Public Servants. . .Utility Poles(connected)

[gahspidy]

This is actually a scene on my street. The row of houses, the leaning pole with it's jumble of wires connecting evryone. The entire composition is completely intentional including the street and car being half cut off.
How does this work for you?
Thanks ( please do not suggest cloning out the wires) ;)

[payn817]

I can see this as part of your series, but think it would be the weakest part. Not because of technical reasons, just because it seems more like a snapshot to me. However, how else would you include the power grid in your series? So, perhaps I am wrong in my thinking. I like the tones though, the sky is nice, and the subject is clear without title, or without the rest of the series.

I can't really decide how I feel about it...lol

[dbutler]

If I had the cash, I'd get you an even wider lens for Christmas because I think it's the lens that's failing you. You need the wires, you need the houses and you need the cars, but, to me, the lens isn't wide enough to really capture it all. It's almost there but not quite, at least to my eye. I think it makes the comp a little awkward. The image itself is awesome and takes me back to my days up north, where such a mess was very typical (I don't see it as much down south).

[Chunk]

I think it's a worthwhile shot. While cussing the wires that get in the way of my shots I, too, am sometimes attracted to them as an illustration of the haphazard way in which much of our infrastructure has come to exist. I think the cars and houses are secondary to the utilities and simply supply the setting info. The great sky strengthens the shot.

[readingr]

OoH! this is a tuff call, lloked at this for quite some time and still not sure. I think the complete car would be better and the bottom of the pole - wider angle lens for christmas?

But then I am drawn to this purely because I live in neat old England and we don't have such jumbles of wires here, and we definately don't hang dustbins on our poles :-)

As Chunk has pointed out the sky is captivating. and I still can't make my mind up perhaps like you said in another post its an OK photo, but not as brilliant as what we are used to from you.

Roger

[photophorous]

All the good stuff everyone else said about he sky, nice lines, patterns for the houses, etc. You said this was all intentional...so why chop the cars in half? What was your intent with that? That's the only part that bugs me...makes me think it's more accidental, like a snapshot. Other than that, this is pretty cool...just not up to par with the rest of your work.

Paul

[Knight]

Love the Sky , croping is good with me (car and house ) maybe just a little more contrast but thats a matter of taste i guess lol But heres my but , being a Power Lineman i look at this and it reminds me of the good old days when i was a young Lineman ( some 30 or so odd years ago hehe) Truly this photo brings me back to those years wich is super cool Bet you some of those poles are over 30 + years old , theres basicly no end to how long a system like that will last ( weather permiting )

I sure would like to C some more photos in this genre Gary , Well done

[CLKunst]

Gary,

I had to come back and look a couple times to make up my mind about this one. . .I like it. It has the same basic vertical and horizontal directional elements as your water fountain servant (except with MANY more horizontals). The depth is beautiful with the GRID stretching into infinity. The tones and textures are classic Gary B/W, very rich and smooth. I don't give a whit about the car, that's just a rectangular block at the bottom, I know what it is and I'm glad I can't see it. It's not about the car, it's about the LINES, man.

Nice Work.

Regards,

[Seb]

This is actually a scene on my street. The row of houses, the leaning pole with it's jumble of wires connecting evryone. The entire composition is completely intentional including the street and car being half cut off.
How does this work for you?
Thanks ( please do not suggest cloning out the wires) ;)

Though call as people said. I like this from a "geometrical point of view". The wires, the posts, the row of houses interact together in an interesting way. I would supose that this is the aspect that draw your attention at the first place (correct me if I am wrong on that!). That being said, the picture remain odd to me. The cut cars distract me. Actually, I wish there was no car at all in the foreground. It would make the scene cleaner and would help me to focus on what I think is the most important here.

You challenge me Gary! I can't say that I really like it as a whole but I can't say that I hate it...

Seb

[gahspidy]

Well, I knew this image would cause some controversy and i was curious to see what would come up. I really appreciate all the great, thought out analysis and suggestions. It seems the cropped street with cars is the big issue here. This was shot with a 28-75mm lens at full open 28mm. I have a 17-40L in my bag, so lacking the wider angle was not the cause ( Thanks Dbutler, it's the thought that counts) I needed to street and cars to be visible to "ground" the image, otherwise it would not feel right. But I did not want the whole street and cars in the shot because I felt it would then look as a street scene with a large utility pole in the shot. I have seen many images from famous photogs in where there are elements cut off and what at first appears to be a sloopy crop, but you realize that it ultimately works . I do not think I am much adept at pulling that off perhaps, and in my case it may just appear to have been absent mindedly cropped off. I liked the result of this image alot upon processing it as I knew what I was going for and felt had achieved, but it seems that may not be so. I will most likely try this again and include the street and cars and see how I feel about it. payn817, dbutler, Chunk, Roger, Paul, Knight, CLKunst, and Seb. . .when you say it needs something more or does not feel right, that carries much weight with me and makes me rethink my approach . . . .and when I hear that it works and you seem to get what it was I tried to achieve, itis very encouraging and rewarding. Thanks very much for your time.

