What would have made this a really dynamic Pic

[contact]

I'm trying to improve my artist side. This is a picture of a sculpture in DC. I tried to capture the reflections from the peopple on the ground in the steel.
http://mwb.smugmug.com/photos/8709658-M.jpg

Thanks
Canon 10D

[elfyrulz]

:shock: where in DC??

[contact]

Outside of the Smithsonian museum

[msol]

Reflections... love them... But I guess that, if you tried to capture that reflection, you should have zoomed in much more, such that the reflection really becomes the subject. But that is probably difficult with this sculpture. I do not see any interesting composition arise when I crop down to a littel detail.

[Radtech1]

This is sort of a pet peeve of mine:

I'm trying to improve my artist side.

In that case, go create your OWN art! ! ! Don't simply take a photo of someone else's creative effort and think that you are improving your artistic side. BE the artist yourself! Find beauty, art, what ever you call it in your own environment - going somewhere where someone else has already pointed out beauty is like fishing from a barrel. Yeah, you got one, but so could anyone. Pulling a fish out of a stream where no one saw a stream before, now THAT is something.

Rad

[lomond]

This is sort of a pet peeve of mine:

I'm trying to improve my artist side.

In that case, go create your OWN art! ! ! Don't simply take a photo of someone else's creative effort and think that you are improving your artistic side. BE the artist yourself! Find beauty, art, what ever you call it in your own environment - going somewhere where someone else has already pointed out beauty is like fishing from a barrel. Yeah, you got one, but so could anyone. Pulling a fish out of a stream where no one saw a stream before, now THAT is something.

Rad

J. H. C. !
A tad harsh maybe, don't you think. :?:

Artistic tendencies aside, I love the shot.

P.S. I think true "art" is a rare thing in photography.
I'm not saying it doesn't exist, just rare.
Cameron

[smudge]

I think although that would be a good way to do it, ( find your own art) I also think your being a touch harsh.
Showing your interpretation of a piece of sculpture by highlighting the points you find most beautiful is in my book wholy acceptable. It can also raise a few eyebrows when someone who knows a piece well then see's the same piece from your perspective.

For example the Photograph of the Eiffel tower, itself a work of art, achieved second place here I believe, in competion 16. Lines texture etc.

Art for me is about more than plain beauty,it must include interpretation.
The photographer of art, uses his knowledge to draw the layperson to the parts that demand closer scrutiny. In this case, the reflections.

Devils advocate. :twisted:

[12345Michael54321]

I tried to capture the reflections from the peopple on the ground in the steel.
Hey, I give you credit for trying, but I'm afraid this sculpture really isn't working for you, in terms of capturing reflections. Certainly not recognizable ones with any impact.

As an aside, since the sculpture is rather abstract and minimalist, perhaps you could have taken its picture against a cloudless sky. With lots of polarization. (Normally, I dislike an excessively polarized sky, even though most people using polarizers seem to believe they have to be used at maximum.) So much polarization, that the sky's almost a deep blue-purple. Yeah, the stark steel sculpture, against such a simple and intense background, might just be worth trying.

Overall though, I don't think this is a sculpture that really lends itself to interpretation through photography. I'm not saying it isn't perfectly fine art of its type. Just that given the vast number of monuments, sculptures, statues, etc., in DC, I think you could have made a better choice.

[Radtech1]

I think although that would be a good way to do it, ( find your own art) I also think your being a touch harsh.

I hope not, the purpose was not to scold, but to exhort, to urge, to incite. Take a look at my quote, I did not choose it lightly. And I believe that taking a picture of someone else's art is staying in the harbor.

For example the Photograph of the Eiffel tower, itself a work of art, achieved second place here I believe, in competion 16. Lines texture etc.

And I absolutely agree with you. In fact, there was a stunning photo of the tower here a couple of weeks ago. But I beg you to consider this, although the Eiffel Tower is beautiful, and certainly aesthetically satisfying, I would not say that it's sole purpose is to be a work of art. It is also an observation platform, not to mention a response to an engineering challenge. The piece in the above shot has one single purpose, and that is aesthetics - ie, art, a sculpture.

I did not say that one would have to avoid all man made objects to "find art in your own environment". But shooting something that is designed specifically and only as art - with no other primary purpose - that shot is not creative. It is akin to holding up a mirror to someone else's creativity - no matter how pretty the frame, ("Showing your interpretation of a piece of sculpture...") it is STILL just a mirror.


P.S. I think true "art" is a rare thing in photography.
I'm not saying it doesn't exist, just rare.

I agree there, too. I just went over 10,000 shots on my 10D and I would feel as though I were bragging if I said that I had more than 10 shots that - even in my narcissistic opinion - could be called art.

I am not saying that it is easy, but, I do feel that it is worthy of the endeavor.

Rad

[lomond]

P.S. I think true "art" is a rare thing in photography.
I'm not saying it doesn't exist, just rare.

I agree there, too. I just went over 10,000 shots on my 10D and I would feel as though I were bragging if I said that I had more than 10 shots that - even in my narcissistic opinion - could be called art.

I am not saying that it is easy, but, I do feel that it is worthy of the endeavor.

Rad

Agreed, very worthy endeavour.

Cameron

[smudge]

Rad, I totally understand your view point and would love to agree with it, as it sounds, in principal, a noble endeavour. However I feel that nothing is off limits, and a good picture is a good picture.

:D