#photo #monochrome #oldbuildings #art #mnartists
this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2023
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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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
It's good art if it satisfies the soul of its creator ... if it satisfies anyone else, that's just a side benefit.
You rock