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Silhouette of the human form in a composition.

Ken Tanaka

pro member
There are some excellent samples in this thread.

Personally, I'm a mug for good sil shots because they offer the opportunity to leverage pure form and gesture, the two most powerful elements in 2-D imagery.

I've more than I would admit, but I can offer one in the spirit here. This is also a testament to "always be looking, always be ready". If I'd not looked up and not had a camera (on the way to some appointment) I would certainly have missed these fellows.

p841413856-3.jpg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Personally, I'm a mug for good sil shots because they offer the opportunity to leverage pure form and gesture, the two most powerful elements in 2-D imagery.

p841413856-3.jpg


I like that suggestion: " pure form and gesture, two most powerful elements in 2D imagery"! As usual, after all your thought, a succinct result and thus snapping a briefly glimpsed vision on the way to work becomes more than that, a photograph.

Great prepared mind and openness to new experience while moving! That's industrial efficiency while maintaining ones' soul.

So I, too, am moved by that flash of interest passing above your eyes.

Kudos.
 

John Angulat

pro member
Clearly not in Ken's league, but a similar image -
With this one I didn't have to look up, the water dripping on my head drew my attention.


JA3_1778sm.jpg
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
I see the "hand". But after decoding the feet I saw that as overalls.

It's fun to create images that tease the viewers' minds into creating realitites, isn't it? Unfortunately, as the creators, we know too much about what the lens saw to play the game with our own images.
 

Mark Hampton

New member
After looking at the others pictures and enjoying the trip I have dug up one ... Main image was made in Glasgow - there is also an anti easter egg in there



Walk-composit2.jpg



man.walking.away - M Hampton
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
.
seemed to add to the drama

cheers



2011-07-2923.jpg



pointing the way - M Hampton



Mark,

This is neatly made. It's the movements and message that is so clear. The woman with her bag, (issues, burden, shopping, valuables) is vulnerable. The stranger points the way. This transcends the particular identities of the folk. Good job!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief


Jérôme ,

So well measured in proportions. The sky is limited but a definite contribution to the success. It provides a roof that completes the picture. The sea is greater than the impressive hard rocks. That gives a sense of looking to the future. The tiny human figure provides the visual key to the immense size of the landscape. Also, it gives us a personal, albeit vicarious, view though that person. To the left, rocks tower over the person, providing asymmetry to counteract the otherwise, perhaps, unfitting central placement of the figure.

This has impact, uniqueness and despite it's modest size is so impressive.

Asher
 
Jérôme ,

So well measured in proportions. The sky is limited but a definite contribution to the success. It provides a roof that completes the picture. The sea is greater than the impressive hard rocks. That gives a sense of looking to the future. The tiny human figure provides the visual key to the immense size of the landscape. Also, it gives us a personal, albeit vicarious, view though that person. To the left, rocks tower over the person, providing asymmetry to counteract the otherwise, perhaps, unfitting central placement of the figure.

This has impact, uniqueness and despite it's modest size is so impressive.

Asher

Jérôme,

the isolation both of place and person that this image plays with in mind is reinforced by the shadow - in the left side.. nice cooling addition to this thread.

I am left wanting to ken more about this place/person..

cheers

Mark, Asher

Thank you for your comments about this image.

This picture is a bit old now (the time of my first Rolleiflex, a beautiful model T) and I dont think I will do exactly the same today.
But what I like here is the "Jules Verne" spirit where the natural elements are large and the man very small. And for this Asher i'm agree with you.
And I can think of a man on a giant turtle, advancing like a boat… Hmmm would like to say another thing but to difficult to translate it in english, damn.

Mark I can tell you more about the place, this is the north of France and the man looks towards England. In fact he doesn't look, he is fishes ;-)

The area is quite lost and I had to walk several hours to reach it, lot of rocks here.

Thank you again.

Jérôme
 

Mark Hampton

New member
2011-07-2923.jpg



Hold up - M Hampton



Mark,

This is neatly made. It's the movements and message that is so clear. The woman with her bag, (issues, burden, shopping, valuables) is vulnerable. The stranger points the way. This transcends the particular identities of the folk. Good job!

Asher

Asher,

thanks for the comment - he has a gun in his hand !

cheers
 

Michael Nagel

Well-known member
Two silhouette shots

Hello!

The last few days I tried to do something different compared to my usual subjects.
These are sort of street shots, but the focus is not on recognizing something in the person itself, but more on the setting in general and the lighting. The bad quality is (partially) intended.






What do you see/think?

Best regards,
Michael
 

Mark Hampton

New member
Hello!

The last few days I tried to do something different compared to my usual subjects.
These are sort of street shots, but the focus is not on recognizing something in the person itself, but more on the setting in general and the lighting. The bad quality is (partially) intended.




