Photography

4515 readers

2 users here now

A community to post about photography:

We allow a wide range of topics here including; your own images, technical questions, gear talk, photography blogs etc. Please be respectful and don't spam.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

Photographer@lemmy.world

[OC] Astronomatopoeia 024, #photography, 2023 (lemmy.world)

submitted 11 months ago by joshuawmurray@lemmy.world to c/photography@lemmy.world

8 comments fedilink hide all child comments

#photo #monochrome #oldbuildings #art #mnartists

top 8 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] KevinFRK@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Your photos are generally hard to "parse" for your intent, but in this case I feel especially uncertain.

The composition, that is the chosen subject, angle and crop, makes sense to me. I might have looked for more interesting wood grain, but this suits your apparent style.

What I don't get is both the choice of high noise/low resolution, and choosing to let the top left exposure blow out. Is it that it's just to get a "I never meant to take this shot" vibe, while entirely intending to?

[–] joshuawmurray@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Thanks for the comment! My only intent with Astronomatopoeia is that it's a series of scenes or objects, taken with black and white phone apps, that I find interesting when I'm out of the house. The photos are unplanned, spontaneous, and at the will of limited app functions.

I rarely adjust these photos in post as the real challenge to myself is to take and post a picture a day (or close to that). I tend to compose asymmetrical shots, binary objects, or lone hero subjects. I think Astronomatopoeia falls somewhere between the spontaneous action of street photography and methodical composure of fine art.

So, yes, 'I never meant to take this shot' but I like it when I take it like this.

[–] KevinFRK@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ah - using a mobile phone, I should have guessed, and a phone does suit what you are trying to achieve. It also means you are not carrying around a bulky expensive thing, which is a bonus.

Shooting Black & White is a different sort of limitation: to me B&W only suits scenes where there is very little colour variation, as otherwise you are just throwing away information (yes, I have a computer background!) which feels wrong. Looking back on what you've posted, (in my opinion) you've generally stuck to images where B&W works.

[–] joshuawmurray@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I'd love to find a small digital rangefinder with a larger lens to carry everywhere with me. 25 years ago I always carried Grandpa's Yashica Lynx 14e and 4 rolls of Tri-X with me "just in case". It was fun.

I like how the approach to black and white photography is different from color. For B&W I concentrate on contrast and form as well as the subject but with color my focus is on saturation and the 'shape' of color. I don't think information is thrown away. I think it's about working with the strengths and parameters of the medium.

Or sometimes it's just play. Astronomatopoeia is play.

[–] KevinFRK@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure you don't suffer from this problem (especially as you recognise B&W needs a different approach), but I came across too many photos where it was clear the photographer had just presented their shot as B&W because that's "Artistic" (and no other reason) while there was almost certainly good colour in the scene they took a photo of - it's those cases where I see it as throwing away information.

[–] joshuawmurray@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ahhh yes! I know exactly what you mean. You can see "artistic" talent right away. I think it comes from a lack of art education or inexperience or you've encountered a marketing rep. But then again, we've all put out art because that's what we thought art is supposed to be.

Here's a question I ask my artist friends from time to time: can you instinctively see or notice high art / low art, more talent / less talent regardless of finished work? And, considering your answer, do you think there's a universal aesthetic in which everyone can agree that there is definitely good art and bad art?

[–] KevinFRK@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's good art if it satisfies the soul of its creator ... if it satisfies anyone else, that's just a side benefit.

[–] joshuawmurray@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

You rock