On Mar 22, 2005, at 8:01 PM, frank theriault wrote:
http://homepage.mac.com/ramarren/photo/PAW5/13.htm
You know what? I was in the middle of writing a post, saying how little I liked this photo, then I looked again, and something changed.
I saw the little drama going on between the ladies on the right. Then I wondered if the fellows were looking at them. Then I tried to ascertain if the two men were walking arm in arm (it's really hard to tell, but they could be). If they are, they wouldn't be looking at the two attractive women the way ~I'd~ be looking at two attractive women. Unless they're bisexual.
I could go on, but the ambiguity of this photo is really quite fun and quite interesting. I enjoy playing out the various scenarios in my head.
In the space of about 15 seconds, the photo won me over.
Technically wonderful, too. I like the dof a lot.
Thanks!
It's a photo that's gotten some fairly interesting and mixed commentary. A couple of folks have told me they find it dull and boring, others tell me they don't understand what I'm trying to do with it.
One of the things that got me in this scene was the pairings of elements ...
Two lamps, two guys, two trees, two poles, two women ... and how they
interact geometrically. Everything is asymmetrical but balances. The
ambiguous posture of the men ... how their heads/shoulders suggest both
turning to look at the two women *and* refraining to look at the two
women ... reflects against the active interaction of the two women and
their enforced isolation from the men. Squat tree and Tall tree in the
background to the right reflect the men, the paired poled left of
center reflect the women, so there's a nice cross-hookup. The
two streetlamps are as well so different yet so alike. Then there are
secondary elements ... The men's elbows, the women's elbows. I see
tensions and balances, asymmetries playing throughout the scene.
When I see photographs, I'm always looking for geometries, light and shadow, how elements connect, expressions in how things look that reach out and touch me. Whether it's a portrait of somebody's daughter or a picture of a rock.
Godfrey
