have seen some people flip the lens on 35mm plastic point and shoot cameras but I have not tried that myself. I think any old camera would do as long as you can get to the lens without destroying the camera body. I prefer using 120 film for toy camera stuff, though lots of people use the smaller format for pinholes and other things.

 

Here is a link to another photo I took with this camera - http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6064024

My, my, Miss American Pie. Not too much trouble to rework the background if the important stuff is done right (and it is). ;-)

 

The right eye seems a tad duller than the left. Compulsive editing syndrome demands that you tweak that before making a print for the parents and the museum.

 

My only other question is - Where were these beautiful girls when I was going to school? I might have continued my education a while longer if they had looked as good as this.

Thanks for the detailed comment. This photograph was taken with a Brownie Hawkeye Flash camera made by Kodak in the 1950s. On this camera i have reversed or flipped the single element meniscus lens which is what makes the edges go soft in this image. The flipped lens also lets you work a little closer than the box camera would normally allow.

This photograph was shot in open shade on a sunny day giving a blue cast to the shadows. I'm sure I tweaked the contrast to give a bit of separation to the green cabbage "head" and the surrounding blue leaves. I also made a slight crop on this to adjust the center point and to clean up some distractions along the edge of the frame.

I had not thought of a black & white version until you mentioned it just now, though I have made some black & white images with this particular camera.

Here is a photo taken from a bit farther away -

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1099/906098145_bd38f3bbef.jpg

Reminds me of a woman I saw the other day in New York City.

This is a perfect example of why print size matters. And for that matter film or capture size as well. I'm also glad to see that Mark is still himself and that we can still discuss these things based on what we think instead of just complimenting each other's work without offering any insights into what makes it work for us.

 

I think that what you are trying to show us is pretty much lost in a jpg of this size. Most landscapes seem to be based primarily on warm color tones and that is what attracts most viewers to them at first glance. This falls into a different category and is more of a reach for the casual viewer, which certainly does not apply to any of the great photographic minds here.

 

This photograph reminds me of my Winter commute, many years ago when I was living in Virginia. My route would take me through the dwindling area of former farms being taken over by ugly apartment complexes created to house yuppies working across the river in Washington, D.C. So in other words, this has some emotional or nostalgic feeling for me above and beyond the perceived technical considerations. I like it a lot even though it brings to mind a very weary feeling. As a matter of fact I feel pretty weary to begin with. Maybe I'm coming down with something.

 

The bottom line is that you need to be showing these in a brick and mortar gallery instead of on the web and I need to get more sleep.

This photo popped up in that new little sidebar of random images from your folders (finally a useful new feature). Here is my visual response -

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2427164296_4a42b24bae_m.jpg

Yeah, that's more like it... Hey wait a minute...

 

Glad to see you made it over to the other well. It is interesting to see how a lot of people (on both websites) get interested in photography for a while and then move on to other interests after a few months. I'm pretty much of a photo whore and can't seem to drag myself away for long except for sheer exhaustion at times. For a hobby this requires way too much time. I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago and finally had to take a break from working on cropping and cloning of photos. Just separating the wheat from the chaff takes time (especially when you generate as much chaff as I do). My new camera has a much better viewfinder that covers the entire frame pretty well but you still end up shooting from the hip or on the fly quite a bit so cropping will always be required somewhere.

 

I wish I could afford to quit my day job or to hire a personal assistant.

Well, I think it might help if you used the correct spelling on my name instead of making up your own crazy nonsense all the time. ;-)

Actually, I left the space out between the names so blame it on me. You can also click on the photo below.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2471979281_8219e44ba2_m.jpg

Oh my! You've carved this frame up like a Thanksgiving turkey. I often wonder if there is a ruler and a pair of dividers involved in some of these compositions. At any rate this appeals to my addled brain.

Yes, he will have to get old like the rest of us farts. Too bad really, it's nice to be remembered as being forever young and bright. At least he has achieved micro-fame or fame among a few. What more could a young lad ask of this world? It doesn't matter because he is likely not going to get what he asks for anyway. This might be the high point.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/393188993_781f21c407_o.jpg

Sure they look cute as hell but just wait until they are tearing the flesh from your bones with that constant silly grin on their faces.

You were the lowdown rebel if there ever was

Even if you had no cause

James Dean, you said it all so clean

And I know my life would look all right

If I could see it on the silver screen

- James Dean, The Eagles

Yes, art historians of the future will no doubt argue the merits of the soft shadow in the corner. Some will claim it as flawed genius and others will maintain that it is genius perfected. Too bad this thread will be lost forever when the Amish finally take over the world and destroy all modern technology. We came so close as a race of beings to becoming like Gods. Oh well, back to the pavement...

"My Feee-Ance ran off with another gal and Um stuck here in this bus station with no cash and no ticket... Honey."

Oh to be a teller of tales rather than a recorder of the ordinary. This of course needs to be made into a large print to appreciate the wealth of the narrative it entails. Here is another shot from Buenos Aires -

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2433751267_e2fb2f2f03_m.jpg