Jaume,
Thank you for your comments on my PUG submission. I'm not sure what the proper
etiquette for responding to a critique is. I usually don't. Positive or negative I
usually just accept it. In this case I think I can learn a little from digging
deeper. For perspective let me say that I don't necessarily submit my best work to
the PUG, especially if my best shots were accidents. I have been trying to take the
themed PUGs as assignments and for the unthemed PUGs, I give myslef an assignment. In
this case, I thought this old train station was interesting and assigned myself a
particular Saturday morning to be there at sunrise and see what I could do. I agree
it isn't great but it is a much better barometer of my ability than maybe some of my
"better" shots are. For the October PUG I'll probably submit another one of these
self-assignments from about a year ago. I didn't make the self assignment for the PUG
but I think the image fits the theme.
In reference to the train station in particular I shot it as part of a larger self
assignment. I live in an area with a lot of link to the past. As I drive around I
can't help but notice the buildings which betray their decade (or century). I have
been thinking toward developing a small portfolio of local scenes, which, in the
absence of obvious clues, like cars, etc, would be difficult to place in a decade. It
is my hope that if successful, I might be able to use this portfolio to make some
small prints or postcards which could help some locals and tourist part with some of
their hard earned money and help fund my photo habit. To that end I've even toyed
with some b&w and sepia toned prints of the train station. Other ideas are a theatre,
gas station and a barber shop that hasn't changed one whit since it was built in 1918
by the father of the current 70 year old owner. Even the original 1918 toilet is
still in use.
So, the question is, what, if anything would push this image to a higher plane. Your
lighting suggestion probably won't help here as the station faces directly into the
morning sun. Late afternoon would be backlit. I don't know if that would help but it
might. A more intersting sky would not have hurt but I'm not going to blame God for
my mediocre photography. So, have at it, what could/should I have done to really
improve this picture.
Kevin Thornsberry's "Train Station,..."
First, I have to say that to me it is a technically
correct picture, from a 'showing a place' point of
view. I mean, one can have an idea of the building
that is showed in the picture and its environment. But
there is something that prevents me from saying Great!
instead of OK. There is something that makes the
picture special for you (ant thus, that makes you
submit it to the PUG), that I don't see.
And this is something that happens continuously to me.
Sometimes it is even me, when I see the slides, that
think 'This picture doesn't reflect what I saw there'.
Sometimes it happens when I show the picture to
someone else. Then I realize that, the feelings that I
had there, the story of the picture, makes it special
for me but not for this other person, who just looks
at it and says 'oh, so you had a nice weather in
there...'.
Anyway, the place is interesting from a photographic
point of view. A more intense light (late afternoon)
with shadows showing textures, or a more perpendicular
view of the railroad, are possible improvements for
the picture.
I hope this makes sense to you (and you find it
helpful).
-
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