[readingr]

I have seen many images from famous photogs in where there are elements cut off and what at first appears to be a sloopy crop, but you realize that it ultimately works .

Gary,

I know what you mean and perhaps if more of the front of the car was in then it would be fine, e.g. down to the bumper, or fender in your case, its just there is not enough of it to make this work.

Roger

[LeeIs]

First, I'm sure every one will agree that wires GET in the WAY! Gosh I hate them. but in this case they were the subject or part of the composition for starts which is quite different to say the least.

I like the way the lines are slicing up the skies in to many different sections. The sky it self is quite appealing IMO. I don't mind the cars being cut off as the focal point is really upward. I actually appreciate getting only the top part of the car as it's not that important IMO and showing more at the bottom would dilute the focus.

The first pole's lean seems to be offset by the second then the third and then the forth which looks pretty straight by then. All leading to a vanishing point not that far off up above.

Yes it's unconventional but I still like it. The skies here are the glue that holds everything together if they weren't so great I don't think this would've worked.

[payn817]

I can agree with that LeeIs. I think the reason this is so tough for most of us is because it breaks so many "rules" we have thrust upon us as beginners. I am not yet developed enough to understand how to break the rules and get away with it, but imagine that this is exactly what we have here.

If all the great artists followed the "rules", there would have been no great artists. Gary, your style continues to be an inspiration, and I look forward to your posts always.

[readingr]

Gary, Just figured out what is causing me the problem, as you can guess I keep coming back to this photo.

Its the fact that the bonnet (hood) of the car is at an angle - crop it so that there is no hood and it looks much much better, my opinion of course.

Roger

[CLKunst]

I second that, a little sliver off the bottom or maybe you could clone it out? LOL!

[Overbeyond]

I would not crop this at all. But I feel it would be better if the main car was not there at all and we could see a little more along. Treat that as a side issue. The tension in this shot is created by, and in particular, the pylon and it's off-plumbness appearance combined with the conglormoration of wires below a good sky.
Tom

[PlantedTao]

I love this shot!
The reason: before reading anything (besides the title) I immediately was drawn into the photo and started to formulate my own opinions about how we are connected and the haphazardness of it all.
I like the angle and the crop...and I would say that you did a stellar job of getting just what you wanted in the photo. I really like how all the elements in this photo draw you in...Everything leads to a very satisfying vanishing point.

I too am really trying to get away from the notion of the "perfect photo" (the rules and all that)...and come up with more thought provoking photos that had an idea before the shutter was clicked, I guess that is why I enjoy this photo so much.

Nicely done. Cheers.

[gahspidy]

Plantedtao, Tom, CLKunst, Roger, payn817, Liban, dbutler, Knight, Chunk, Paul, Seb . . .I keep looking over all your comments, and am really glad i put this one out here because it turned out to be interesting to say the least with much intelligent discussion to be had. I must say that the shot just feels right to me and i feel a sense of accomplishment when I view it because it is as I wanted it to be. I think I must be true to myself and go with it, with the knowledge that this shot will not please most of the people most of the time. I agree with some comments about the car, and i do agree that it may have been stronger without it there altogether. Yeah, the sky is very important to me and i would not have shot it without the sky adding its thing.
As for the unconventional, rules, and the perfect photo thing. . .yeah, i think it's easy to get wound up in it all and then it becomes exhausting and stifling. The guidlines are good to keep in mind, but remaining flexible is very important.
Thanks again, all.

[dbutler]

AMEN!!! And I agree about the rules. If we're always thinking about those damn thirds, that Golden Mean, or that "OMG! It's in the middle" thing, we do tend to lose our edge.

[Chunk]

AMEN!!! And I agree about the rules. If we're always thinking about those damn thirds, that Golden Mean, or that "OMG! It's in the middle" thing, we do tend to lose our edge.

It's good to think about them, but discard them when it's right.