Trip To Museum - Edinburgh

I think the treatment you've given number one is superb, Rob. Number two reminds me of the old Frankenstein movie from the '30s.

Excellent stuff all of them, Rob.
 
A very diverse set Rob and, individually, all superb images. The most immediately appealing to me is the second, what wonderful tones and I like the mystery of the dark stairwell to the left - it does indeed have a period movie feel to it. St Ninians Treasure also has wonderful tones and intrigue to it. I like the boat head because of the simplicity (although a bit burnt out at the top).

Then there's the experimental shots. The 'rotated' slate wall is inspired and, I guess, an extension of your playing around with movement (in-camera or PS - I'm assuming the latter). It works very well and the choice of processing suits it well. And the first shot is brilliant. Not only well timed to get the positioning of the people (I know, you are probably going to say that is just how they were, but in fact you saw it with a compositional eye and captured it - whether you had to wait for it to 'come togther' or not is irrelevant) but the subsequent processing has transformed it further. And that is one of the (many) things I enjoy so much about your photography. You are not constrained. You play and take risks. Much more than me and probably because you came to photography fairly recently and are not influenced (constrained) by a photographic 'past'. You said something to Brian about playing the guitar and "...every day I find new things to keep me curious and involved." and that it also pertained to photography. You also said that you learned so much from RPF. Well I guess that is true of all of us (certainly for me) and now you are teaching. I have learned from you to step beyond my film heritage and start to explore more what can be achieved by pushing processing technology further. Along the way, great things emerge and new ways of thinking about creating images comes about. Thanks Rob.
 
Bloody, Hell, thanks Pete!

The rotated slate wall was done by moving the camera while taking the shot. It worked better than I had hoped, but that was the effect I was after. I know these things can be done in Photoshop, but I really don't like that whole Effects tab stuff.

The first shot - I took a dozen or so, and this one came out best. I remember waiting for the lady with the red coat to be in line with the edge of the boat, but I was completely unaware of the guy walking into the scene at the bottom. I also like the woman's hand touching the boat, talking to her friend. But what makes the shot for me is the boat pointing at the child with the grandparents. One can almost read a "Life Cycle" narrative into the whole image, and that is what was on my mind when doing the pp. With the whiteout (raw processing) I was reminded of those images of sperm in petrie dishes - I know that sounds fanciful, but it was definitely on my mind - and the whole thing just came together. I'm pleased with the shot, but not sure about the frame.

It's true, I do not come from a photographic or image background, and your comments come at a time when I'm having doubts about my ability to take a photograph of any worth. Every upload I see here from other contributors looks amazing to me, especially technically. A lot of my shots are out of focus, badly lit..I could go on, but it would only serve to depress me further! I'm fascinated by Brian's shots using film, often with cheap cameras, and they always have something to say to me, make me keep looking at them. I'm wondering if I'm relying too much on digital manipulation, and maybe I should get back to film. For instance, I did this shot pretty much one of my first shots, using a Pentax K1000...


Bookshops by RobMacKillop, on Flickr

and I've not managed to come close to reproducing that light and colour using a digital camera or any kind of digital software.

Anyway, the journey continues, and I'm the perennial student, never really understanding what I'm doing, but somehow stumbling onwards, going somewhere. I've noticed quite a few pro photographers selling their wares at temporary stalls during the Edinburgh Festival, and their images look like they were made with a £5,000 camera, burnished in a secret form of Photoshop only available to members of an elite club, from which I'm forever banned. On Flickr there are a million shots of such technical perfection, I'm flabbergasted. Yet, mostly they look fake and unreal. Not that fake and unreal cannot be used in Fantasy art, but it's not some place I want to go to. But I can't imagine having a stall of my images next door to those guys!

So, thanks Pete and Brian, and everyone else here.
 
I think that number 2 is my favourite out of these, the tones and slight glow along with the unusual perspective that the lines give conspire to make a lovely image. Number one is a very close second, it has a element of Venture Photography which can be seen a being a little corny. However, the movement blur of the people walking in different directions along with the static people and the fact that not everyone is concentrating on the boat really makes for a superb image.
 
I'm thinking you should be on the wall at the museum with this set Rob - inspired stuff.

I like where you're going - as Pete mentioned, it's pushing people's comfort zones and expectations.
 
It was indeed. As I said, it worked better than I thought it would have. I do, however, have a couple of shots where it didn't quite come out so well...not so much skill as luck :eek:
 
Can't remember, Brian. It was from the days when I probably thought there were only two types of film - colour or black and white! I'm pretty sure it was Kodak. Beyond that, I've no idea. Bought it in Jessops for about £5, so not cheapest.
 
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