Allen – At first this shot seems almost too simplistic, just another walk-by shot. Then I start to see the numerous pieces in action inside the car and through the windshield. The guy wearing the I <heart> NY shirt, which leads to the dog, which leads to the woman , her face obscured by the mirror but slightly voyeuristic as I look at her unbuttoned shirt, and then right out the window. But not before I catch the other dog peering out the window, to the next car with the derelict license plate (great touch) and then I am realizing the third car follows a line just as I am kicked forward to the two women. I feel like a pinball. It’s a fun journey and it’s a great capture. Part of me wants to know if all of this was intentional…but I really don’t want to ruin it by hearing it wasn’t.
Jason – First, the title: Corrupted Vinyl. I am one of those people that likes it when a photo and title play off of each other. Whether others might agree or not is irrelevant because right from GO it sets a reference point for me to follow you, the photographer, as you present the image. Second, I would not have guessed that this was not an LP spinning on a turntable so the fact that it is light reflected off another surface, and multiple exposures no less, makes it more appealing. This week simply presented other images that captured my attention in a different way. I still like this photo and it stands on its own merit as an excellent photograph.
Joe – It’s simple, it’s ethereal, and I buy into the entire description – not as a narrative, but more of a fantasy that we can apply to our lives as we see so many things unfulfilled simply sail our of our reach before we have the opportunity to complete them. The bottom line is there are always factors in play that prevent us from attempting to achieve goals, or realizing how quickly they sail away before we understand what was lost. So while this may be an accident in the darkroom or a flaw in the exposure, I like it enough to make it my top pick for the week. It was tough decision because I liked all the images for different reasons. Maybe it’s just that the analogy of things sailing out of my grasp is something I am coming to grips with. On a side note, does anyone else see the face in the wash of chemical bath?
As for my entry, well, it is a shot of a guy in a sidewalk bar. That’s the simple explanation. It was just a quick moment where he caught me looking at him while I had the camera at my hip, and he knew I shot the image afterwards; end of contact, move on. I liked the framing and that’s what caught my eye initially, the rest could be described as a “happy accident.” Some of the things that begin to emerge out the image were not seen at the time the shutter was tripped. For example, the wall art (wtf is that thing anyway?) as it leads the eye to the man while his reflection is finally noticed – I like how it creates a triangular effect within the frame with the sun cutting in. I like the darkness of the interior and I’m glad it isn’t more prominent in the shot – that pushes the guy sitting there more into the front and really doesn’t allow the eye to go too deep. The processing was intended to push the blacks and make the colors standout more, especially the red strip, the blue jeans, and the subdued tones of the bar and chairs (Nik Color Efex – Bleach Bypass filter.) As a side note, I showed him the shot on a return pass a bit later because I like the lcd display so well. Jason -I haven’t converted it to B&W as yet, but I will take a shot at that in Silver Efex Pro. Thanks for the comments guys!
