On 10/25/2014 14:07, Igor PDML-StR wrote:
Ann,
Yes, I think the fact that you took this photo early in the morning
explains while there is nobody in the park. And it is very unusual
for that place. (Although I don't know how it was back in 1967.)
It was flower child heaven and always crowded. I think I must have
taken this near Christmas of 1967 - another reason for the tranquility
in the park - natives as well as and students from various institutions
were out of the city for the holidays in addition to those still in town
in the village who didn't get home the night before until almost dawn.
And, of course,
the buildings around that you know from 2004 were simply not there in 1967.
As for the tilt, - first of all, let me say that it is your image, and
the artist can choose the tilt that she prefers.
And yes, it was a very interesting puzzle.
Ah but you see that's the thing... I had nothing to do with the tilt or
lack of it in this photo. It is possible that the original neg was a bit
tilted from my not holding the camera spot on straight, but then
the photo was printed by a custom lab, I scanned from the print.
I dont' mind the science - but I actually always view whatever
I am looking at in photoshop in "grid view" to check the horizontals and
the verticals - mostly in stuff I am shooting for ebay - Starbucks cards
scanned on my flatbed, e.g. certainly, a sunset over the water shot with
a tilted horizon is not aesthetically pleasing.
Bottom line here is, I looked at this image in photoshop after you
pointed out the degree off and saw that the left edge of tall building
in the background closer to the left lined up perfectly with one of the
grid marks. So did the left edge of the waste container, which is
not crooked or it wouldn' t line up with a photoshop grid line.
Of course you are using just your eyes, right? not actually placing a
grid over the image?
If this were a digital file that I fiddled with to correct what
I was unable to capture due to grab shots and such and I didn't nail it
someone seeing that is useful.
There is a thing on the bottom right corner of the screen on smugmug
that you can click on to enlarge the photo right up to the original
size,btw.
I always blah blah on a bit when I write, and I apologize and hope I
dont' sound cranky - I'm not in the mode at all - just pointing out
that aesthetics totally aside, the key elements that need to be
perpendicular are those that truly are in real life in a particular
venue for probably the most um tranquil viewing... unless it is
clear that a tilt or skew or whatever is what the photographer saw
and wants to show someone else. think Orson Wells. :-)
all the best
ann
However, if we are talking about the true vertical, I do not quite agree
with your choice of what you choose as a vertical/horizontal reference.
The trash can and the fence behind it are not reliable elements:
the trash can can be crooked, and the fence is not completely orthogonal
to your vector of sight toward it.
The vertical (not horizontal!) lines of the buildings in the background
(if they are in the middle of the photo) usually make a good reference,
but I do not see much of those. The only one that I can reliably see (as
small portion near the roof, toward the left top portion of the photo)
actually suggests the same CCW tilt as I described before.
I used the trees in the middle of the photo, - far in the background.
While a particular tree can be tilted/crooked, - majority of them are
vertical.
BUT, what I think is the most reliable vertical element in this photo is
the light pole that is right behind the trash can. (I had not paid
attention to it before.) I am still not 100% sure if it is a light pole.
If that's true, it suggests a CCW tilt, although a bit smaller than 2.2
degrees, rather 1-point-some degree.
Sorry, being a scientist, I tend to be "AR". ;-)
Igor
Ann Sanfedele Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:17:14 -0700 wrote:
Thanks, Attila, Jack, Igor, Paul, Dan, Don, Christine, Rick and Bruce
and future commenters..
Attila -
This was 1967 - and in New York there were several custom labs, of which
many considered Modernage top drawer. At that time I didn't own a
camera, it was my ex husbands - although maybe he gave it to me, I can't
remember. But i was afraid I'd mess up processing , being a klutz, so
all my work back then was done by them. I was mainly painting
back then.
Igor, Jack - I think you were having a bit of fun with me on the
straightening stuff..yes? I frequently can't see a difference if
something is off a bit - I AM astigmatic, but there is not a problem
with this printin that way when you line up a grid in Elements over the
photo the verticals are right on with the elements (hehe) of the photo
thatare actually vertical, the buildings in the background, the
wastebasket and the actual fence behind it.
Igor - the park has gone through radical changes over the years...
the photo was taken early in the morning - I think, before I headed
off to work... much too early for people to be up.. perhaps I took it on
a Saturday morning. It was unusual for it to be that empty.
We lived about a block away at that time. Things have changed
even more since you lived in the neighborhood, thanks to NYU.
This was the first photograph I ever sold from a show - but with
a print I made myself in 1978...
ann
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