[matthew]

I spent about twenty minutes taking this photo. When I saw it on the computer screen tonight, I had no choice but to name it "Wrath".

[Don Schaeffer]

It could be "Fun" too. The photo has a nice balance to it, but it is largely empty. Not enough content.

[Petographer]

It could be "Fun" too. The photo has a nice balance to it, but it is largely empty. Not enough content.

Really? How is it that different from your images aside from heavy post processing Don? Personally, I like this.

[Irma]

I think your picture is a clear example of the detail makes the picture... That leg with motion blur is my detail, and it makes the picture. My feeling at the moment I saw your picture was that the man walking there was angry I don't know why, because I didn't understand the title when I read it, I had to look up the meaning...

I like a lot your B&W conversion and the texture of the wall....

[Toad]

The defining characteristic of this photo is its 2 dimensional composition. The lines are straight and there is no "depth" to the photo. That is what makes it artistic in my opinion - makes it a capture rather than a snapshot. I also like very much the texture on the wall and for me the "detail" I like the most is the newspapers at the bottom.

Well done!

[Petographer]

Looking at this more and more I keep looking for some poor soul lying beside the papers.

[jericho]

"Empty, without content???"

The photo is full of subtleties, which is what makes it very interesting for me. The more I look at it, the more I like it.

I especially like the link to the headline of the newspaper on the ground.

Nicely done!

[Rufus]

Isnt it amazing how restrained I am? Blimey, I'm just so cool..................................

Nice image Matthew. Stirs the old grey matter.

[matthew]

Thanks, everyone, for the great thoughts and insight. Now I'm re-looking at the photo based on your comments.

Don, thanks for kicking things off and I do know what you mean about it being empty. (I'm not really getting the "Fun" title option, though.) I've been known to comment that photos can be great backgrounds in search of a subject, but in this case, I'm claiming an exemption. I think there's really no background, and that the subject is a section of the world that's in the shape of a rectangle.

Petographer, about 'heavy post processing': there's not much going on here. It's been sharpened and converted to B&W using a blue photo-filter effect. I tried some selective editing, but didn't keep it. It's not quite straight-from-camera, but it's close (for me). You're right about the 'poor soul', this is a place where homeless people go.

Irma, Toad, jericho; it's neat seeing what details other people notice. I liked the graffiti but was expecting the legs to be the subject, and spent five minutes rooted to one spot until the right set walked by. I didn't spot the headline until afterwards. I'm a words-based person, so this is what I fixate on.

Toad again: I don't know if it's apparent, but behind the pedestrians is a guard rail. From foreground to background spans about six feet in depth. It was taken at a short-tele focal length for a bit of compression, and I was very careful to get the lines straight. Thanks for noticing. (I can't wait until I get my grid focus screen.)

Rufus: yes.

[Zig]

Thinking long and hard here. One heck of a lot of movement and definitely a grower. Have you a colour version Matt? (I was wondering if colours and shades would reveal the "writing on the wall" as well as textures, and amplify stuff that might be a little hidden by the relatively lo-contrast mono middle...?)

[matthew]

Have you a colour version Matt? (I was wondering if colours and shades would reveal the "writing on the wall" as well as textures, and amplify stuff that might be a little hidden by the relatively lo-contrast mono middle...?)

(Matthew.)

Here's the original, resized but untouched.



I don't think that the colour adds any useful information, but I'd be interested to see how you and others see it.

I've been pretty harsh when selecting pictures recently. After converting the raw, I immediately add an adjustment layer to desaturate the colours. If I don't like it in B&W, I don't bother with it in colour, either. As a result, half of my favourite images have stayed in B&W, and I think my composition has improved.

...and thanks for coming back to this thread, I appreciate the sober second thoughts.

[Don Schaeffer]

Ok Ok so it's not too empty.

--Don

[Zig]

I'm pretty old-school; if I did indeed rule the world, rule one would be everyone takes piccies; rule 2=everyone starts in BW for a few years! Yeah, colour doesn't seem to work so well here.

[matthew]

Hi Don; I was wondering where you'd gone. This photo has taught me the difference between having a subject and having a focal point or centre of interest. I think this has the first, but not the last. In fact, I'm thinking that the title is a mistake: it gives psychological weight to the newspaper that the paper doesn't earn photographically. I've also been getting comments from a predominantly American board, and their reaction is very much focused on this being 'about' Hurricane Katrina. To me, it's not.

Zig: I've recently joined a photo club - is last Tuesday recent? - and went on my first club outing yesterday. Since I don't know anyone, I hooked up with two of the event organizers. They were both shooting B&W slides -- FILM!!!! I've never shot film! (An APS Elph doesn't count.) They were both under 40, too. I was shocked, but I learned more in that day than I have in months on my own. Digital is very, very forgiving, and colour is a great distraction from poor composition and lighting. I think that this image shows that colour can be a fault, not an asset.

[Toad]

Off topic - took a stroll around your website, Matthew! Very impressive - and some really great work there...

[Don Schaeffer]

I also checked out your site. I feel so kindred! Are you a bus rider?

I recently retired and under my circumstances my bus days are virtually over. I can really relate to your pictures.

When I mentioned fun. I meant that marking walls sometimes reflects fun more than wrath.

[matthew]

Thank you both. I'm coming up on my one-year anniversary for that site; it's gone fast but it's amazing to look back.

Yes, Don, I've never even driven a car. I live entirely by public transit, and am lucky enough to work downtown.

[shuttertalk]

Yes, Don, I've never even driven a car.

Wow, it must be pretty amazing to be able to claim that!

[matthew]

It can have its difficulties, but it also has its benefits. For example, the two film photographers I met were my car-pool companions.

It does change how I relate to the world, enough that Don can pick up on it, even though I'm not sure what gave it away....