Photo of the Week 2020-02-24

"It looks like a painting" - Compliment or not ?

Windswept Winter I

The comment "It looks like a painting" is one I see made on photographs from time to time. In fact one of my recent photos, the one featured above in this post, received it a number of times. As the photographer, I'm not sure whether to be flattered or a little offended.

Presumably the viewers making the comment intend it to be a compliment, but let's briefly question their choice to use a painting as the comparator. Is it that they are recognizing the artistic talent required to create a painting and are making the comparison with that in mind? Are they judging that the photograph is over processed and crossed the line losing connection to the original capture. Do they see painting as a "higher" form of art than photography and mean to suggest that the photograph is approaching that level? Do they really like it and not know what else to say? All are possibilities.

Then there is the debate around whether photography is truly an art form, one which I think you can guess which side I'm on. It's a debate that goes back to the very invention of photography. While there has been greater and greater acceptance of photography as an art form over the years, there are still those who say nay. And here in lies the 'niggle' with me. The comment "it looks like a painting" almost comes across as saying "it's nearly there" or "not quite" or "good try but it will never be an actual painting".

You might want to check out this link to an interesting bit on Photos That Look Like Paintings.

Here is a collage of several images I made on the outing that produced the one above. Quite a productive outing I might add. It's a bit unusual for me to get several 'keepers' from a single outing or more precisely a single spot during an outing. They've all been posted to my social media streams over the past few days and yes, more than one received the comment "it looks like a paining".

As to me being "a little offended" at the comment, I'm not really ... well, maybe just a little.

Edit: Here is another link that may readers may find interesting "The Bastard Art".

DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-02-17

A cold clear night provided great views of the night sky on the Northern Bruce Peninsula ... so it was time to suit up, gear up and get out for some night sky photos.

Venus and The Milky Way

 

The Heavens Above

Front Row Seats

 

Village Glow

 It was calm, crisp and quiet at -20*C... and there was home made hot cocoa to warm up with afterwards.


DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-02-10

Finding a waterfall group on Facebook recently has encouraged me to look back on the images I've made over the years ... and in doing that, I'm now thinking that I need to get back to some of these locations and recapture some of that magic.

Seeing images from past work travels to Northern Ontario, and closer to home from outings to locations along the Niagara Escarpment, brought back memories of discovering these locations for the first time. At one point I had thought to seek out many of the falls in Ontario, certainly those closer to home, to experience and photograph them. Along the way, other photographic subject matter grabbed my attention and it's been some time since I've photographed a new (to me) falls. Maybe this year will be a year to pick up the idea again ... and to go back to revisit some of my favourites.

Back in 2008, I had processed a different version of this image, from a slightly different point of view. Fast forward 10+ years and I think I prefer the composition of this capture and decided to process it for release. I hope you like it too.

falls & mill ruins

In digging through the image library, I've discovered additional images that now deserve consideration for processing and, those that require reconsideration, hopefully to improve processing that was applied those years ago.

I expect I'll be posting some of those on my Facebook photography page in future, so stay tuned.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-02-03

This winter has not been especially inspiring photographically ... so far. That's left me searching for images to work on and post to feed the creative spirit. 

The archive is there and I've really enjoyed diving in over the last few weeks, starting with the blog post that showcased some of my images of the (now destroyed) Lion's Head Lighthouse. I've also connected with a waterfall group on FB and rummaged through some of the waterfall images I've made over the years. The exercise has had me looking at shots from 2009 to present and allowed me to find some previously overlooked files worthy of a second chance.

... but I've needed to get outside, breath some cool fresh air and give the shutter finger a workout, sot it was up and out on Saturday morning with a collection of kit, searching for worthy subject matter.

Winter - Spring Creek

It may have been the babbling water, it may have been the solemn silence, it may have been the raven's call ... there was a certain something seductive about this scene on a sideroad, off the beaten path, on the Bruce.

DJE