"The Earth and Man's work"

[Rachel Foster]

Cem, I love Clay and Steel. Wonderful image, technically superb.

 

[StuartRae]

Hi Cem,

.....taken in late afternoon or during sunset? Or did you also do some tone mapping or exposure blending?

It was taken at about mid day on 23rd September. I often use the tactic of converting to get the best sky details without blocking the shadows, and then applying one of Photomatic Tone Mapping, Shadow Illuminator or Light Machine plugins, depending on which produces the best results with the image in question. The results are often as good as, or better than, the HDR process.

Have you always been in the neighbourhood and witnessed the gradual decay or did you find out that it became like this after not having seen it for a long while?

I knew that it was slowly crumbling, but not having seen it for several years I was shocked by the extent of the decay.

.......there is a cheery feeling to this image

Here's another shot (taken into the sun0 showing a darker side. The conversion and PP were tricky because of the danger of blowing the sky.

BTW, the shadowy figures are Victor and Mercy Norman, my aunt's parents, taken in 1942.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[StuartRae]

Hi Asher,

I'd have thought someone would have jumped at the chance to use the place!

A house with no gas, no electricity, no running water, no internal sanitation, miles from civilisation, approached by a dirt track and in an area prone to flooding? Well, it appeals to me, but in the 1950s the opportunity to live in a house with mod-cons was too much to resist. It was successful as a pub, relying on the captive trade of barge crews on the river, but apparently not as a private residence.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[Reginald Johnson]

Cem

It seems to me to be a theme of "Man eating up the earth that in reality sustains man himself"
what a great shot for us to think about once again!

the stark reality of the small farm begging to survive industry

Charlotte-

This is a close reflection of my own thoughts too. Cem's picture provokes the same uneasy feeling I get when I see the changes around me that have happened in less than a decade - the rice fields and grape gardens nearby have become residential apartments or industrial sheds. Keeping the dividing line at one-third from above seems to express this, by threatening to drop down more and more...

Regi

 

[Asher Kelman]

Clay and Steel


Here is a picture of two different worlds, in various ways. Thanks for looking

Cem Usakligil: Clay and Steel​

This is a valuable work, a challenge to match and I would commend it to those who have missed it. There are some links that need to be fixed but still this is an inspiring thread! Still, there's much to enjoy and be inspired by.

Asher

 

[Cedric MASSOULIER]

Hi,

Bravo Cem and John, your pictures are really impressive and make us think...
Cem, i think you reached a perfect execution with your own style : realistic but with a light touch of artificial. It works well with the subject.

Regards,

Cedric.

 

[Asher Kelman]

This is what happens when nature gets even; or is it a Pyrrhic Victory?

Cheers,

​

In the end, Cem, Nature does not lose! It's the roulette wheel, ultimately the house wins!

The perspective lines here are remarkably clear and what does one get to, vacant portals. So here your body of work from the nature v. man's intersects with your interest in "Portals and passages of man". I had not noticed this junction before!

Asher

 

[Charlotte Thompson]

Cem

"Nature gets Even" I so like-
you always have a way with these vine ridden-or flower strewn vines on ladders, and such places as I fall in love with- for me it is a "fairy tale hidden treasure place- this shot is no exception
I adore your hidden places for us Fairy-

Charlotte-

 

[Asher Kelman]

I'll put my neck on the block, assume the wider view, and post three images of the Honister slate quarries; three because I think they fit together.
If they don't fulfill the criteria please move them to the Landscape forum.
Regards,

Stuart

This series is valuable. In the first mage, the sky looks over the mountain of slate being torn apart by machines. This s a splendid to start off the theme. I'd love to see close up of that!

The next picture seems peaceful, but the slate has already been taken, but the loot waits. In the end, the pictures are dominated by the organized extracted slate for shipment.

It would be worthwhile to consider the theme carried out further, to buildings with roofs, patios, walls and fireplaces with slate; and then decayed buildings completing the cycle, perhaps.

BTW, you have photographed stone before which perhaps was topped with slate, I cannot remember now.

Asher

 

[Prateek Dubey]

This series is seriously inspiring. I wonder why you chose bright daylight as the defining moment ( or was it not so important).

 

[StuartRae]

Hi Asher,

It would be worthwhile to consider the theme carried out further, to buildings.........

Many of the buildings in the town of Keswick (Cheese Farm, O.E. cëse + O.E. wíc.), and the villages and hamlets of the Borrowdale valley, are constructed mainly from Honister slate.
Here is the famous George Fisher's Outdoors shop, where you can buy anything from a pair of socks to an ice-axe. I remember on my first visit to Keswick as a child it belonged to the Abraham Brothers, photographers who were also pioneers of rock climbing.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[StuartRae]

Hi Prateek,

I wonder why you chose bright daylight as the defining moment......

Mainly because that's the best time of day to walk in the mountains

An extract from the Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team incident report.

"A couple climbed Loughrigg Fell to photograph the sunset. What they forgot was that shortly after said event it becomes very dark."

Regards,

Stuart

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Asher,


Many of the buildings in the town of Keswick (Cheese Farm, O.E. cëse + O.E. wíc.), and the villages and hamlets of the Borrowdale valley, are constructed mainly from Honister slate.
Here is the famous George Fisher's Outdoors shop, where you can buy anything from a pair of socks to an ice-axe. I remember on my first visit to Keswick as a child it belonged to the Abraham Brothers, photographers who were also pioneers of rock climbing.

Regards,

Stuart

Stuart,

The building itself is handsome, the sign splendidly aristo and modern and the roof obviously slate. But there are so many other stones in play. There's the bricks in the walls, the pink and rose colored paving stones and the cobblestone street. Don't they try for some code of artistic balance, or anything goes?

Asher

 

[StuartRae]

Asher,

The whole building (apart from window surrounds) is constructed from blocks of slate.

Closeup:

Regards,

Stuart

 

[Jarmo Juntunen]

This is what happens when nature gets even; or is it a Pyrrhic Victory?

​

Cheers,

Cem, I'm speechless! So beautiful and terrifying at the same time!

 

[Jarmo Juntunen]

Hi everyone! I guess this is going way outside the original title but since the idea of nature winning in the end was brought up (what an absurd thought, by the way, as if humans weren't part of the nature!), I thought this might fit in:

Finnish Civil War Memorial, Rovaniemi.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi Asher, Cedric, Charlotte and Jarmo,

Thanks a lot for your kind comments, much appreciated.

Cheers,

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi everyone! I guess this is going way outside the original title but since the idea of nature winning in the end was brought up (what an absurd thought, by the way, as if humans weren't part of the nature!), I thought this might fit in:

Finnish Civil War Memorial, Rovaniemi.

Hi Jarmo,

It fits right in if you ask me. It seems that the tombstones are just loosely placed on the iron supports, is that so? Thanks for sharing

Cheers,

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

...The perspective lines here are remarkably clear and what does one get to, vacant portals. So here your body of work from the nature v. man's intersects with your interest in "Portals and passages of man". I had not noticed this junction before!

Indeed!

Cheers,

 

[Jarmo Juntunen]

Hi Jarmo,

It fits right in if you ask me. It seems that the tombstones are just loosely placed on the iron supports, is that so? Thanks for sharing

Cheers,

Hi Cem, I think that's just how it is. A bit odd, really, when you think about the climate conditions up there (Rovaniemi is on the Arctic Circle). Thanks!
Jarmo

 

[Asher Kelman]

This is a treasure that we need to unbury!

Asher