Arty farty?

[dewmuw]

Too arty farty? I was concentrating on the webs.


http://www.pbase.com/dewmuw/image/36010941.jpg

[CDickinson]

The most obvious problem is the out of focus area. Its pretty distracting. You might want to get closer into the "webs" or close your f/stops down to allow sharper focusing.
The second thing you're going to run into is the tone of all the colors is about the same so nothing is going to stand out...that can work to your benefit depending on how you use the photo. If you're editing in PS, try adjusting contrast and also play around with selective color to bring one of the colors up a little so it stands out.

If you want to wander around a site with art photography, try this artnet.com. Visit some sites that are art musuems and galleries that show contemporay art photography - MOMA, the Guggenheim, etc. Art Forum magazine is online... Also ICP - International Center for Photography has some photos of "art photograph" ( icp.com).



C

[lomond]

Hi Damian,
This one has thrown me. I not sure what to make of it.
"Arty Farty" ? Who knows, art is in the eye of the beholder.
I'll say this, you're experimenting and that can't be bad.

Cameron

P.S. Thanks for the PM. I tried to reply but it may have gone astray in the recent turmoil.

[Radtech1]

When I think of "artsy" I usually think of "trying too hard" to be trendy, pretensious, or obtuse. A good example would be B&W shots with one thing being in color.* Another example (of my own) is http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30050 - where I deliberately cut off 1/3 of the subject.

This I would not say is Artsy.

I would say that it is simply a poorly executed shot. CD hit the nail on the head by mentioning the focusing. You RARELY to NEVER want the forground to be out of focus. I am sure there must be a shot that can break that rule, but this is not it.

Also, it is just too busy. And too little local contrast. Too much going on, (different lines, different textures) and too hard to see what is there and I get lost looking at it.

Rad

*Oscar Wilde said it best, "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months."

[timmyquest]

I feel like that out of focus pipe is trying to punch my face.

I like the idea behind the photo, and i'm not real sure what the cause of this sensation is. Perhaps it's the lens choice (W/A?).

[dewmuw]

Thanks guys. I actually spent about 15 minutes photographying this peg from a lot of different angles - but I now think I got carried away with being, as someone local to me would say, "up my own a***e" :)

Cameron, hope the back is feeling better.

[lomond]

but I now think I got carried away with being, as someone local to me would say, "up my own a***e" :)

Damian, I love the above quote, but the effort wasn't a waste of time.
If we don't try we don't learn.
In the last few weeks I've learned quite a bit about still life photography.
Mind you, I still prefer to get out into the open. Being stuck inside is a pain the a**e. ( is that the correct spelling, I thought it was ass )
No wait, we're both Brits so a**e it is then.

Cameron
P.S. The back is much better, bought a contraption called "Backlife" and I can't praise it enough. Thanks for asking.

[dewmuw]

I stuck to many *'s in my a**e. :) But I think the ointment will help!