Partly Cloudy in the Rural Midwest

[Tom Robbins]

Hello all,

Just about everything is at a frozen standstill in the middle of the US this time of year, and nothing much seems to be happening outdoors. So, apropos to this state of things -

At first glance, this might look like a photo of nothing. But upon closer examination, it can clearly be seen that, yes, absolutely nothing is going on. Remarkable, eh? The place simply exists. Just the same, there's an odd sense of peacefulness about the scene that reminds me of my folk's place in the Mojave Desert of Southern California, many years ago.

In both places, the coyotes yelp and the wind moans.

Tom

 

[nicolas claris]

Brrrrrrrr!
There's a big hand in the sky: doubled Brrrrr (means feeling cold in French…)

 

[John Angulat]

It is VERY hard to capture nothing...and you have performed it in a spectacular manner!
The sense of expanse is incredible. Very well done!

 

[Rachel Foster]

The b&w works quite well. I've been trying to capture similar scenes and finding color is not an asset in some.

 

[Tom Robbins]

Nicolas, I did not see that big hand in the sky, but there it is. I liked the way the clouds mirrored the rows of last year's crop, and it's simple enough to explain. But, a big old hand in the heavens has got to be a portent of something big, right? Heh-heh...

Rachel and John, thank you for your kind comments. Color management can be a puzzle, but effective black and white conversions of digital files is often even more complex. After working on an image for an hour or two, I sometimes feel like Captain Ahab spiraling down in the Pequod after being struck by Moby Dick. Call me Ishmael...

Tom

 

[Rachel Foster]

Sometimes, Ahab wins.

 

[doug anderson]

For that, matey, ya get the gold dubloon.

That's a stark, lonely shot.

 

[Reginald Johnson]

Everything in the scene, even those cloudy fingers, seems to point to the 'nothing' that lies so far off. The sense of distance is incredible!

regi

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hello all,

Just about everything is at a frozen standstill in the middle of the US this time of year, and nothing much seems to be happening outdoors. So, apropos to this state of things -

At first glance, this might look like a photo of nothing. But upon closer examination, it can clearly be seen that, yes, absolutely nothing is going on. Remarkable, eh? The place simply exists. Just the same, there's an odd sense of peacefulness about the scene that reminds me of my folk's place in the Mojave Desert of Southern California, many years ago.

Tom,

This is a memorable picture and as has just been noted, it appears to go on forever.

Asher

 

[nicolas claris]

Amazing…

as I come back to this thread, I get surprised to see the picture in B&W…

In my memory it was in color…
Tom did you change it or do I need some rest?

 

[fahim mohammed]

The loneliness is petrifying. Just watching this..imagine having to live alone here! I feel sad thinking
about this.

 

[Gary Ayala]

As so very well stated earlier ... it is difficult to photograph nothing ... kudos to you ... on my monitor I'd like to see a touch more contrast ... better whites and blacks ... but this is but a nit. Good job and a very nice image.

Gary

 

[Tom Robbins]

All, thank you for your kind comments.

Nicolas, I've got a color version of a different frame posted in my Farm Related galleries, but the black and white conversion is the only one I've linked to in OPF. At least I think this is so. Just for fun, here's the color version -

Hmmm, now you've got me wondering... Oh well, they're both here now.

Tom

 

[John Angulat]

Hi Tom,
As evidenced by the fact this wonderful thread has been view 230 times (and still counting), this is one very fine image. In my humble opinion you got it correct when you envsioned it in the absence of color. The B&W version is so much more dramatic. So much more telling in the loneliness and cold!

 

[Asher Kelman]

Comparing B&W and colored Version of the Same Landscape

Tom,

It's instructive to see both pictures side by side. The first in B&W shows the land predominantly, This emphasizes where we would travel and we can see it's going to be a tough journey. The sky is a cap so there's no where else to go but forward and there is no destination in sight. Quite a bleak prospect then.

By contrast, the picture in color minimizes this cold forbidding land and instead provides a massive open sky!

That openness allows for thought and wonder, not travel. So the color photograph is neither oppressive or nor festooned with a wide endless cloudscape to be impressive, either. The color just makes it agreeable and the geometry intriguing enough to like. Had this been wide and you added sky from somewhere else, this would likely have romanced us and gotten out hearts. However, as is, it's not bleak enough and there's not power enough in the sky to play against the receding geometry of the handsome snow covered fields.

In the end, Tom, this B&W picture of yours holds more power to pull us back and revisit. I'm impressed in your creative choice to render this as a monochrome and feel rewarded that you share it with us here.

Thanks,

Asher