Eviction

[hedgetrimmer]

I've been reading this board for a couple of weeks now and have seen some very impressive images. You guys and gals have real talent. I'm an extreme novice but would certainly love to improve my skills. I appreciate any comments on the included photo. For some reason I can't get the image to upload. Hence, the link.

[mtbbrian]

I edited your post and it should be showing now.
Brian

[sweetdeal22]

ooh that's a sad picture. The picture is a tad too bright for me personally, and i also think a crop might help the picture along more. How was the deer killed? It looks to me like it was shoot. (seeing that its not really close to a road to get run over)

Anyway, I'm a novice here too I think you'll like the comments people have to give.

[hedgetrimmer]

Brian, thanks for getting my photo into the message. Maybe you can tell me how to do so from now on. As I said, clicking the upload button and trying to pull the image from disk kept giving me an error that the internet server was down. This made no sense to me, as I clearly defined the source as my D: drive.

Thanks for the comment, Jessica. I know the photo has some serious technical problems, and it certainly didn't help that I used .77 cent film (200 speed) and had the processing done at Wal-Mart. I also shot a roll of Sensia 100 slide that I plan to have processed at a real lab and compare the results.

As for the deer, no, he wasn't shot. He was definitely hit by a car. To the left of the picture is the street.

Like so many cities around the country, the woodlands just outside Atlanta are steadily being cleared for development. Sometimes the greedy bums don't even get around to putting up houses. They simply displace the wildlife and leave a gaping eyesore in the landscape. It's a real shame.

[sweetdeal22]

poor deer

[payn817]

I too thought this was a "trophy" shot at first glance. Then I saw the "for rent" sign in the wooded area, and found a disturbing bit of humor to it. Then, after your story, maybe you picked your title for another reason. Anyway, the brightness has already been mentioned. The angle of the shot looks really pedestrian, perhaps a different angle would be more effective. Depending on wether your intent was the "humor", or an "awareness" message, would dictate the best framing and angle.

For example, if I were going for the humor, I would have gotten lower to the ground and closer to the subject, with the for rent sign off in the BG and showing a bit more of the wooded area. However, I am not sure I would want a closeup of deer brains on the sidewalk, unless is was purely for reasons of awareness (just my personal opinion).

The $.77 film was Polaroid HD from Wal-Mart, right? That film is what I use sometimes for muted colors, and for my "toy" camera, and as with all other films, it has characteristics all it's own. In the right scene, you'd probably appreciate it. Wal-Mart typically has a bad rep for processing, the most popular complaint is with skin tones and blown out skies, so they may be best avoided. I use an Eckerd, but it is the district training photolab, so the products are always fresh, and someone very knowledgeable is typically there. You should have one in the Atlanta area, you may want to give em a try.

Sorry for the long post, and hope I didn't seem too negative, welcome to the board, and hope to see more from you soon. BTW, I'm just down the road from you, if you ever come to Macon, drop me a PM and we'll do a walk

[hedgetrimmer]

Payn, thanks for the feedback.

I definitely was not aiming for any kind of humor in this shot. The sign, which is clearly readable on my prints but is also a bit blurry on my monitor, is a "for sale" sign. I was attempting to make a statement about the displacement of wildlife in the area as so many developers have come in and cut down all the habitat.

My usual medium of expression is the printed word, particularly the essay, but lately I've been trying to capture some things visually. There are several little lakes (ponds) that I fished for many years. Tucked away in the woods, the waters and surrounding area were very scenic and untouched. They have since been reduced to mud holes with houses built all around.

I can remember the clear, emerald green lakes, the vibrant autumn leaves, the symmetric water ripples as bass fan the surface. All this is still fresh in my mind, and I can put it down on paper and try to recreate the image in my reader's mind, but not a day goes by that I do not regret not having taken pictures of these places. I suppose that, more than anything, attracts me to this artistic medium. There's the ability to capture a piece of time and make it permanent.

And you're right about the film. It is Polaroid.