I haven't been doing much photography lately, but here are a few that I took at the start of the fall season. The following photos were all taken and edited on an Apple iPhone.
This is a stream near where I live. I took this while going for an evening walk with the dogs. The sky was blue, with some white clouds colored by the setting sun.
This is a green-painted barrier around a new construction site.
Metal bench at a transit stop.
This is a photo of a friend that I took at a sushi restaurant. It is actually two photos -- a "cartoon" version superimposed over the original, and with the opacity adjusted so that the original is partially visible. It is an attempt to make the photo look like a painting.
I took this yesterday. I was out in the country and came across an area with some abandoned cars and junk metal. This is a piece of steel in which a plant had grown through a hole in the metal.
I rarely title photos, but I had to call this "Gray Man in a Golden World. I took the photo of myself while unemployed and on my way back from a job interview. (Thus the suit and tie.) I edited it to try to express the feeling of alienation -- of being out of work and with little chance of finding any while living in a land of prosperity.
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Tom Cordle
Paul J. O'Rourke
Rick Lucke
Whindbagg
Kanuk
Mick Arran
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Comments
http://www.pdnbgallery.com/Site/ishow2010.html
Doug writes: "The only one I thought sucked was the green construction wall."
Unfortunately, it does suck. I thought it looked better when I viewed the larger version on my computer screen. I was trying to do something with subtle shades of green, but it really didn't work out. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't upload that one.
lschmoopie writes: "I am getting an iPhone in a month or so and look forward to being able to take great pics with it."
I'll try to do a post sometime soon demonstrating the iPhone editing software that I use -- the different features, etc.
bbd writes: "As I said, your stuff would have blown everyone else away."
With all humility, I have to agree with you -- no so much these photos, but some of the ones I have posted before.
What I noticed was that a lot of the photos were over-saturated.
Here's my theory -- anyone who aspires to be a photographer -- even an amateur -- should stick to black and white for a couple of years while studying the great b&w photographers such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Minor White.
Doing and studying black and white photography helps people develop a sense of composition. I think good color photography is harder to do, because color tends to confuse the image. In saying that I don't mean that good b&w photography is "easy." It's not. What I'm saying is that it is easier for students of photography to learn composition with b&w photography, because the images are more well-defined. Also, b&w photography is a great way to learn the basics of exposure by using the "zone system."
As I said, a lot of the photos in that exhibit were over-saturated. I think sometimes people try to make up for a lack of composition with "exotic," over-saturated color. The problem is that it doesn't work. If the basic composition isn't there, manipulating the color isn't going to help. (God knows, I've tried!)
As always, in my humble opinion. . . . . .
Rated. Now to figure out how to get those photos out of the phone...
An idea about the last one ... have you tried (or thought about trying) rotating the background so that the bars go vertical and not horizontal? I'm just wondering if it would have more of a prison feel and be even more powerful.... not that that is necessarily what you were going for but it's just an idea I had.
But in B&W in order to have objects read as separate objects you have to be very careful. For example red reads as black, so if you are photographing someone in a red shirt against a black background it can be a problem (or at least a concern).
When you look at old Hollywood movies where they were so great at B&W photography what they were really great at was lighting: using lighting to separate a subject from the background using backlight, kicker light, etc. Controlling the light hitting the background.
You don't have to worry about lighting as much in color because the color itself can give you the separation between objects that you need.
For really good B&W photography a great tool to have is a contrast viewing glass. You look through it and it helps you see just the contrast present in the subject so you can balance the lighting better.
I think you have to be wearing a nice pair of pants.
And I agree with your suggestion to work first with black & white; given my interest in detail (over colour) I find that shooting in black & white strips away the distractions in my photos. Others will, of course, rightfully disagree and do things their own way.
(r)