Just for the fun of it....

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi folks,

It's been quite a while since I have shared some pictures here. I am going through a phase of trying to decide in which direction to proceed with my photography. At the same time, I have been influenced by the seemingly endless (but ultimately useful) discussions we've been having about art and photography. As a result of which I kind of started to think that taking and/orshowing any pictures is a futile activity and should be avoided eventually. Kind of depressing, really.

So here I was brushing the dust off of a picture I took along the Route 66 last summer in order to show it to a friend of mine who is interested in oldtimers. I have processed it in ACR and then I have intentionally pushed the contrast and saturation for the puch it has delivered. Even though it is highly iconic and has been done a million times before, it is an image I actually ended up liking. And then I thought, why not show it here just for the fun of it anyway? Forget all that doom and gloom thinking about the Art in Photography and just go for it! Well, here it is before I change my mind again ;-). I hope you'll enjoy it.

Cheers,

 

[John Angulat]

Hi Cem,
Sometimes images just need to be fun. No message, no deep hidden meaning.
This is a fun image. I love it. Don't change your mind or change a thing.
Thanks for sharing!

 

[janet Smith]

I thought, why not show it here just for the fun of it anyway? Forget all that doom and gloom thinking about the Art in Photography and just go for it! Well, here it is before I change my mind again ;-). I hope you'll enjoy it.

Glad you didn't change your mind Cem (BTW glad you're back) - I like it very much, reminds me of my Great Uncle's shed, which was a treasure trove of loved junk collected over many many decades....

Could I make a suggestion about the foreground, perhaps if you adjusted the levels, or burned in the foreground a bit it might bring out more of the rusty colours in the dirt right at the bottom of the photograph, might anchor it to the top (if you know what I mean)

Do you mind if I have a try with it?

 

[Nathaniel Alpert]

Cem,

Why get caught up in that art stuff? Does it please you, at least to some degree? I find the picture particularly interesting. At first glance, the dust on the truck made me wonder if this was something more than an exhibit. The route 66 on the license plate answered that question. At any rate I think you did a good job balancing the details in the truck and the stuff along the walls of the garage.

-Nat

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Glad you didn't change your mind Cem (BTW glad you're back) - I like it very much, reminds me of my Great Uncle's shed, which was a treasure trove of loved junk collected over many many decades....

Could I make a suggestion about the foreground, perhaps if you adjusted the levels, or burned in the foreground a bit it might bring out more of the rusty colours in the dirt right at the bottom of the photograph, might anchor it to the top (if you know what I mean)

Do you mind if I have a try with it?

Hi Jan,

I'm glad I'm back too. I understand your point and it might improve the picture. Be my guest and have a go at it. OTOH, the way the foreground is now leaves a way out of the closed environment, if you know what I mean ;-).

Cheers,

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi Cem,
Sometimes images just need to be fun. No message, no deep hidden meaning.
This is a fun image. I love it. Don't change your mind or change a thing.
Thanks for sharing!

Hi John,

I guess that is true. Being a perfectionist leaves very little room for having some plain old fun. I should watch out for that pitfall.

Cheers,

 

[janet Smith]

I'm glad I'm back too. I understand your point and it might improve the picture. Be my guest and have a go at it. OTOH, the way the foreground is now leaves a way out of the closed environment, if you know what I mean ;-)

Here's my take on it Cem, not sure if it's an improvement or not. Just a suggestion to bring out the colour a bit more. Just tweaked levels and curves a bit, perhaps a bit overdone now, but you see where I'm coming from I'm sure.....

Have a lovely day, keep on shooting and most importantly - having fun!!!!!!

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Cem,

Why get caught up in that art stuff? Does it please you, at least to some degree? I find the picture particularly interesting. At first glance, the dust on the truck made me wonder if this was something more than an exhibit. The route 66 on the license plate answered that question. At any rate I think you did a good job balancing the details in the truck and the stuff along the walls of the garage.

-Nat

Hi Nat,

Thanks for your kind comments, I appreciate it. It was a famous tourist trap alongside the Route 66 visited by a few thousands of tourists each day. That's why I said that the image was iconic or a cliche. As you point out, I was pleased with the dynamic range in the raw file to create a well balanced exposure throughout the picture. I should admit that I did some selective adjustments, especially on the foreground and to the left.

