I was planning to use a second photo for yesterdays post about monochromatic images. This picture, which was also taken on a workshop to
Pete's Lake
Upper Peninsula Of Michigan
Copyright Howard Grill
Almost two years ago, I attended Alain Briot and Uwe Steinmueller’s excellent Print Summit and Workshop. As part of that experience, the participants were to bring, for a private critique session with either Uwe or Alain, five or ten images that they had completed prior to the workshop. There was something that really appealed to me about this print, and it is one that I brought to the critique session. It is not easily seen on the small screen, but there is subtle visible detail in the distant land and trees on the right side of the photo. This, as well as the gentle tonal and color changes within the fog, really appealed to me.
The critique I received from Alain was very interesting and quite unexpected. He generally liked the photograph, but with reservation. To him, it didn’t seem to convey a particularly unique vision. One very nice aspect of this session was that he and Uwe actually spent a good amount of time with each participant. The quick “its OK” was therefore not the end of his analysis. As he spent more time with the print, he said that an interesting approach, and one that would more fully ‘personalize’ the image, would be to totally crop out the left side, thereby removing the identifiable land and trees, and use the remaining portion as an abstract involving color and tone. He felt there was a more unique and personal vision contained within the original image.
Abstract CropCopyright Howard Grill
I have mixed feelings about this version. Sometimes I really like it, as it focuses on the content of the image that attracted me to it in the first place. Other times I think that it misses by not conveying the experience of having been at the location. However, that might be a feeling that would only be meaningful to me, having been there. I am curious as to what others think about this version of the photo.
Either way, the session was a superb learning experience and one that gave me insight into another way of looking at and thinking about images. I learned an interesting approach and one that I will keep myself aware of in the future.
5 comments:
Howard, I like them both. The first image, with the trees, has a painterly look about it, just like the type of image I like to produce when possible. The second, yes, I can see you painting this on a canvas; the feeling of warmth produced by a sunset and the 'lines' one would see if one squished one's eyes to look at the scene through the eyelashes. Can you picture that? Well done!
I like the canvas idea. It does have a 'painting' sort of feel to it.
As a separate issue, unfortunately, the crop from the original image is such a relatively small part of it that when I crop it and try to brighten it and add a bit more contrast it tends to really bring out digital noise when enlarged, particularly since a good deal of the crop is in the shadows.
I like both - each have their own place. The wider view I suppose it is hard to characterize your own personality upon it, it is simply a beautiful scene with a great mood and moment.
I find it interesting though that he would tell you that the crop creates a more personal vision. It seems more fitting as his personal interpretation (?). It is also hard to say that is more of a personal vision without being in the context of a body of work.
Mark, good point about the personal vision. Certainly a more unique vision but, you're right, only the individual artist can say what their 'personal' vision is. It is perhaps helpful, though, in the process of trying to explore and develop what one's personal style might ultimately evolve into.
(cool)
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