Paths - a recurring theme

Michael Nagel said:

This way up - click on photo for larger version​

Best regards,
Michael

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Michael,

Stairs are important in our paths in life. Here its worn out concrete. The left side might be too bright as we'd want the focus of attention of the steps. The dandelions in the b.g. are fascinating. The male pollen does send a tube down towards the female ova. However, it's a sham. As the male component proceeds, the ova, not waiting goes ahead and becomes a gamete, never with fertilization is never used! That's a poor path for males to contemplate, being irrelevant!

Asher

Asher - thanks, I did not go that far in my thoughts, but having a path leading up (supposed to be the good direction) without having a visible goal (the sky is blue, but also empty) makes the entire way not as bright as the beginning might look like. This was more my intention.

Best regards,
Michael

Gelatin-silver photograph on Fomabrom Variant 111 VC FB, image area 16.2cm X 21.5cm, from an Ilford SFX 200 negative exposed in a Mamiya RB67 camera with a 50mm f4.5 lens and an IR680 filter.

Maris Rusis said:

Gelatin-silver photograph on Fomabrom Variant 111 VC FB, image area 16.2cm X 21.5cm, from an Ilford SFX 200 negative exposed in a Mamiya RB67 camera with a 50mm f4.5 lens and an IR680 filter.

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Maris,

I note the IR680 filter! Your work always celebrates the original photograph with just darkroom skills! Here the path is more subtle. One has to look, but if one does, the way is there. Without paying attention, one would be easily lost, just like classical photography.

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Maris,

I note the IR680 filter! Your work always celebrates the original photograph with just darkroom skills! Here the path is more subtle. One has to look, but if one does, the way is there. Without paying attention, one would be easily lost, just like classical photography.

Asher

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The worn path leads to an broad escarpment so it never needed a particular alignment. Many years ago a walking party ascended the slope during the spring thaw and their feet left an imperceptible groove in the earth. But the snow-melt found that groove and deepened it through gentle erosion. Now the path exists because people walk on it. Why do people walk on it? Because there is a path!

The "worn path principle" happens elsewhere in the world. I typed this on a qwerty keyboard because it is the standard. Why is it the standard? Because everybody uses one - no deeper reason.

Paths take many forms. Here is a very different one:

Across the Bridge, Down the Path.​

Gelatin-silver photograph on Fomabrom Variant 111 VC FB, image area 24.7cm X 19.5cm, from a Fomapan 200 negative exposed in a Tachihara 810HD triple extension field view camera with a 400mm single meniscus lens at f22.

The bridge across Weyba Creek is a confection of hardwood planks and beams bleached grey by hard sunshine. Only pedestrians, cyclists, and the occasional large format photographer linger there. Because the bridge runs east-west the rails and shadows often conspire to fashion as many "leading lines" as one could wish for in a photograph.

Curiously the single meniscus lens working at f22 appears to exhibit "tunnel focus". Because the transition between "in focus" and "out of focus" is so gentle the photograph, while nowhere actually sharp, seems to show more depth of field than it deserves.

Hi Maris,

"Worn Path, Mount Wheatley" is quite beautiful. Thank you for allowing us to see it.

Regards,

Stuart

Why not a refreshing path?



Enjoy!


Ruben

Ruben - I feel refreshed

A classical take on the subject:




And the forest is full of friendly trees:




Best regards,
Michael

Railways

Shortly after this photograph was captured, the peace and calm was broken by .. me ........ running back down the path after waking a sleeping Moose and her baby .. Grumpy ol' cow ! - Guess she didn't like me observing her "Bed Head" and bad morning breath - just like most ladies... Anyway - it was a beautiful scene when it was captured. (Next time I'll dump the tripod - it really slows you down!)


After obtaining permission to shoot a couple of shots at our local "Slaughter Yard", I was startled by a woman running over to me and asking me to stop shooting! - She said that she thought about it and since this is private property, I need to leave. I told her I had permission first, but they thought it over and didn't want to take the chance I was one of those "Vegetarian, Animal Rights activists" that was creeping around just to take pictures and cause trouble.. (Huh?) .. Anyway, before I was kicked out, I got this shot of the catwalk over the "Kill Pens". Thought I'd process it in the way it would have looked in our old Idaho town 75 years earlier.. Call me crazy, but I could actually hear the ghosts of past bovines.


