Does this one work for you?

[Mike Buckley]

I realize that this type of photograph doesn't work for a lot of people but it works for me. Does it work for you? Please explain why or why not.

The contrast of the straight lines in the chairs and steps with the crooked and curved lines in the shadow of the window is appealing to me. The chairs and steps seem to frame the bottom part of the shadow almost as if they are providing a base of support for the shadow, without which it would fall to the floor.

Captured in Scotland's Stirling Castle on color slide film in 2002 and recently converted.

[Polar01]

Very well done image, as for working for me, no, I think it is the crop the wall is pulling my eyes away from the chairs. I usually hate to crop an image but I feel that a square crop would here keeping your eye more focused on the chairs.

Cheers:

Allan

[TobyMac]

Hi, well done on the image, but personally it does not work for me, there is something about the skewness of the lines from the window that bother me, however, as Allan said, I also think a square crop would have suited this Image very well.

[ggt]

Square crop --maybe. I think I want to see more angles --of the stairs or the shadows on the floor. I think more perspective might help me on this one. It's a great idea, I love the whole concept, but somehow it's very confusing for me. I think it might be the tight crop --which is something I usually recommend (LOL).

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

Inside such kind of images must be a "philosophical" message.To discover it I cleaned the image( cropping and lightening) and the message is more visible even you did not think clearly when you pushed the button.

[tbob]

Interesting. The transition of the shadow lines from sharp on the left to blurred on the right cause me discomfort and eye strain. I cannot make out if they are out of focus or it is effect of the wall texture. Consequently I become obsessed and this over rides other consideration of the elements and strengths of the image.

As well; I am really not sure about the chairs. The straight lines in the floor, stairs and window shadow are disrupted by the chair shadows and lines. I would be tempted to have simplified it by removing the chairs. This is one of those instances where it is a judgement call/artistic interpretation and I would have to see the image without the chairs to see if it is indeed stronger. My gut reaction is that simple and stark may be better.

[Mike Buckley]

This is a fasicinating discussion and I really appreciate everyone's ideas. I'll address each thought in a manner that hopefully helps further the discussion.

There is almost nothing else to show of the stairs. This is not a traditional set of steps. Each step is significantly smaller than the step below it and, if I remember correctly, the top step is displayed in this image.

Just in case Toby is thinking that I did something to the image to skew the lines in the window shadow, I didn't. The skewed look is caused by relationship of the sun and window and the relationship of the wall displayed here and the wall that holds the window.

Most important, and especially helpful, I gather from everybody's recommendation that the chairs are the subject, or at least that the image would be stronger if they were to become the subject. The subject, for me, in the present version is the shadow of the window. The subject in Radu's version is the pair of chairs. I'm going to work with the image and get back to you with a version that makes the subject the pair of chairs.

Thanks again, everyone!

[Mike Buckley]

Trevor: I missed your message because it was posted while I was writing mine.

You mentioned that the sharpness of the shadow is progressively less sharp from left to right. That's not because of depth of field. When I review the full-size image at 100%, the texture in the wall is equally sharp on the left and right sides of the window shadow. I don't know enough about the physics of light to understand what would create the characteristic that you describe.

I could have moved the chairs but decided not to. That's not for photographic reasons. It's because no official person was in the room to ask if it would be acceptable for me to temporarily move them. Lacking that permission, I would always refrain.

None of this takes away from your helpful explanation of why the image doesn't work for you.

[Mike Buckley]

I just now tried different crops and didn't like any of them. If the subject is to unquestiohnably become the pair of chairs, I don't like the presence of the steps and there is no practical way to eliminate them.

If the subject in the original is not unquestionably the window shadow (as I envisioned), that pretty much speaks volumes about the weakness of the image at least as it has to do with communicating with others.

Again, thank you to everyone for your ideas!

[TobyMac]

Hey Mike I understand why they are skew and all it just looks a bit confusing to me that's all

[Mike Buckley]

I understand why they are skew and all it just looks a bit confusing to me that's all

This is a great example of why I find human perception to be so fascinating. The skewness is confusing to you. It's interesting to me. Gotta love the difference!

[TobyMac]

Couldn't agree more, just had the same thing about a photo that I posted where someone liked something, another person wanted me to edit it out, its fascinating

[Mike Buckley]

Toby: I learned decades ago that it is mathematically possible to "prove" that a ruler moving at a constant rate of speed when observed by a person remaining in place gets longer or shorter (sorry that I can't remember which). This is similar to the so-called Doppler effect that explains why a car horn changes in pitch as the car approaches and then moves away from a person standing on a sidewalk. We know with great certainty that the ruler really doesn't change in length and that the pitch of the car horn doesn't change, but it really is all very much relative to the physical location of the person perceiving them.

[Mike Buckley]

I just now went into my makeshift photo studio and I think I can now explain why the window shadow on the right is less sharp than on the left: the further a shadow is from the source object, the less distinct the shadow becomes. Interesting!

[tbob]

Another example of how nature refuses to cooperate with human intent. Someone needs to have a good talk with whomever planned this whole thing out. There are certain key aspects that need some amendment. The whole speed of light thing strikes me as quite arbitrary. Most inconvenient for interstellar travel.

As for the chairs; tell them you are the advance agent for a soon to arrive Chinese delegation and you need to amend the position to maximize the fengshui and flow of chi.

[TobyMac]

Yeah Iv learned that understanding Physics can open whole new worlds of photography and makes getting some planned effects so much easier

[Mike Buckley]

All great ideas, Trevor!

[Polar01]

Mike looking at your image again, I like the chairs, steps, contrast, lighting and I do like those shadow lines they to me help make the whole image. However there are just to many of them. Where the lite wall meets the third step a shadow line meets them a perfect effect, for me if you count up from there 6 shadow lines, keeping the sixth line where it end I come across with the crop I would not remove any from the sides or bottom. That works for me.

Cheers:

Allan

[Mike Buckley]

If I understood you correctly, Allan, your crop is shown below. I included all of the sixth shadow line but I'm not sure about whether that is your intent.

I do like this crop and it is different enough from all of the other crops that I tried earlier and didn't like. While it renders the pair of chairs as the subject, at least for me, it also retains the study between the horizontal, straight lines and the angled, crooked lines. Thanks for suggesting the crop!

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

I had not too much time to develop the concept but the two chairs could represent a he and a she who spent together entire life(the stairs) and now together are in front of the wall(white bricks) for final judgement(as in every day life we don't see the judge only his light from the left side)The judgement is not together(as you see the left chair is almost judged)

PS a very easy pp helped to the photographer to carry out this idea.