Critique Welcomed Ship of Theseus

[Gianluca Drago]

About two hours' drive from where I live, in the nearby mountains, there is a small plateau that does not even have a proper village. Just alpine pastures, a few mountain houses and lots of cows. Here and there survive small patches of moorland, partially protected from the boots of tourists, and these poor, centuries-old wooden cabins in which lumberjacks used to find shelter when they came up from the plains during the working season. Over time, these huts have been largely abandoned. Now it seems that the local government has bought them for preservation by renting them out to those who are committed to preserving them, but the state of preservation is not the best at the moment.
For decades these shacks were saved, overcoming two world wars, by replacing deteriorated parts piece by piece, like in the Ship of Theseus.

These photos show all the limitations of my camera: as soon as I use an aperture that is too open or too closed or when I use the zoom at its extreme values. I think I should abandon this point-and-shoot and go back to something more serious.

Any comments are welcome.

Post scriptum: the first photo depicts a toilet.

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

Interesting spot, and a nice set of photos! I have to confess I don't see any issues re camera choice, but camera shopping is fun, so don't me stop you .

I find the processing intriguing. I would rarely use this level of 'muted-ness' but I really like it here. Maybe I should broaden my outlook.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

I find the processing intriguing. I would rarely use this level of 'muted-ness' but I really like it here. Maybe I should broaden my outlook.

Thank you, Steve. The JPEGs out of the camera were horrible, also because the photos were taken in the middle hours of the day. My first edit emphasised the colours and contrast, in the end with an even worse result than the original JPEGs. So I tried another way, and, although it is clear that the images were heavily edited in post, I believe (or I want to believe) that they better reflect the reality I saw.

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

although it is clear that the images were heavily edited in post, I believe (or I want to believe) that they better reflect the reality I saw.

I don't know... they don't feel that processed to me, and quite realistic!

 

[Gianluca Drago]

I don't know... they don't feel that processed to me, and quite realistic!

I can assure you that they were processed a lot. But I'm glad to hear that apparently I did a decent job.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

My first instinct was b&w, but the more of them I looked At I saw the value of colour. I must say the last shot is superb, compositionally - a memorable image.

I like the muted quality in colour and depth of field. You wouldn’t want such buildings to be bright and ‘forward’.

In short, I really like the series. I’d have experimented with f4 or 5.6, again to not overstate the presence of the buildings in the landscape. Time has helped them blend-in with their surroundings, and that’s how I would try to present them.

What a wonderful place to wander around in!

 

[Geoff Chaplin]

I love the subject matter - the same type of dilapidated collapsing homes, barns and sheds exist here in Hokkaido, despite the Japanese penchant for keeping everything neat, tidy and characterless.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

I’d have experimented with f4 or 5.6, again to not overstate the presence of the buildings in the landscape

Thank you Rob, and, you are probably right about the wider aperture.

 

[Ralph Turner]

A fine set. The muted colour palette suits the old weathered buildings well, not entirely unlike hand-coloured black and white prints. That last image is, indeed, a cracker. Superb.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

A fine set. The muted colour palette suits the old weathered buildings well, not entirely unlike hand-coloured black and white prints. That last image is, indeed, a cracker. Superb.

Thank you, Ralph. Appreciated.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

More than one of you liked the last photo (thanks for the feedback), and Rob suggested black and white. I had already tried B&W, but it was rather bland, now I'm going to try again. The problem is that the more I immerse myself in the pleasure of editing, the more I drift away from reality and in the end I am no longer able to judge the result. I get lost in digital translation, I hardly accept the fact that translating is a bit of betraying. I don't know, You be the Judge of the 'Golden Calf'.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

More than one of you liked the last photo (thanks for the feedback), and Rob suggested black and white. I had already tried B&W, but it was rather bland, now I'm going to try again. The problem is that the more I immerse myself in the pleasure of editing, the more I drift away from reality and in the end I am no longer able to judge the result. I get lost in digital translation, I hardly accept the fact that translating is a bit of betraying. I don't know, You be the Judge of the 'Golden Calf'.

Oops! Probably I edited the wrong one. Sorry. I don't know which one is 'the last photo'. I was following the file naming order but you probably followed the forum presentation order. Can you help me here?

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

More than one of you liked the last photo (thanks for the feedback), and Rob suggested black and white. I had already tried B&W, but it was rather bland, now I'm going to try again. The problem is that the more I immerse myself in the pleasure of editing, the more I drift away from reality and in the end I am no longer able to judge the result. I get lost in digital translation, I hardly accept the fact that translating is a bit of betraying. I don't know, You be the Judge of the 'Golden Calf'.

That's lovely!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

You got the right one. At least the same I was reffing to.

Well, it’s certainly different! They are two different images. The b&w one has more punch, reaches out to you, could be a still from a film. There’s a lot about it I like. The colour version pales by comparison, but in itself is a beautiful photo.

I can’t choose between them.

The digital world has its own reality, as does the analogue world. Photography has very little (nothing?) to do with reality.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

I can’t choose between them.

I think the colour ones are documentary (even if the editing was a bit pushed towards a personal interpretation) and seen together they are certainly more interesting. If, on the other hand, we have to isolate a single photo, certainly the B&W one is stronger. This is my modest criticism of myself (sorry).

 

[Rob MacKillop]

There’s no negativity for you to ponder, Gianluca. Both are very good photos. Win, win.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

There’s no negativity for you to ponder, Gianluca. Both are very good photos. Win, win.

Thank you, Rob.

 

[Brian Moore]

I love the architectural chaos in these structures but I especially love the B&W one with the cow. A wonderful photo, Gianluca!

 

[Gianluca Drago]

I love the architectural chaos in these structures but I especially love the B&W one with the cow. A wonderful photo, Gianluca!

Thank you, Brian. Nice to see you back in the forum.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

It IS good to see Brian back after a short absence (congratulations, grandad!). I can’t imagine this place without Brian. Although you’ve developed into an excellent digital photographer, Brian, especially in architecture and landscape genres, it is your film work which brings out a more playful quality, leading to me to think you enjoy film work more. Is there something in that?