A New Project

lifethrualens · 08-07-2008, 22:31

this is a sample image im considering for a new project that im doing, im not back in college til september, so dont need to do too many pics for that, im doing my concert stuff for my portfolio which is great, and got 3 weddings in the summer, portfolio/cash, also great, but, i would love your opinions on this image, technical maybe, but certainly contexual. thanks all

lifethrualens · 08-07-2008, 22:34

sorry, i didnt explain, its not a guessing game, or too deep, as you can see this is a grave yard, at a closer look it can be seen as a grave yard for children, very young, it was very upsetting photographing it, but, it was well hidden in the church yard, but i found something rather beautiful about it, still had tears in my eye tho.

the_frog · 08-07-2008, 23:11

Sorry, but it does nothing for me. If you have to tell me it's a kids' cemetary, there's no point. Sometimes less is more; rather than trying to take in the whole thing it may have been more poignant to focus in just one, maybe showing others in the background to indicate that it's one of many.

lifethrualens · 08-07-2008, 23:19

see, i dont agree with that, if it does nothing for you thats fine, but my point is, photographing the whole grave yard is the whole point really, all these graves have been within the past 18 months, in a small village, so for me, less is more, but it doesnt have to be the image that reduced, but what is revealed in its reading, dont mean to be an ass, your opinion is welcome, i get a bit like this, i really think with the project im looking at, that the photographs are not one dimentional, but they are a collective narrative.

JMitchell · 08-07-2008, 23:55

but how are we supposed to get any feelings from it if we don't know any information about it? I really don't think you having to tell us says to me that the image is saying a lot.....

lifethrualens · 09-07-2008, 00:26

i didnt have to tell you, i just decided to tell you what it was, but the point of the image was not what it was, but the unraveling detail within the reading, the fact that there have been 131 graves of children in just 18 months, in a small village, it highlighs a hidden problem of still birth, this village also has a hospital that services a very large area. the whole point of what im hoping will be a narrative, will be pleasing images of landscape, that carry a very strong message, that we dont see evryday

Charlotte · 09-07-2008, 00:38

I will comment on this tomorrow (tired now). My first thought was, ok bye, I'm not gonna get drawn into this one

... but I think it's a good image technically, in fact one of your (technically) best images to date. I do wish it were bigger. I think the story you've told us is both interesting + sad. Please post a bigger version.

Larne · 09-07-2008, 10:14

For me the problem with the image is that there is nothing to draw me into it. There is no specific focal point, nothing for the eye to lock into, no lines to draw me into or around the scene. My eyes just wander over it looking for something of interest and when they don't find anything the image gets filed under "technically good image but nothing special".

Shown larger there might be detail in there to provide the missing focal point, I don't know.

Overall I don't think its a bad picture - it just doesn't light any fires for me.

the_frog · 09-07-2008, 10:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifethrualens

see, i dont agree with that, if it does nothing for you thats fine, but my point is, photographing the whole grave yard is the whole point really, all these graves have been within the past 18 months, in a small village, so for me, less is more, but it doesnt have to be the image that reduced, but what is revealed in its reading, dont mean to be an ass, your opinion is welcome, i get a bit like this, i really think with the project im looking at, that the photographs are not one dimentional, but they are a collective narrative.

A collective narrative only works if you see the collection. I won't argue with you, it's your project, your call, but if a picture is supposed to tell a story, as this one is, this one's just clearing its throat. It could be a pet cemetary from all we can see. If it's accompanied by text, or part of a series of photographs, it'll work, but as a stand-alone photograph is doesn't, that's all I was trying to say.

Good luck with the project.

fionaB · 09-07-2008, 11:37

hm this is a tough call, one of my favourite subjects ( graveyards).
I agree with Frog in that i think the photo will work better as a project once you have a storyline of photographs ( if i read you right).
however on this image itself. i got before i read your 2nd post what it was, that intrigued me, so on that point it works, however the image itself i think could be more interesting, as it is just now it conveys very little emotion and where children are concerned there is almost too much emotion.........
my opinion ( for what its worth) i would have done a couple things different ( which may or may not work its all trial and error really ). i would have got lower down, give the feeling of being "within and amongst" the graveyard, not just passing by and glancing in, you want to feel a part of it,
cliched or not but i think maybe selective colouring would help........ there is a lot of plain white crosses whoch wouldnt be effected, but take everything back to mono then bring out the colour on the graves, help to make them stand out more, you want them to shout, "hey look at me, i WAS!"
maybe its me taking this one too deep, but graveyards are a passion, and i have a vested interested in childrens graveyard.

Fi

**Angela** · 09-07-2008, 12:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifethrualens

but the point of the image was not what it was, but the unraveling detail within the reading,

OK, but we can't really see any detail can we?

Quote:

the fact that there have been 131 graves of children in just 18 months, in a small village, it highlighs a hidden problem of still birth, this village also has a hospital that services a very large area. the whole point of what im hoping will be a narrative, will be pleasing images of landscape, that carry a very strong message, that we dont see evryday

Again, OK, and that's a very sad statistic but there is nothing in the image that tells us that so how are we supposed to unravel that detail?

You have to remember that, as the photographer, you can read, and see, a lot more into a photo than we the viewers can. You were there, you knew what you were photographing and it was no doubt incredibly moving. But all we can see are headstones and no details. You are probably wondering why we can't see what is blindingly obvious to you - but we weren't there so we don't know.

As has been suggested, if perhaps you had focused on one or two of the headstones, it would have made for a more poignant image, although I can see that that wouldn't have got across the scale of the issue, it would have raised some emotion in your viewers, which this image does not do for me.

lifethrualens · 09-07-2008, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angela

OK, but we can't really see any detail can we?

Again, OK, and that's a very sad statistic but there is nothing in the image that tells us that so how are we supposed to unravel that detail?

You have to remember that, as the photographer, you can read, and see, a lot more into a photo than we the viewers can. You were there, you knew what you were photographing and it was no doubt incredibly moving. But all we can see are headstones and no details. You are probably wondering why we can't see what is blindingly obvious to you - but we weren't there so we don't know.

As has been suggested, if perhaps you had focused on one or two of the headstones, it would have made for a more poignant image, although I can see that that wouldn't have got across the scale of the issue, it would have raised some emotion in your viewers, which this image does not do for me.

i didnt mean detail with the photograph, but the detail that sits within the visual truth of the image, as a photographer, i encode, as a viewer you decode, they may be very different outcomes, and there is nothing wrong or right.

the_frog · 09-07-2008, 14:50

Interesting. But if I decode the visual truth as being that would be somewhere nice to bury Tibbles the cat, where does that leave the greater truth? You're talking abstractions; your image provides no context and without context there is no meaning. It's just a so-so picture.

lifethrualens · 09-07-2008, 18:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_frog

Interesting. But if I decode the visual truth as being that would be somewhere nice to bury Tib