> From: PDML [mailto:pdml-boun...@pdml.net] On Behalf Of John Coyle > > To be honest, it does nothing for me. Additionally: > There is no strong focal point > The right-hand side is blown out (on my monitor at least). > There is a confused out-of-focus area on the left hand side, which seems to > contain a pair of socks > hung over a rail. Does not contribute to the shot, IMO. > > Sorry to be totally negative, this one is so far removed from your other work > in standard and content. >
No need to apologise. I'm not the sort of person who asks for opinions then gets upset when they are negative. It is indeed far from the type of thing I normally post, and that is one of the reasons why I asked people to comment. I will itemise it. I took it yesterday morning in the Café Rouge in York, which Rick is familiar with, while I was having my morning espresso. It's one of a series that I took because I liked the raking sunlight, the shadows and confusion of reflections and people outside. The person in the foreground is a woman, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looks outside at or for something. The dark circles are the shadows of the word 'Croque', from 'Croque Monsieur', although they could easily have been the shadows of the Mysterons! The man reflected in the window was sharing the table with her, and I assume that they are married to each other. The 'socks' - which I hadn't noticed until you pointed them out, and which I thought was funny - are the black paint and blacker shade of a doorway on the other side of the street, running into the black hair of the passer-by. On my screens nothing is washed out, and there's no clipping in Lightroom. You and Steve H both said 'noir'; Darren mentioned Dali; others have used words like 'unsettling' and 'intriguing', as well as 'a mess' and so on, which are all very interesting comments. When I saw it I thought it looked like a film still, something from which people would construct a narrative. It also has a strong element of collage, to me. However, I thought I might be making something out of a sow's ear, so I thought I'd throw it out there. Over the last few weeks we have studied Godard's film 'Pierrot le Fou', which I love, so perhaps I am photographing while under the influence. The film engendered a very lively discussion at the class last week, and I thought it was very interesting that people who can accept Picasso, and Pop Art and other 'difficult' stuff in traditional media struggle with Godard, who is doing a similar thing with cinema. Pierrot le Fou plays with narrative structure, and is a collage - a mess, if you like - with intent, and malice aforethought. It is an extraordinarily rich film, which positions itself in all sorts of ways, not least in opposition to traditional Hollywood cinema. Now, as it happens, on Saturday night I went to see '12 Years a Slave' which has been getting rave reviews, 3 Oscars including Best Picture, and so on. And whilst I enjoyed the film I came away rather disappointed because I don't think it has much depth beyond the story-telling and the obvious "wasn't slavery a bad thing!". I'd be very surprised if in 50 years' time people are still talking and writing about it. I'd be very surprised if people are still talking and writing about it in one years' time. Yet Godard lasts. Alongside all of that, I look at modern Magnum photographers like Paolo Peregrin, Jonas Bendiksen, Alex Majoli and others who are doing really interesting things, and I look at my pictures and I think to myself 'my pictures are in a timewarp'. They're often nicely composed and interesting, but in a classical way, and I'm rather bored with them, just as I'm rather bored with the type of cinema that gives best picture to films like '12 Years a Slave', and no-one seems to be doing anything as interesting as 'Pierrot le Fou'. So, there it is. Thanks for your thoughts, and if anyone wants to post more, please do - all very gratefully received, and read with interest. B > I'd be interested to hear your reaction this photo, please: > > <http://www.web-options.com/Panorama.jpg> > > Love it or hate it, I don't mind, but if you have an opinion I'd love to hear why > you think whatever it is you think about it. > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
