Harsh Light

[Mitch Alland]

Sometimes I like to post pictures about which I am ambivalent: at first I wasn't sure about the picture below and then got to like it because, basically, I like expressionist photography (in the manner of Moriyama Daido) and feel that this picture, taken at noon on a very hot, bright day, says something about various types of harshness of life in a huge, chaotic tropical city (Bangkok):

[replaced from post # 5 below to correct link ADK] It still looks better on a black background, although this obviously still is not going to swing it for people who dislike this type of picture.


The next picture, which was taken around the same time as the one above, but in the deep shade underneath an elevated railway, has "nicer" tones and a beautiful woman, but, for me is not as effective; and the third picture was taken of people partially in bright light and in shade, with a deliberate higher viewpoint. As I think all three look better on a black background, you can see them that way by clicking here:

first picture, second picture, and third picture.

​

—Mitch/Bangkok
Paris au rythme de Basquiat

 

[Asher Kelman]

Sometimes I like to post pictures about which I am ambivalent: at first I wasn't sure about the picture below and then got to like it because, basically, I like expressionist photography (in the manner of Moriyama Daido) and feel that this picture, taken at noon on a very hot, bright day, says something about various types of harshness of life in a huge, chaotic tropical city (Bangkok):

[replaced from post # 5 below to correct link ADK] It still looks better on a black background, although this obviously still is not going to swing it for people who dislike this type of picture.

The next picture, which was taken around the same time as the one above, but in the deep shade underneath an elevated railway, has "nicer" tones and a beautiful woman, but, for me is not as effective; and the third picture was taken of people partially in bright light and in shade, with a deliberate higher viewpoint. As I think all three look better on a black background, you can see them that way by clicking here:

first picture, second picture, and third picture.

​

—Mitch/Bangkok
Paris au rythme de Basquiat

Mitch,

We've debated background color. The most we have been asked for is having some black or charcoal background for text. Here we can see that the pictures do look better on a black wall.

first picture, second picture, and third picture.

So I commend everyone to look at your work first clicking through to your website. I'm interested in responses!

Asher

 

[Dawid Loubser]

Mitch,

I am in agreement with you that harsh light often produce the best photographs. However, when such harsh light occurs, I find it most pleasing when the photograph can represent the harsh, bright parts in full (often subtle) detail.

I don't mind a bit of blown-out highlights (some people are fanatical about this) but in the case of your first image, the abrupt clipping of the tones on the faces and the background leaves are distracting enough to me to prefer your other two images.

I think, as a street snapshot, your first image is perhaps considered more appealing for compositional and subject-matter reasons, and not necessarily the harsh light. I often enjoy some street photography in harsh light myself (for example: http://philosomatographer.deviantart.com/art/Strolling-Biker-184189726)

 

[Asher Kelman]

Mitch,

I am in agreement with you that harsh light often produce the best photographs. However, when such harsh light occurs, I find it most pleasing when the photograph can represent the harsh, bright parts in full (often subtle) detail.

Dawid,

You are right when you have in your signature palette gentle tonality and then you depart from that. However just take a great jump to the artistic work of Lucian Freud who died last week. His work often uses harsh break up of people's bodies to geographical zones. But the compositions, shapes, gestures and regions work.

Mitch's work is worse than that. It's super gritty harsh. It removes the pretty surface of city life.

Asher

 

[Mitch Alland]

...I am in agreement with you that harsh light often produce the best photographs. However, when such harsh light occurs, I find it most pleasing when the photograph can represent the harsh, bright parts in full (often subtle) detail...

In this particular picture, the light was so harsh that there was nothing pleasing about it; and it was a very hot, unpleasant day. I think most people won't like this picture because there is nothing pleasant about it, but there is something which draws me to it. BTW, I like your picture linked above.

My picture has disappeared in the postings above because I replaced in on flicker with a slightly different version, changing a bit the tone of the faces, which was a little too grey.

It still looks better on a black background, although this obviously still is not going to swing it for people who dislike this type of picture.

—Mitch/Brisbane
Paris au rythme de Basquiat

 

[Mark Hampton]

In this particular picture, the light was so harsh that there was nothing pleasing about it; and it was a very hot, unpleasant day. I think most people won't like this picture because there is nothing pleasant about it, but there is something which draws me to it. BTW, I like your picture linked above.

My picture has disappeared in the postings above because I replaced in on flicker with a slightly different version, changing a bit the tone of the faces, which was a little too grey.

It still looks better on a black background, although this obviously still is not going to swing it for people who dislike this type of picture.

—Mitch/Brisbane
Paris au rythme de Basquiat

mitch,

what do black and white mean to you?

I mean this..... the day was hot - light sears .... my eyes seek shade .... the image sums this up.... like and dislike can only be used when the subject is not convened in a manner that suits the subject . it seems to me that you could go further here .....with less room for the eye to move and less detail...

cheers

 

[Asher Kelman]

mitch,

what do black and white mean to you?

I mean this..... the day was hot - light sears .... my eyes seek shade .... the image sums this up.... like and dislike can only be used when the subject is not convened in a manner that suits the subject . it seems to me that you could go further here .....with less room for the eye to move and less detail...

cheers

Mark,

With Mitch's images, they must be seen together is a mass of glimpses.

Asher

 

[Mitch Alland]

mitch,

what do black and white mean to you?

I mean this..... the day was hot - light sears .... my eyes seek shade .... the image sums this up.... like and dislike can only be used when the subject is not convened in a manner that suits the subject . it seems to me that you could go further here .....with less room for the eye to move and less detail...

cheers

Mark, good point — in the sense that a good photograph need not be "pretty" or even "attractive". The same goes for color: I am not into taking color pictures only in the "golden hours" with in a few hours after sunrise and before sunset. While the picture below has very harsh light in the background, it will be much more pleasing for obvious reasons and also for more subtle ones like the echo if the stripes in the dress in the stripes of the building windows in the background, but does that make it a "better photograph" than the harsh B&W one under discussion?

—Mitch/Bangkok
Beijing Rhythms