Critique Welcomed Murals of La Jolla

[Chris Dodkin]

La Jolla is a rather well to do suburb of San Diego - this is where the Ferrari and Rolls Royce dealerships set up shop for example

The well-heeled locals like their art, the place is full of galleries and stores selling expensive (and often tasteless) art - even photographer Pete Lik has a gallery here.

La Jolla - Galleries

The locals recently decided to use their city as a canvas for art - and commissioned a series of 8 murals, to be placed on buildings around town.

The murals went up during 2012, and are now all in place.

I figured they'd make interesting subjects, so went out with the Blad to see what their efforts had wrought.

Kim MacConnel - "Girl from Ipanema"

'Applied' by Richard Allen Morris

Ryan McGinness - "53 Women"

Ann Hamilton - "at sea"

"House" by Robert Ginder

John Baldessari - "Brain/Cloud (with Seascape and Palm Tree)"

Anya Gallaccio - "Surf’s up"

Roy McMakin - "Favorite Color"


All shots Fuji Reala 100

I had to crash a restaurant to get the Brain/Cloud shot - luckily they seemed amenable to someone barging in at lunchtime and leaning over their railing with a Blad!

Favorite Color is the color original of 'Favorite Colour?' http://www.realphotographersforum.com/general/10809-favorite-color.html which I posted first, as I actually like the B&W better

The Girl from Ipanema is painted on the local B&O dealership - and the manager came out and asked if I was shooting film - he seemed happy when I said yes

Surf's Up is an electron microscope image from a grain of beach sand - who knew!

All in all a fun project - I think the OTT art suits the style of the locals - as I headed back to the freeway I passed a new Lamborghini being delivered to it's owner - nuff said!

 

[Brian Moore]

Wonderful, Chris. And all on film! Good on ye, laddie!

That second one looks 3d! "At Sea" and "House" are excellent shots. Wait,...they're all bloody excellent shots, but those two appeal especially.

Does the 'blad have a builty in meter or were you using a hand-held or estimating exposure or what?

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Thank you sir - much appreciated

No meter in the blad - although you can buy a replacement prism viewfinder with basic metering in it

I've been using my Sekonic for both incident and occasional spot metering

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Careful what you say, laddie - my father's sister lives in a condo in La Jolla. She is forever inviting me over, and I'd love to go --- but it's not going to happen, unfortunately.

Great shots, Chris. I don't like any of the murals, but then I don't think I've ever liked any murals I've seen anywhere! Love the shots, though, and the blad really suits you, sir

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Rob - a condo in La Jolla - very nice place to be.

I quite like 53 Women and Girl from Ipanema, and I could live with Favorite Color (In fact I spoke to the guy who owned the Corvette and he said he had considered filing a planning complaint against the mural as a joke!)

Finally getting my head around the Blad - it's a great challenge for the grey matter - so many things to learn and re-learn - let alone having to thing of Pete every time I do a composition!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Nice Chris. Great color and sharpness. I would probably photoshop out the lights hanging over the edge of the top of the building in the first shot but that might be considered cheating.

Can I trade my last two Kendal Mint Cakes for the orange Mustang?

 

[Dave Moss]

Great colours Chris love the corvette

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Nice Chris. Great color and sharpness. I would probably photoshop out the lights hanging over the edge of the top of the building in the first shot but that might be considered cheating.

That's cheating Ralph!

- - - Updated - - -

Great colours Chris love the corvette

Thanks Me too - although initially I was annoyed because it was parked in front of the mural!

 

[Beth Anthony]

at seas and brain cloud are my favorites. love the pete-ness of it all.

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

A wonderful set, Chris. I find the "Applied" so real (3D) and edible!
Brain/Cloud in relation to its environment - a smashing vantage point.

 

[Pete Askew]

Fabulous series Chris. If I had to choose I like the last shot with the car and squares I think.