A first go at Art

[xpatUSA]

Art as in having a theme (land clearance):



My trusty machete sits in a stump and by so doing hints of work to be done on the pile of stuff in the background.

I think:

Background too blurred.
Should have used fill flash or waited for better light on the stump. Worth discussing though because the low tone contrasts with the brighter background.
Maybe get the tools and stump bigger versus the pile ... maybe.

The brown foliage is because I'm currently shooting full spectrum, this shot with no lens filters.

Comments invited. EXIF should be accessible. If not f/4, 1/320, 30mm, 100 ISO.

X3F file exported from RawDigger as RGB then touched up in RawTherapee ...

[pschlute]

Nope, you have lost me.

[xpatUSA]

Nope, you have lost me.

Sorry to hear that. Too much information or not enough?

I was reading about Art in Photography and one of the many basic tips is to decide a theme to which the elements of the scene contribute. I already said that the theme for this shot was land clearance, of which I do a lot around the property. Mainly brush but also the occasional tree.

The machete represents brush-clearing the old way; perhaps I should dig out my old Oxford County Council bill-hook to make it more relevant to English viewers. The machete rests in the stump of an oak tree that I felled long ago, albeit with a chain-saw. In the background there is a pile of dead brush which needs to be cut up and burned. Behind that is the edge of my clearing just a-waiting for more clearance activity.

The sharpening stone is there to show that I look after my tools - but more Art crept in, because it's actually the finest one I've got, totally unsuitable for sharpening machetes.

HTH.

[Manfred M]

+1 to Peter's comment. Not working at all for me either. The background is just one big distraction.

[Rufus]

I basically agree with Peter and Manfred. I feel the background is too indistinct to build the narrative you gave, but I like the idea. I also think the colours do not help.

I am perfectly happy for an image to have some written explanation of the concept and context to guide the viewer, but on this occasion I would like there to be a more direct relationship between what I read and what I see.

I do hope you will be planting some trees to replace those felled!

[xpatUSA]

I basically agree with Peter and Manfred. I feel the background is too indistinct to build the narrative you gave, but I like the idea. I also think the colours do not help.

I am perfectly happy for an image to have some written explanation of the concept and context to guide the viewer, but on this occasion I would like there to be a more direct relationship between what I read and what I see.

I do hope you will be planting some trees to replace those felled!

It's a bit different over here, David. Out of the 10 acres that I bought, I've only cleared about a 1/4 acre. The rest is totally overgrown with too many trees and shrubs, rather than a few trees needing replacement. Apart from a driveway and a path down to the back fence, it's impossible to even walk around the place.

Google 29.9197N, 96.3435W, feel free to have have a look ...

[Rufus]

It's a bit different over here, David. Out of the 10 acres that I bought, I've only cleared about a 1/4 acre. The rest is totally overgrown with too many trees and shrubs, rather than a few trees needing replacement. Apart from a driveway and a path down to the back fence, it's impossible to even walk around the place...

Seems like you have quite project on your hands!

[Shadowman]

I think the stump/machete is fine regarding lighting, agree that the pile is too blurred, might consider reshooting the scene from lower angle and with a wider angle lens.

[royent]

To me if a photograph needs an explanation, it's failed. Sorry
Roy

[Stagecoach]

If I was going to shoot this to fit the theme I would try this;

- shoot with a longer lens
- shoot from further back
- shoot from a lower position
- shoot for the knife/stump to take up 3/4 of the height of the frame
- shoot for the knife stump to be partly obscuring the dead brush heap
- shoot for the dead brush heap to be recognisable but not fully in focus
- shoot for the trees brush to also be in the scene

Our universal brush/tree clearing tool here is the cane knife, if I gave that machete to the lads that do some clearing work for me I suspect they would start sword fighting

[xpatUSA]

Thanks all for comments so far. Before recent comments I had already gone out with a different camera and shot this:



Same Theme. My own comments are:

Bright branches at top left draw the eye and should be cloned out or toned down (better).
Dish at first glance inappropriate but left in to emphasize the rural location.
Foliage in foreground left in to represent more clearing needed.
Background much better but still deliberately blurred to emphasize the tool.
Trees left in to serve as left/right borders and to maintain rural aspect.

This image is an OOG JPEG quickly processed in FastStone Viewer - saved in sRGB but no embedded ICC profile.

Further comments invited of course ... depending on which, might process the raw in RawTherapee and keep it.

[Shadowman]

I like the angle of this shot, don't even mind the tree and cabin border but would lose the dish.

[Rufus]

I much prefer this image, but the dish draws my eye, so I would be inclind to remove it. This is partly because it is bright and partly because the machete acts as a lead line to it.

I agree the bright branches would be better toned down.

[pschlute]

This image looks more natural to me. The first looked like you had messed with the colours. But I would get rid of the building/tree on the left, and the dish on the right.

Even then I think I would bin it...sorry

I would ask you Ted, what attracted you to this scene ?

I have a sneaky feeling there is more to this than meets the eye (in a mischievous, not nasty way)

[xpatUSA]

This image looks more natural to me. The first looked like you had messed with the colours.

It was the camera. Remember that I said "The brown foliage is because I'm currently shooting full spectrum, this shot with no lens filters." That is why the greens look brown.

But I would get rid of the building/tree on the left, and the dish on the right.

Even then I think I would bin it...sorry

I would ask you Ted, what attracted you to this scene ?

I have a sneaky feeling there is more to this than meets the eye (in a mischievous, not nasty way)

Yes, the shot was an exercise - to do with understanding a facet (a Theme) of Art in Photography. There's really nothing arty around here. The original post was more about "Is this a Theme, therefore Arty?" than trying to post an impressive image per se.

Thanks for your further input.

[xpatUSA]

I much prefer this image, but the dish draws my eye, so I would be inclind to remove it. This is partly because it is bright and partly because the machete acts as a lead line to it.

I agree the bright branches would be better toned down.

Thanks David and John. Good point about the dish, hadn't considered 'leading lines'.

[pschlute]

It was the camera. Remember that I said "The brown foliage is because I'm currently shooting full spectrum, this shot with no lens filters." That is why the greens look brown.

Yes that is what i did not understand. May be helpful if you explained your technique ?

[xpatUSA]

Yes that is what i did not understand. May be helpful if you explained your technique ?

Certainly. Sigma cameras do not have a CFA, therefore it is necessary for Sigma to include a UV/IR blocking filter between the lens and the sensor. On their interchangeable-lens cameras, the filter is in the lens-mount and is easily removed by a thumbnail. The camera then becomes sensitive to near UV and near IR in addition to the visible wavelengths. Ordinary cameras can be modified similarly by removing the CFA off of the sensor by an expert - but it is not normally replaceable, unlike the Sigmas where you just pop the filter back in.

So, it's not really a technique as such: With the filter out, what you get is about 300 to 1100 nm's worth of irradiance spectrum which of course can be modified by placing filters on the lens. I have several, for example, a Kolari "hot mirror" to turn the camera back into a visible-light-only shooter.

HTH.