Cheers,

 

[nicolas claris]

Hi cem
Welcome back, sharing pictures!
I'm not a fan of old cars (I'm not a fan of cars…;-) but this image is nice, well framed and I do like the oversaturation iconic style!
I could understand that some fellows would buy a print to hang on their home's wall :-D

You know, if wa had to share only art pictures here in OPF, I think you wouldn't have seen any of mine.

As already said we all have our own reasons to shoot pictures and to show hem or not.
It's a good thing imo that they don't have to be art! but for the pleasure to share, to show or to inform (please note the "or").

Have a great day! (I'm still waiting for MY tree seen form top ;-)

 

[Daniel Buck]

Sometimes images just need to be fun. No message, no deep hidden meaning.

That's how I shoot


Great scene by the way, I love it!

 

[Mike Shimwell]

Hi Cem, welcome back. I like the picture and particularly the V8s down the left hand wall - one's waiting to be shoehorned into the oldtimer

See, I do like cars.... Sorry Nicolas

Mike

 

[nicolas claris]

See, I do like cars.... Sorry Nicolas

Hi Mike
LoL! no need to be sorry! if I don't like cars that much, I don't prevent others to like them!

And BTW I do own one… need it!

:-D

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Big mistake!

And this one was just sitting behind the barn waiting for curious people like me to come nosing around ;-)

@Daniel & Mike: thanks for your kind comments, glad you've enjoyed the snap.
@Nicolas: hmmm, not so difficult to choose between those gorgeous boats or these oldtimers, is it? Although people like Jim might disagree ;-)

Cheers,

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

...Here's my take on it Cem, not sure if it's an improvement or not. Just a suggestion to bring out the colour a bit more. Just tweaked levels and curves a bit, perhaps a bit overdone now, but you see where I'm coming from I'm sure.....

Have a lovely day, keep on shooting and most importantly - having fun!!!!!!

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the effort, your point is quite clear. I am not certain whether I want to follow up on that route because of the reason I have given earlier. I want to leave an opening at the front of this picture. But I may yet change my mind ;-).

Cheers,

 

[nicolas claris]

@Nicolas: hmmm, not so difficult to choose between those gorgeous boats or these oldtimers, is it? Although people like Jim might disagree ;-)

Cheers,

hmmm, a romantic dinner with my beloved, and the next evening a nice party with real friends… Yes! that is widely enough!

 

[Kathy Rappaport]

Love the cars and the boats too

Boats and cars are two of my favorite subjects.

Cem,

Love both of these images - the oldies are terrific. Well done!

 

[fahim mohammed]

Welcome back Cem!! No wonder it took you so long..the 'T' does need some overhaul. lovely colors.

best.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Welcome back Cem!! No wonder it took you so long..the 'T' does need some overhaul. lovely colors.

best.

Hi Fahim,

Actually, that T was in a rather good condition. It was just a bit dusty. I guess they must be using it on the road or for classic car rallies. Thanks for looking.

Cheers,

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Asher has mentioned elsewhere about wanting to see a B&W version of this. So here I have both versions for easy comparison:

Color:

B&W:

I'll reserve my judgement until I print the BW version on a Baryta paper. In the meantime, I think that color adds a lot of value to this picture. What do you think?


Cheers,

 

[nicolas claris]

In the meantime, I think that color adds a lot of value to this picture. What do you think?


Cheers,

Color :-D!

 

[Steve Robinson]

I think the B&W adds a period look to the image.

 

[Martin Kuivenhoven]

Like the color one better, but like them both.

Cheers, Martin

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Cem,

If the composition is good and the subject is compelling the photograph can work in both color and B&W. However, they are totally different jobs for the same person. A young woman might be a prim and proper school teacher by day and a sensous mind blowing flamingo dancer at night, but the same person.

B&W requires nuance of light, texture and form while color celebrates the emotive power and interactions encoded in natural and artificial colors. The latter range from the sublime and honest to the clashing redundancy and lasciviousness of neon light, overly redlips and other glitzy razz-ma-taz.

So I do not consider conversions as an "either or decision" but rather an exploration of the physicality of the picture versus the overlay that color brings.

Not to consider either is limiting one's vision. I personally feel that the B&W has more potential and bypasses the short-lived impressions of color to bring one into another epoch of human history.

Asher