 "Old Rusty Things #1" Martin County, Texas |  "Old Rusty Things #2" Martin County, Texas |
I have enjoyed the
Which photo do you think best depicts the lonesomeness of rusty things, once useful and busy, now silent?
This pair were taken at an abandoned house in Martin County, in a separate workshop belonging to the man of the house I'm sure. It wasn't as stark as the place in Enochs; apparently this was a more orderly move. Some things just weren't worth the effort to accompany to the next place. Too heavy. Too old. Just leave them, we'll get new.
Today's subject, "Old Rusty Things" is courtesy Bobbie (also known as Great Grannie, or Mom to me). Bobbie is very recently retired and has in the past few months begun learning and growing with Photoshop at record speeds. She created a bit of a blog buzz with the recent digital collages depicting dreams she's had and memories she has stored.
Photo info --
I didn't do any cropping to these two. I believe I'm slowly getting better at cropping with my camera in the field. However, I did take several shots of both these scenes. Sometimes when I think I'm really going to like a shot, I take all kinds of views of it, to ensure one good one and to prevent self-inflicted blows to my head because of the despair for having a stray telephone pole or beer bottle ruining everything. Of course you realize I downsize them for blogging and almost always do a sharpen on the resultant image and then a fade of the sharpen down to 50%. The change of size loses sharpness, but a full sharpen is too much. Lastly, I deepened their colors by using my new found favorite tool in Photoshop: Apply Image. I applied at 50% the images to themselves. It deepens the colors, without distorting them, in my opinion. This is especially important on shots taken on full sunny days -- which we have most days here -- and for anything but very early morning or late evening shots. That is to say, most of the day the sun washes out any hope of nuance of color here. Not that there is all that much color this time of year anyway.
Thank you to D.C. Confidential for making this suggestion. I'll try to include this "Photo Info" with most posts. I worry I'll repeat myself endlessly because I basically do all of the above with most photos.
14 comments:
I like #1 the best. I like how the composition seems to lead out from the barn into the wider world, kind of like the old rusty things remember what they're missing out on.
#1 does it for me. i love photos of empty chairs anyway. they suggest both promise and history. i love the use of negative/empty space in this image. all of the elements...the door, chair, wire and expanse all suggest activity no longer happening, where #2 feels more like a portrait of the machine. the visual appeal isn't there for me.
~sue o'kieffe
#1 gets my vote this time. I, too, like the composition. I like the sepia look of both photos, even though I suppose they are in "living color" this time of year. Oh, for Spring and some color!
One is just lovely - you capture details in the shaddows and a great sky and landscape. The weed to the right of the chair almost looks like a denuded Christmas tree.
It was a tough decision, but I choose number 1, because the chair is so lonely there as if someone got up a long time ago and just left it there all by itself. It is waiting for someone to come back and sit on it. There is loneliness out yonder, out in that field.
I like This and That.
Hi Debi,
I am going to give you 2 answers ..
I prefer #1 ... for all the reasons people said.
But I think #2 represents Old Rusty Things better to me.
So ..
~ Diane Clancy
www.dianeclancy.com/blog
I like #1 too. I really like how the wildness of the outdoors in creeping in through the door.
I am going against the flow here, though I like one (reminds me a bit of scenes in films like 'The Searchers' where you look out of your door in Texas to see the open landscape and huge skies beyond). I like two because it was obviously once a moving machine, but it is now rusty and silent.
I like both of them for representing the cruelty that rust is. But like Sue, I just love pics of empty chairs, when they're good that is. And, of course, this one is vintage Debi.
Sorry Debi, short and sweet..Number 1. Though I imagine it would be scorching hot if you were to sit on it now! I can imagine the old man whitling or sanding while sitting at the seat pondering the day and over looking his farm..
Love the topic BTW.
Lisa :)
I like the mystery in #2 (i.e.: "What is it?"), but I like the composition of #1.
And excellent technical information. Sometimes, when light is really bright, it does wash everything out and leave it flat. I've fiddled a little with adjusting brightness and sharpening in the minimalist software I have in iPhoto. Your notes convince me I really need to upgrade to either PhotoShop or Apple's professional level iPhoto software for more flexibility.
#1. I like the play of civilization pitted against nature and how nature seems to be winning at the moment.
Thank you everyone for your votes.
Chosha, I like your take on that. Kind of sweet that they remember, kind of sad they are forgotten.
Sue, there is something about empty chairs. Doorways too. It's always as if someone just that second stepped away. I'm going to have to try harder with my "portrait" of machines. I think they would work, but I haven't gotten it to translate yet.
Nelda, I know you are going to think I'm crazy, but I'm not ready for Spring yet. I am having too good a time with winter. I know. I'm crazy. Nor are we where they get 2 feet of snow overnight, either. That makes a difference.
John, those weeds are everywhere. Want one? ha Just kidding. I have taken several pictures of them. I know. I take pictures of everything so that means nothing.
Aw, Irene. Thank you for liking This or That. Me, too. I almost didn't give it up. Heck, I didn't give it up. But I did feel like I had to add more challenges otherwise I'd get lazy. And you are so right about the chair. It looked exactly that way to me standing before it. Like, he got up and moved away after first sitting in that chair once more.
Diane, you keep a girl on her toes.
Andi, I'm glad you noticed that. I liked that part of it too.
Bev, you and Diane are playing the game as Frances would have you play it. (Poor Frances, sick at home.) She was the one suggested I ask more specific questions about which you prefer.
Rima, do not say "vintage Debi" again. LOL
Lisa, actually remember it is still winter here. While the sun is very bright it wasn't too warm. Now, in July, I wouldn't sit on that chair for a million bucks. Um. Well, I WOULD sit on it for a million bucks, but not $2.
D.C. You've given me another idea for a subsequent post/production notes. I think you don't have to buy the very expensive Photoshop to get that effect. I use an old version, 5.5 which I think can be had on eBay very reasonably. I need to check into that to be sure. It will give me something to say besides what I've already said. Now I just need to put on my thinking cap for the other 29 days of the month. Ug.
Everyone thank you so much for playing another round of This or That! I enjoy it at least as much as you do. And today's favorite photo is lonely chair.
This one's hard. I can see myself sitting on the chair in #1, and like the space in this one. One can almost hear the wind and smell the air.
#2 is beautiful, and I could see this in a high end interiors magazine as a way to decorate your home with rusty sculpture!
Post a Comment