Oldest part of London

[LauriePriest]

This was a really fun piece to make, two images used one in Canary Warf London and the other from Italy, Had to dodge out each half half carefully to get the blend, took half an hour to do one enlargement .

[LauriePriest]

Any feedback of any description would be great guys.

[mtbbrian]

Interesting photograph.
You really have to look at it a few times to get a good feel for it.
You did a good job with the combining of the two images.
It looks a little flat to me.
Whata was your intent with this photograph anyway?
Welcome PR.com too, if I haven't already done so.
I look forward to seeing more from you.
And by the way, we generally try to limit files to 600 pixles.
Brian

[LauriePriest]

hehe oke ill keep that in mind. Its un- photoshoped and the scanner i have seems to saturate images a little, i used really nice silver gelatin paper so the blacks are very deep on the actual print and the whites tend to glow, ill give it a tweak to try and bring it closer to what it looked like on paper.

[LauriePriest]

heh thats a hard question, im going into a project on stereotyping of location and figure, and hoping to play with peoples reactions to a location or figure by juxterposing context with context, figure with figure or context with figure etc.

This piece i think is portraying the lonleyness and solitude i felt when i go to modern city areas, I think the rubbling aged building i blended it with is really highlighting this. Im in the early stages of this project and im rushing out ideas at the moment, sorry if they are a little hazey.

[mtbbrian]

MMMMMMMMMMM!! Sounds yummy!
I envy you in a way, being able to print in a darkroom and all that.
Printing "true black and white" photographs.
Keep It Up!
Can't wait to see more from you.
Brian

[Overbeyond]

There's a debate in my head over this and I'm not too sure. I like the idea but it's a bit confusing.
But it's great to see unusual stuff.

[OldSchool]

Ok. I looked at the photo before reading your comments, and I thought "Wow, what a merge between old and new." And then I read your text. The dark slash in the center is kind of distracting. To get your idea across, what if you toned one image one color and then next another color. This may be less confusing (and more entertaining) to the viewer.

[LauriePriest]

yup, i see exactly what you mean, though i get less control in the darkroom in the time i had, here is an edit i did earlier addressing this issue somewhat, id rather nto fade two colors as it would clash it as two different places rather then one.

[mtbbrian]

Better!
I know, there are at least two places that offer some kind of rental darkroom space in my area.
If I ever do a black and white photograph that I really want to print I'll do it one day.
I mainly work in color anymore.
Please remember 600 pixles!
Thanks!
Brian

[LauriePriest]

oke im confuzzled, 600 pixels is a max in either high or length or both ?

[jar_e]

oke im confuzzled, 600 pixels is a max in either high or length or both ?

If it's a horizontal shot, 600 pixel width, vertical, 600 long. So really, whatever side is longest just set at 600 and whichever program you use should automatically fill in the other length by it's ratio. With your other shots, I love the idea, it's just the things seem to busy. Maybe if you started the lower half of the picture later, so you don't have those vertical lines at the transition.

Nice shooting,

Jared

[LauriePriest]

Hmm, maybe, i have a feeling the two contexts would be over ridden by the old/ classical context. I Perfer the first one, although it is too gray in some areas this is unavoidable as turning contrasts up will result in loosing the grays that make it subtle. Remember this is a 4/6 print, its smaller than this in real life. Some of the rawness that stares you in the face at this scale isnt so apparent.

[mtbbrian]

oke im confuzzled, 600 pixels is a max in either high or length or both ?

No more than 600 on both dimensions.
Sorry about the confussion!
Brian

[Hindey]

Hi,
I have to say I'm confused as to why this is stickied for featured photograph. I looked at it earlier in the week and didn't comment because I couldn't think of anything positive to say. I really don't like it! It's busy, not very subtle and for me it just doesn't gel as a photograph. Perhaps I'm missing something, but the standard of the Photo of the Week is always exceptionally high and for me this one falls short.

Just my two cents.

Chris

[LauriePriest]

I think your confused about what im trying to do, many photograhs (many of the average ive seen online) are exploring quaity of captrure of the world. I explore ideas and feelings rather than image quality and objects or people. Many photographers either dadaist or later have explored what im trying to do through the same methods, less of a focus on the Edward Weston style fantasticly tonal images and contrasts but more on a dreamlike world, expressing mind rather than beautry through photography.

Im considering scaling down many of my photographs as they do appear diffeerently at larger scale, they where printed originally at a small scale and so the flaws people spot now are not so apparent and therefore do not over-ride the ideas of the image so much.

I understand compleatly that the majority of people dont expore the same notions as me and from my experience of other forums dont like edited or montaged work in the slightest, this is of course a perfectly reasonable picture. Photography is art, and like art it isnt allways quality in recording an object that makes it good but it can be what the piece suggests.

[mtbbrian]

I accidently selected this photo to be this week's "featured photo", when I meant to select another of Laurie's photographs.
I for one like what Laurie is doing.
Brian

[gahspidy]

Laurie, I like the concept you have in mind for this series, or project. I can relate to your wishes to express an idea or concept with a collective set of images as that is how I find I like to express my form as well.
I like the idea here and the tones are very good. You have a good talent for combining the two negs during enlargement. My concern with this image, as others have stated, is that it does feel "busy". I like the right side of the image with its transition up to the older structure, but if you were to keep the older structure completely out of the left side, it would simplify and perhaps strenghten the effect. Just my opinion. Good Work.

[LauriePriest]

hmm oke ill give that a go, ill reprint the back-ground and put it over this print to keep the blend on the right side and then just color photocopy the right side to try that out. i shall repost within near future, ty for feedback.