THE

What do you see/think?

Best regards,
Michael

Hi Michael,

the top image is a graphic image to me and I can identify and read it - the first glance you feel as if its done - then go back and get more. I like the person being out of focus - looks to me the banisters are in - chrome / silver - feels beautiful.

after the first long look - you start to wonder - is he really going down - as I thought - the doubt is cased by the right banister - if this were a true vertical - it would break perspective and make the image flip between down and flat.

so we I have three areas - the / man / bannister. it works well for me - I am listening to radiohead in rainbows and it seems to fit the mood of the album.

I looked a cropping the top slightly - but I just think i am being mental and need to get oot more !

thanks for the work.
 

Mark Hampton

New member
Hello!



What do you see/think?

Best regards,
Michael

Michael,

i dismissed the second image the 1st few times I looked at it. the size difference and tonal difference and the striking nature of the 1st image put me off..

but looking between them I get a strange little narrative -

the - is the simple way - taken down by the machine - not under your own power - a passive

moving still toward light but - artificial - or the reflection.

the hard way

powered by the sun and the persons own power
..

but then these could be waisted seconds .... spell check and change music i think !
 

Michael Nagel

Well-known member
Mark,

Thanks for looking and your comments.

You made a connection between both images I did not think of. I agree with your interpretation focusing on the (un)ease of moving contrasted in both images.

Best regards,
Michael
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief


Jérôme ,

I revisited this image with such a tiny silhouette. Paradoxically, miniaturizing man becomes a powerful tool to providing a dimension of humanity in an otherwise pristine landscape. Such a simple scheme, without diminishing nature's unspoiled beauty. I'd imagine it can work equally well with ruins.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hello!

The last few days I tried to do something different compared to my usual subjects.
These are sort of street shots, but the focus is not on recognizing something in the person itself, but more on the setting in general and the lighting. The bad quality is (partially) intended.






What do you see/think?

Michael,

There's no problem for me that I've been perplexed since you first posted these images. It's not your duty to make your images readable to me, rather at a minimum, in lieu of complete comprehension, to provide a milieux for us to muse in. You pictures work in that respect. I have been wondering what each of the images might mean. In the first, we have no idea whether the man is going up or coming down backwards! That, itself is a great reference to our lives a lot of the time, where we're not sure how our treadmill is geared to run towards our goals, or not!

The second picture is even more obscure. We really have no idea how to connect this picture with the first one or this picture with its title. So where do we stand, besides being lonely on the bridge, when we are not sure where we are are where we are going and maybe that's the fabric on which both images are drawn.

In a series, we really need to suspend judgment until about 6 images, so that the motif is clarified by the works together reacting with us and with each other. So I hope there's more. In fact this set could also be continued as well, if you wish, in "Riskit!" as it has potential for an interesting and challenging project.

Asher
 
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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hello!

The last few days I tried to do something different compared to my usual subjects.
These are sort of street shots, but the focus is not on recognizing something in the person itself, but more on the setting in general and the lighting. The bad quality is (partially) intended.






What do you see/think?

Michael,

There's no problem for me that I've been perplexed since you first posted these images. It's not your duty to make your images readable to me, rather at a minimum, in lieu of complete comprehension, to provide a milieux for us to muse in. You pictures work in that respect. I have been wondering what each of the images might mean. In the first, we have no idea whether the man is going up or coming down backwards! That, itself is a great reference to our lives a lot of the time, where we're not sure how our treadmill is geared to run towards our goals, or not!

The second picture is even more obscure. We really have no idea how to connect this picture with the first one or this picture with its title. So where do we stand, besides being lonely on the bridge, when we are not sure where we are are where we are going and maybe that's the fabric on which both images are drawn.

In a series, we really need to suspend judgment until about 6 images, so that the motif is clarified by the works together reacting with us and with each other. So I hope there's more. In fact this set could also be continued as well, if you wish, in "Riskit!" as it has potential for an interesting and challenging project.

Asher
 

Michael Nagel

Well-known member
Asher,

Thanks - you comment has helped me to remember why I put these two pictures together.
Mark pointed out the (un)ease of moving, this is part of what I saw.
My intention posting these two pictures together was to contrast a high level of expressed self-confidence ('THE') with its opposite ('The hard way'). The posture of both silhouettes does express this for me at least.

When I took both pictures, I did not think os a series, as both are incidential shots where I happened to be quick enough to grasp the situation and to compose.

There is room for a series - I remember a few other pictures in the same spirit (a total of 6 pictures together with the two above) and I will put these together. There is potential for a story, but I am also curious on reactions on the individual pictures.

Best regards,
Michael
 
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