photogame

Finding an emotional read in an image can often be found with a tighter crop. I played with this image’s crop for a sometime and while the full image and technique were strong, it wasn’t until I cropped the image to 1/4 of its original size that I began to “feel” the image.

In particular, I like the way the bottom of the image began to feel like refracting trees, which made it seem like the hand was outside, trying to get in, rather than the shower stall where it was created. This twist of fate is something that I look for in my imagery, taking the viewer into an alternate reality, illustrating a feeling rather than depicting reality.

The image has a sense of desperation to it, truncating the tops of the fingers and allowing a tangency to occur at the left edge of frame helps to create tension and perhaps threat in the image.

Floaters – kind of the opposite of Russ’ impression/depression.. these jellyfish move fluidly and are not stuck in place. Quite majestic, found at the W hotel in Fort Lauderdale, trapped in an aquarium for the enjoyment of, a designer/decorator’s  call in abience –  a couple days ago – I figured I could use them, when time came, besides being an interesting image, works to some degree – not only with the last post, but the notion of objects within a space to be defined. These guys had no where to go, unlike their friends at large out at sea.

  Following the trend was difficult today, I was challenged with Legends, and started my day at 3am that went to 7pm tonight. I don’t have access to any stock images, so wandering an art festival I found one that might work, but was not all that impressive. Then having dinner at Jack’s Hollywood Diner in Florida, I noticed that the sign said est. 1953.. Looks like a Legend to me, and the place was filled with legends, this man across the aisle was a perfect subject to be awarded the badge of a Hollywood legend.

Some great abstract images preceding my play, I followed the color and glow from Russ’ piece.. found myself up against a wall with a play after breaking down a show on Sunday night- having dinner at a Thai restaurant late –  in Miami – but what I do like is being spontaneous and finding a fit, and not drawing from the achieves.. can’t always be achieved, but it feels good to pull it off.. even if sometimes it does not exactly work the best – I think this one did..

The beach is what I took away from Russ’ image..  an ocean, it’s summertime, and time for fun in the sand, and a Frisbee is an appropriate symbol  for having fun on the beach this holiday weekend. I decided on beach rocks, to further symbolize the theme, keeping the image simple. It’s about composition, cropping, and boldness. No enhanced lighting, photoshop or otherwise technique. Yes, it’s still round, but some new shapes for Ann to ponder.

Following the current theme, once again finds myself in a new city, I suspected Russ would add more lines, mood and shapes.. his image filled with harshness, concrete background. Walking this morning in downtown Chicago, crossing over the bridge bypass and the train line going to North Lake Shore Drive, I spied the criss- crossing of police barricades. One could take many avenues with the meaning of the crossing lines, I leave that up to the viewer.  The hardness of the image, the distinct color, against a stark background.

Following up on Robert Nease’s image, I thought we might investigate another tack on guns… our timely national debate over gun control. Peace out. PS: This is not a composite.