Gary,
How can you appear to break so many "rules" of technically outstanding photography and do so well? You call them "snaps" as if that's going to prevent rock throwing! Still, these are more than that and turn out to be impressive.
This first B&W image of the mission caught my eye and at first I thought there were ski gondolas over the buildings!
#1
Then I realized that these are bells that seem to have been cloned on to the image. If so the edges seem imperfect and that would be technical issue #1. However, that in itself, creates a useful tension and helps to bring the picture to life. So whatever it is physically, it works well in this composition.
This next "snap" has lens glare and blown highlights and yet it's intimate? Why's that?
#2
I think the lens glare holds us back somewhat. That barrier to clarity tells us we are looking through an imperfect window. So we can see in but not perfectly. So what we see is incomplete. Thus one can consider that we are peeping in to some intimate space of worship where we might not understand more than the superficial of what is really the nature of the place. That at least, to my esthetic sense, is what is evoked. Again, to my surprise this works well for me.
Now we have a supertight picture of massive gears with again blown highlights. I am more often than wary of super-close framing. Sometimes this is a mere fashion or conceit. Worse it can remove context of the surrounding milieu, the real world of the subject that might be needed to make the picture work
#3
Here the large cog projects towards us in an almost aggressive fashion. This is so powerful that it pulls the image over the winning line and is once more impressive for us to want to revisit.
The last picture is one drunk snap! The camera was not straight, again blown and the right lower corner ripped out of the narrow field of focus.
#4
So at least I can condemn that? Well I'm not sure. I'd love to see a print. If it was printed well and then presented in a gallery, people would stop and discuss its meaning. So then would it be art?
At that point, perhaps it is.
Thanks for the lessons!
Asher
