Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/10/06

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Subject: Composition 101 [was Re: [Leica] Nobska Light]
From: bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen)
Date: Thu Oct 6 18:05:59 2005

Not only to I like light houses, I have many a fond memory of Nobska, having
spent eight weeks in Woods Hole in the summer of '86. I'd often ride my bike
past the lighthouse going back and forth from our cottage to the MBL where I
was in a summer journalism program.


On 10/6/05 7:07 PM, "Jim Hemenway" <Jim@hemenway.com> wrote:

> 
> I just KNEW that you like lighthouses... no matter what you've said in
> the past!
> 
> ;-)
> 
> 
> B. D. Colen wrote:
> 
>> It is interesting indeed. I was seeing the zigzag path of fence, which I
>> wanted freed and complete, but I don't think I was consciously seeing the
>> path you see. However, now that you articulate it, I wonder if that's 
>> what I
>> was subconsciously going for. Interesting. And thanks for taking the time
>> with this.
>> 
>> B. D.
>> 
>> 
>> On 10/6/05 12:16 PM, "Richard S. Taylor" <r.s.taylor@comcast.net> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> Not to beat this photo into the ground, but Adam's comment about the
>>> Nobska Light photo being a "formal" image triggered something in the
>>> back of my mind.  Also, after B.D.'s comment earlier yesterday, I was
>>> mystified as to why he choose one particular crop and I chose another.
>>> 
>>> Here are the two:
>>> 
>>> B.D.'s crop (at least I think this is what you meant, B.D.):
>>> 
>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/SAILING/03_9_0071_bd_crop
>>> 
>>> My crop (Actually I cropped this is even tighter than the the image I
>>> first posted in order to emphasize my  point):
>>> 
>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/SAILING/03_9_0071_rst_crop
>>> 
>>> After staring at the two of them side-by-side for a while I realized
>>> that in B.D.'s crop, my eyes tended to follow a zigzag path along
>>> fence to the lighthouse.  In mine, my eye motion was almost all
>>> vertical, up along the fence posts to the tall structure.  In B.D.'s
>>> there was, figuratively speaking, a path open for the viewer to
>>> approach the lighthouse around the fence post to the right, in mine
>>> there was none.  The fence became a barrier.  B.D.'s says, "Come in,"
>>> mine says, "Don't."  There is more motion in B.D's, more stillness in
>>> mine.
>>> 
>>> Not sure just why I chose the tighter crop.  It was not made with
>>> much thought beforehand.   It just seemed more appropriate to the
>>> photo in question, and possibly, to the site as well.  (There were
>>> lots of fences and a many No Admittance signs around.)
>>> 
>>> It's been an interesting discussion.  Thanks.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Thanks for your response and your alternates, Richard.
>>>> 
>>>> In my experience a formal image - like the lighthouse - is about
>>>> shapes and textures and light and dark and stillness. People, almost
>>>> always, bring motion and focus - our pattern recognition engines want
>>>> to SEE them and know what they're doing.
>>>> 
>>>> Obviously, as in nude fine-art photography, all of those things can be
>>>> a part of the composition. But nudes seldom have faces and seldom are
>>>> "in action" although I can think of exceptions to both of these.
>>>> 
>>>> Of course you framed your image with those folks in mind, but I like
>>>> both your suggestion and B. D.'s as well.
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks!
>>>> 
>>>> Adam
>>> 
>>> 
>>> (snip)
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>> 
> 
> 
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In reply to: Message from Jim at hemenway.com (Jim Hemenway) (Composition 101 [was Re: [Leica] Nobska Light])