Just for Fun No C&C will be given: The River Lark, Cambridgeshire

[StuartRae]

It's taken me a few years to post this, and I'm still not sure about its merits if any.
In 2006 I went home to the Cambridgeshire fens and visited some places I'd not been for almost 50 years. The countryside here is flat and the skies are huge. For the first ten years of my life I thought there were only 3 colours - green grass, blue sky and black soil. I'm sure that Doug could invent a colour-space for it

Here's a spot close to where my grandmother took me fishing when I was seven or eight. She was born on the river in a windmill, one of many which raised water from the drained land into the river, which she shared with 7 sisters and a brother. I swear she could catch a fish just by dangling a plain piece of string in the water.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[Asher Kelman]

Stuart,

What's amazing is that these two very differently made pictures, separated by technologies and time share in common a dimensionality that's inescapable. They are mirror images of each other. In the present, in vibrant color, with the most detail is the view of the water channel and the farm lands. It's the distant horizon and clouds that have the most body.

In the reciprocal image of the long past, we see, (of course in monotone), a more faint ghost of a time, a glimpse of fishing. We meet the figures that are surprisingly dimensional; so much so that you could touch them and they might turn around.

Splendid job, Stuart! I wouldn't have imagined such pairing would work so well!

Asher

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

The countryside here is flat and the skies are huge. For the first ten years of my life I thought there were only 3 colours - green grass, blue sky and black soil.

Hi Stuart,

This is exacly like the most part of the Netherlands. It's only too recognizable, and a challenge at that. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Bart

 

[Asher Kelman]

A question about "HDR effect" in the old B&W print here!

Bart or Ken,

I know you are both interested in what gives rise to our perceptions of things and how their qualities are built up in our minds from what we put into pictures one way or another. So maybe you might know the answer to something that puzzles me. Can you explain why the figures against the soft b.g. seem so "3-dimensional" even though they are old, OOF faded B&W prints?

What is the reason for that. Could it be the lens is a wide focal length or is it something else going on to convey that experience? Could it be the speed of film and choice of developing process and qualities of paper has replicated the most advanced HDR effects we find so revolutionary and impressive?

Asher

 

[StuartRae]

Hi Asher,

Well, the photo would have been taken with a box brownie and developed by the local chemist, so no question of fancy lenses or papers.

I scanned the B&W photo as a 16-bit colour image and used the Photomatix plugin to bring out what detail there was in the shadows, so your perception of an HDR effect isn't so far from the truth.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[Ron Morse]

I love these old pictures. I'm almost 67 and I have some old pictures of me with my father when I was 3 or 4. After looking at your pictures I must try to find mine.

I scanned the B&W photo as a 16-bit colour image and used the Photomatix plugin to bring out what detail there was in the shadows, so your perception of an HDR effect isn't so far from the truth.

Regards,

Stuart

What a great idea. I would never have thought of that.

 

[Cedric MASSOULIER]

Hi,

What a fantastic travel thru the past ! I like this idea to confront the present and the past, it carries a lot of emotions.

Cedric.