Old wrecks...

[IanCD]

I find it difficult to strike the right balance between concentrating on photography and being with others when I'm out walking with friends... endlessly composing and taking pictures can get very boring for others! Landscape photography, particularly, feels like something to do on my own... Taking pics of people is different, of course...!
I didn't want to leave the camera behind today, though, so tried a different approach of just taking quick snaps of places I found interesting to check later and plan to go back to those with most potential...

These old wrecks caught my eye, but I spent no time getting angles, waiting for the light to change, etc... think I'll be going back... I've played with PP in LR3, but in the shot with the tractor and truck (?), they don't seem to stand out enough from the background, either in BW or with the overly vivid colours (result of B&W PP then changing back to colour)... first shot of the two is more or less SOOC

Although these are just first rough shots, advice and C&C would be welcome







"Not in Service"
...maybe the truck on it's own does work..?
Tighter crop to take out the blue hills above the crate over the truck, as in the other shot?

Or maybe none of them do..?



Thanks, in anticipation,
Ian

[Bev]

Hi Ian. Rusty old cars and trucks are some of my favorite subjects to photograph. These look like a couple of nice subjects. I like the truck by itself with the added saturation. When you go back, you can try isolating different parts of the vehicles, too. I can't really make up my mind regarding the top three: they all have their own strengths, even the first one where the colors are natural.

[Donald]

I find it difficult to strike the right balance between concentrating on photography and being with others when I'm out walking with friends... endlessly composing and taking pictures can get very boring for others! Landscape photography, particularly, feels like something to do on my own...

I find it impossible to do my photography in the company of others. That's why, for me, photography is an isolationist activity - I have to be on my own. That's not just so that I have the time to work out a composition, but it's also about having the 'space' to get into the shot/the scene without, with respect, interruption. It's got to be about me and the place I'm in. Nothing else.

All of do, of course, have different circumstances to deal with and doing what I do might not be possible for some people. But if you can, I think you'll find it becomes a different experience.

As for these images, I think Ian has provided all his own answers in saying that what is needed is the time to go back to that location and just work with angles and the light. Great subjects.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Ian,

Trying to do serious photography with any non-photographers about is, in my experience too, just a waste of time, it stifles my creativity completely - about all you can do is what you have done here, take some samples, think about the best time of day, and weather, to return in (probably alone) later.

However, I am immensely lucky that I find it actually works quite well with my daughter Rebecca (beckyhumphries of CiC) because sometimes we each wander off and do our own thing with our cameras and generally run out of ideas about the same time, or we stick together stalking birds and bees - and I'm not just saying that because she's here and will likely see this.

We also each see some opportunities the other missed, that helps if we're in close proximity and other times it'll be a surprise when we view each others pictures, which is educational.

So, if you can find another photographer, that may work.


On these shots, I'd agree with Donald and try for some close up shots, with simple compositions, showing parts of them.

I'd suggest you do need to get up close to show something people don't see/take for granted though, otherwise a picture of a rusty headlamp is just a picture of a rusty headlamp and won't evoke any feelings in the viewer - now that's the hard part.

Must add this idea to my Project 52 list for later in the year, see if I can do it

Cheers,

[Tringa]

I think the B&W and the single truck work best. The saturation in the single one makes it stand out better from what I think is a difficult background to handle.

I'm lucky that my other half also likes the outdoors and she like to do watercolours, so we can sometimes combine our interests by finding an area and then separating to do our own things. Even then there is sometime a bit of pressure to return (or indeed, not to return), so I'd agree, photography is best done alone.

Dave