Anyway - 2 examples of paths - One in which we totally dominate the animals, and the other where the animal totally dominated the photographer!

Rick

Rick,

I like both these pictures.
Your articulation of your thoughts for each picture makes them richer for us. The first with the zig-zag pattern, a way of putting off someone chasing us on our path and avoiding obstacles. The second shows the path of the damned below a canvas of heaven that does not interfere with their fate.

Asher

Ruben Alfu said:

Ruben Alfu : Ants path​

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I like this - it has a bit of humour (to me) as I cant see any ants in the image other than in the title or even a path ! its like the new clothes story !

did you make more of this?

cheers

Zenon Char said:

Nova Scotia

British Columbia

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I missed bot these unusual pictures. The sharp angles of the first and the asymmetrical linear form of the second both lead to water. I was surprised by both of them. I'd love to see them both in more views as they are very interesting wooden structures.

Asher

Mark Hampton said:

I like this - it has a bit of humour (to me) as I cant see any ants in the image other than in the title or even a path ! its like the new clothes story !

did you make more of this?

cheers

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LOL, well those ants were indeed naked! I did a couple more, but this was the absolute "best"!

Rick Otto said:

Shortly after this photograph was captured, the peace and calm was broken by .. me ........ running back down the path after waking a sleeping Moose and her baby .. Grumpy ol' cow ! - Guess she didn't like me observing her "Bed Head" and bad morning breath - just like most ladies... Anyway - it was a beautiful scene when it was captured. (Next time I'll dump the tripod - it really slows you down!)

After obtaining permission to shoot a couple of shots at our local "Slaughter Yard", I was startled by a woman running over to me and asking me to stop shooting! - She said that she thought about it and since this is private property, I need to leave. I told her I had permission first, but they thought it over and didn't want to take the chance I was one of those "Vegetarian, Animal Rights activists" that was creeping around just to take pictures and cause trouble.. (Huh?) .. Anyway, before I was kicked out, I got this shot of the catwalk over the "Kill Pens". Thought I'd process it in the way it would have looked in our old Idaho town 75 years earlier.. Call me crazy, but I could actually hear the ghosts of past bovines.

Anyway - 2 examples of paths - One in which we totally dominate the animals, and the other where the animal totally dominated the photographer!

Rick

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This more interesting to me after reading that 5 California orca whales are plaintiffs in court this week. PETA is suing on their behalf for their imprisonment and forced labor as sentient higher animals with presumed rights to live in freedom. We do have a tendency to empathize with animal suffering when it's pointed out. We're still cruel to each other too often, I think.

So, it turns out that head two pictures have affected me deeply!

Asher

I see this thread's path is now over two years old. That's wonderful. Here's one more step -- from yesterday in downtown Chicago.

John

John Wolf said:

I see this thread's path is now over two years old. That's wonderful. Here's one more step -- from yesterday in downtown Chicago.

John

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Very, very nice. Great capture.

John - love this one, composition, angle and the traces add to it.


Here is a recent one:



Best regards,
Michael

Thank you, Cem and Michael. Your comments are much appreciated.

John

A very short, but magical path .... Use your imagination to come up with what would be found in the clearing.....

I know what was found in the capture of this photograph ..... I kneeled in cow crap. - Damn grazing rights .... they'll ruin a good grassland everytime...



r

Rick Otto said:

A very short, but magical path .... Use your imagination to come up with what would be found in the clearing.....

I know what was found in the capture of this photograph ..... I kneeled in cow crap. - Damn grazing rights .... they'll ruin a good grassland everytime...

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How did we miss this one, Rick!!! I'm a sucker for such light.


Asher

Hi all, Asher suggested I should add this picture to the Paths thread.

So, here we go.

If only our criminal and labor laws were that "humane"!

I was in Moab to do some Bicycling ( as I listen to Queen's Bicycle Race ) and I wish I would've done THIS trail - Shafer Canyon - next time! Great lines.

Re-upping this thread:




Best regards,
Michael