Sense of richness of the "Commonly Overlooked!"

Tom Robbins · Nov 4, 2009

Tom, I'm impressed by the importance of this subject you have chosen for yourself. This makes a great challenge for us to follow! So I repurposed your post and copied it here for this dedicated new thread. The original thread is found here, ADK.

My goal, when taking a photograph, has changed through the years. This is probably typical for anyone seriously pursuing an artistic endeavor. In my case, however, it has evolved to this: to provide the viewer with a sense of richness of commonly overlooked, "mundane" outdoor subjects. Most folks are destination oriented, and as a result, don't even notice the most remarkable things during the journey.

Small things tend to be overlooked, so the near-macro realm predominates much of the time. There are overlooked landscapes as well - rain falling on the mud puddles of a rural gravel road, for example. There is absolutely no reason to care about such scenes given today's priority-driven concerns, yet the appreciation of them are the very things that make getting out of bed in the morning worthwhile. Or so it seems to me.

Maple Leaf and Muddy Water

Asher Kelman · Nov 5, 2009

This is a great start to a challenge. We often walk around with our eyes closed! Here we can show what we can see when take notice. Show us your take on this subject!

Asher

Michael Fontana · Nov 5, 2009

Good idea, Tom and a nice start with that leaf.

Off course, the hypes can be hyped only with new hypes - you got that point well.
It's endeavour takes a lot of energy, so no space for a simple and calme quality.

F.P. Harrell · Nov 19, 2009

untitled

Great idea for a theme.

F.P. Harrell: Untitled

I think there is great beauty in flowers... even in death...

Asher Kelman · Nov 19, 2009

F.P. Harrell said:
Great idea for a theme. I think there is great beauty in flowers... even in death...

F.P. Harrell: Untitled

F.P.,

This is just right. most of us would walk past but you found the ghosts of summer. Kudos.

Asher

How did you so it? Is this film or digital. Is there some lateral swing, or just that's the DOD of a wide aperture?

janet Smith · Nov 19, 2009

Tom Robbins said:
to provide the viewer with a sense of richness of commonly overlooked, "mundane" outdoor subjects. Most folks are destination oriented, and as a result, don't even notice the most remarkable things during the journey.

Small things tend to be overlooked, so the near-macro realm predominates much of the time.

These are both beautiful shots by Tom & F P Harrell, here is my leaf, one which fell and became entangled within the dead plants underneath, backlit by strong light, shining away in a gloomy tangle.....

F.P. Harrell · Nov 19, 2009

Asher Kelman said:
F.P. Harrell: Untitled

F.P.,

This is just right. most of us would walk past but you found the ghosts of summer. Kudos.

Asher

How did you so it? Is this film or digital. Is there some lateral swing, or just that's the DOD of a wide aperture?

Thank you for your kind words. This image was made using a Hasselblad 500cm, a standard 80mm Planar, and a 16 extension tube.

Mike Shimwell · Nov 22, 2009

From a current thread here ADK

I thought I'd share a couple of quick snaps that I took over the last few days when out walking around.

Mike

Mike Shimwell: Autumn Leaves

Asher Kelman · Nov 22, 2009

Mike Shimwell said:
From a current thread here ADK

I thought I'd share a couple of quick snaps that I took over the last few days when out walking around.

Mike

Mike Shimwell: Autumn Leaves

Mike,

Not only do we pass this without a second thought, it's what we walk on. I do like the segmentation the pieces of stone provide and the cement that locks them together. The leaves so pretty at this time of yes and freshly wet, give us the riches reflections of autumn color. Amazingly enough, the stone itself shows and array of colors, unexpected for its nature and perhaps this is in part at least, reflection from the trees above which still have leaves. But maybe it's more organic than that, the stone has those colors on their own right.

Asher

Ron Morse · Nov 23, 2009

janet Smith said:
These are both beautiful shots by Tom & F P Harrell, here is my leaf, one which fell and became entangled within the dead plants underneath, backlit by strong light, shining away in a gloomy tangle.....

That is really a neat shot Jan with the backlight shinning through.

Ron Morse · Nov 23, 2009

I usually don't take this kind of picture.

Ron Morse : End of the line

I saw these pine needles waiting to settle to the bottom with the leaves and took a couple of snaps.

janet Smith · Nov 23, 2009

Ron Morse said:
That is really a neat shot Jan with the backlight shinning through.

Hello Ron

Thank you for commenting, I'm glad you like it, this one was the first of several similar shots.

I like your pine needles but could I suggest trying them in b&w - I think with the removal of the color the shot will take on more of an abstract quality which may work - just an idea

Asher Kelman · Nov 26, 2009

leonardobarreto.com said:
I just got me a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 new for a little more than $100 ! it is the perfect street lens -- a bit slow since the AF is the screw driver type--. I think that it is more fun than the medium wide to medium tele Zoom, and fantastic for portraits and grabbing shots from a distance.... also to do a mini project I had some time wanting to do that is to collect Urban Fossils.

I just rediscoverd this wonderful form created by chance on the roadway here .

Asher

Asher Kelman · Dec 24, 2009

What chance items have you found that others walk by? See what you can find!

Asher

Tom Robbins · Dec 24, 2009

Leonardo's Urban Fossils idea is fascinating.

Some of the streams running through the canyons along the Illinois River have undercut their canyon walls. This sometimes results in an area where water that runs off the rim falls 70 feet or so before landing at the canyon floor. Water is just water, but over time it packs a wallop when concentrated in a small area after falling from this height. The effects are subtle, but once recognized are easy to identify.

