Tom Dinning
Well-Known Member
What's going on here?
What's going on?
- Thread starter Tom Dinning
- Start date
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
At first glance, my answer was "nothing much". But then I stayed a little longer, and slowly a whole bunch of narratives unfolded. The main journey, as I see it here, is from the child in the push chair to the old guy in the wheelchair, with the word "mind" standing watching. The inbetween stuff is just the stuff of life.
Tom Dinning
Well-Known Member
"The photograph is between the paper and the place" my Old Man, sometime last century.
"just the stuff of life", Rob? That's like a doctor telling me " it's just blood" as he amputates my leg.
One reason why we take photos is to provide an explanation, to explain, to show others what is going on. In most cases we stop the clock and describe visually, just a moment of what is happening. So, how can we know what is going on?
"just the stuff of life", Rob? That's like a doctor telling me " it's just blood" as he amputates my leg.
One reason why we take photos is to provide an explanation, to explain, to show others what is going on. In most cases we stop the clock and describe visually, just a moment of what is happening. So, how can we know what is going on?
Tom Dinning
Well-Known Member
Explanatory photos aren't like instruction manuals. Words clarify, photos stimulate and amplify. Interpretation of words is related to our vocabulary and an understanding of semantics. Interpreting what's going on in a photo relies on experience and familiarity.
We present a photo and say "look what's happening here" and you'll get a thousand answers from a thousand people.
Is it possible to take a photo where everyone agrees on what is happening?
We present a photo and say "look what's happening here" and you'll get a thousand answers from a thousand people.
Is it possible to take a photo where everyone agrees on what is happening?
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
No.
Tom Dinning
Well-Known Member
Our visual cortex emphasizes different things at different times.
We take more interest at first in:
Big over little
Sharp over blurred
Moving over still
Close over distant
Faces
Eyes
Eye contact
Yellow
Strong contrast
Strong geometry
Personal interests
Opposite sex
And a string of other things.
If we allow these to dominate our vision we miss a shitload.
If you're a photographer, you pride yourself on paying attention to detail.
If you're a viewer, do the same thing. Photos can reveal more on second glance than you might think. Then listen to the voice inside. It will fill in the gaps.
We take more interest at first in:
Big over little
Sharp over blurred
Moving over still
Close over distant
Faces
Eyes
Eye contact
Yellow
Strong contrast
Strong geometry
Personal interests
Opposite sex
And a string of other things.
If we allow these to dominate our vision we miss a shitload.
If you're a photographer, you pride yourself on paying attention to detail.
If you're a viewer, do the same thing. Photos can reveal more on second glance than you might think. Then listen to the voice inside. It will fill in the gaps.
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Pete Askew
Admin
You should have aimed higher though Tom. You missed where the arrow was pointing! 
Interesting as always.
Interesting as always.
Ivar Dahl-Larsen
Well-Known Member
Yes, where nothing is going on but the breeze of the wind, the clear blue sky above you with the sun's warmness shines on you as you lie down on your back in the grass
Tom Dinning
Well-Known Member
Unless you're dead