The falling runoff washed away the loose sand from around the abandoned snail shell, leaving it perched on a little sandy pedestal.

In this instance, the force of the falling water is eroding a sandstone boulder (originally formed ~450 million years ago) into its "original" state of grains of sand.

Michael Nagel · Mar 8, 2011

Sometimes I happen to stumble (well, almost) over things nobody sees.

Hope that the results fit in here...

Not the usual green - click on photo for larger version

Fix - click on photo for larger version

Best regards,
Michael

Tom Robbins · Mar 9, 2011

Hi Michael, the wing nut and the weld are perfect subjects for this thread. Both would have been totally invisible to most pedestrians. Your ability to notice and photograph them made me smile while drinking my morning coffee this morning. Thanks for sharing these.

Jim Galli · Mar 10, 2011

oil decanteur's

....but not outdoors, on my mother-in-laws counter.

Asher Kelman · Mar 10, 2011

Tom Robbins said:
Leonardo's Urban Fossils idea is fascinating.

Some of the streams running through the canyons along the Illinois River have undercut their canyon walls. This sometimes results in an area where water that runs off the rim falls 70 feet or so before landing at the canyon floor. Water is just water, but over time it packs a wallop when concentrated in a small area after falling from this height. The effects are subtle, but once recognized are easy to identify.

The falling runoff washed away the loose sand from around the abandoned snail shell, leaving it perched on a little sandy pedestal.

In this instance, the force of the falling water is eroding a sandstone boulder (originally formed ~450 million years ago) into its "original" state of grains of sand.

Tom,

The spiral reminds of Escher!

Your description of the crashing water deconstructing the rock makes me think the part of the job of art is to fight back against time!

Asher

Asher Kelman · Mar 10, 2011

Michael Nagel said:
Sometimes I happen to stumble (well, almost) over things nobody sees.

Hope that the results fit in here...Best regards,
Michael

Not the usual green - click on photo for larger version

Fix - click on photo for larger version

Michael,

Blind, one can stumble, but one needs not only open eyes but also "openness" to new information, a characteristic of the creative person, to notice the beauty most folk pass without appreciation.

What a great job. Did you take the green wing nut home?

Asher

Asher Kelman · Mar 10, 2011

Jim Galli;111947....but not outdoors said:
]

oil decanteur's

Jim,

These would be totally unseen by most! The P&S forms just part of what's there, gently bringing out detail from a soft background, synthesizing it from a bright mist. Cut glass, like this, are not part of the material desires or most of this generation as there's not internet connection or freeway speed possible!

Asher

Michael Nagel · Mar 10, 2011

Tom, thanks, glad you liked it.

Asher Kelman said:
... What a great job. Did you take the green wing nut home?

Thanks. I left it there because I felt it belonged there.

Best regards,
Michael

Tom Robbins · Mar 10, 2011

Hey, it is fun to see this old thread resurface with recent additions. Good stuff. Besides, it must be a rare thing indeed to find anything on the web where someone named Asher is talking about someone named Escher. I've got a huge framed and matted print of Belvidere hanging in my living room, by the way.

Skulls and Knees

Without a doubt, this is an oddball photo, but maybe it sort of fits here.

Michael Nagel · Mar 10, 2011

Odd - but I like odd things, so for me it fits.

One before I get some sleep (continuing the anthropomorphic theme, most likely odd as well):

Augen? - click on photo for larger version

Note: Augen? means Eyes?

Best regards,
Michael

Asher Kelman · Apr 14, 2011

Tom Robbins said:
Hey, it is fun to see this old thread resurface with recent additions. Good stuff. Besides, it must be a rare thing indeed to find anything on the web where someone named Asher is talking about someone named Escher. I've got a huge framed and matted print of Belvidere hanging in my living room, by the way.

Skulls and Knees

Without a doubt, this is an oddball photo, but maybe it sort of fits here.

This is so intriguing! What do you think is happening. Looks to me like sniffing? Or is it worse than that?

Asher

Tom Robbins · Apr 14, 2011

Asher Kelman said:
This is so intriguing! What do you think is happening. Looks to me like sniffing? Or is it worse than that?

Asher

Asher, who knows? Heh-heh.

A long-time photographer pal and his son surprise me one morning several weeks ago at Starved Rock State Park, where this latest thing was taken. We gravitated back together after working over the sunrise at the Illinois River, and I agreed to be interviewed for a project his son was creating. I didn't know I was being video taped, so the result was a neat kick in the pants.

Anyone with absolutely nothing better to do can view it here and also suffer the sight of my ugly mug - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXVlvFvKn6A&feature=player_embedded

Asher Kelman · Apr 14, 2011

Well worth the visit. What a great little visit to Starved Rock. Sounds like a place rich at any season to visit and photograph!

Asher

Mark Hampton · Apr 20, 2011

Hi,

maybe no commonly over looked unless your a bird !

Mobile.Chimney.Beer - M Hampton

cheers

Michael Nagel · Sep 2, 2012

Looking up offers indeed interesting views. This lamp for instance:

Hidden Art-Deco

Here seen from below:

Lamp Detail

Best regards,
Michael

Asher Kelman · Sep 17, 2012

Michael Nagel said:
Looking up offers indeed interesting views. This lamp for instance:

Hidden Art-Deco

Here seen from below:

Lamp Detail

Best regards,
Michael

Michael,

I missed this and it's a clear beauty that most would simply walk under and not take notice. I try to look around. Unfortunately, it's not good when with family as they get annoyed as I find so many interesting things we just simply have no time for. Thanks for bringing this to us!

Asher

Sense of richness of the "Commonly Overlooked!"

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