Still Life (not)

I've seen a few of these arty farty shots about of late and thought I might give it a go. You know the stuff; a jar of flowers in B&W, call it Fine Art and charge a fortune for it.

I had it all set up in the 'studio' (the garden shed)and went for a cuppa. When i got back the bloody flowers had carked it. Wilted like grandpa without his Viagra.

Do your think I could tell people I did it on purpose and still get it by the art critics?

It made me laugh.

I'm curious about the framing - the layout of the empty space makes me feel uneasy - certainly appropriate given what you've wrote about it. It seems to be a photo where the crop changes how I will read it.

Sam Hames said:

It made me laugh.

I'm curious about the framing - the layout of the empty space makes me feel uneasy - certainly appropriate given what you've wrote about it. It seems to be a photo where the crop changes how I will read it.

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Hi Sam.
The 'crop' as you called it is the very place to start. Its the frame that sets the scene. It is the boundary of the world through the camera. It what allows the photographer to edit a confused and convoluted world into something simple and understandable. It gives us sense to non-sense. Sanity from confusion.
But it can also be used to disturb the viewer. Providing space where there is mystery and intrigue, forms that would not normally be visible, an illusion of completeness in a place where we believe there is more but can't see it.
One should never ignore the frame. Thats like ignoring your bed when you lay on it.
Whatever you felt, I meant it to be that way. I just didn't know it was going to be you.
I love it when people look at my piccies and feel a bit uncomfortable.

Tom

I for one am not at all disturbed by this work. Its beauty is the simplicity. It has a very natural power to it. It moves yet not moves. I think this is a beautiful work of art. I love it for the quiet strength and beauty!
Where in Australia are your from. I will be having a showing in April in Biggenden, Queensland- that is when I can get all the work together and sent. Daunting!

Charlotte-

I agree with Charlotte, I like the image, the simplicity and the strength through the simplicity.

Tom dinning said:

The 'crop' as you called it is the very place to start. Its the frame that sets the scene. It is the boundary of the world through the camera. It what allows the photographer to edit a confused and convoluted world into something simple and understandable. It gives us sense to non-sense. Sanity from confusion.

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Now we are talking. Good.

Jerome Marot said:

Now we are talking. Good.

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Yes indeed.

Tom dinning said:

...Whatever you felt, I meant it to be that way. I just didn't know it was going to be you...

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I really love this, priceless.

Tom dinning said:

I've seen a few of these arty farty shots about of late and thought I might give it a go. You know the stuff; a jar of flowers in B&W, call it Fine Art and charge a fortune for it.

I had it all set up in the 'studio' (the garden shed)and went for a cuppa. When i got back the bloody flowers had carked it. Wilted like grandpa without his Viagra****

Do your think I could tell people I did it on purpose and still get it by the art critics?

_D300594 by tom.dinning, on Flickr​

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Tom,

I don't care how it was "deeded", but you did it in with esthetic happenstance. The resulting image of black works well. I do hate the "language arts fartsy". Most often I have found that folk who use it that I've met, are obsessed with gear and either MTF's to the edge or wowed by the bokeh of soft focus lenses.

This picture does have meaning, even tough you posit that it doesn't come from your own noggins. Still, that belies the fact that you shared it, knowing already that it was already infused with enough simple oddity to make art lovers pay attention and then come back to this for more.

Asher

**** P.S. if you can spare some, a little powdered viagra could very well revive the drooping plants, indeed, according to a recent Daily Mail article

Tom

I just had a thought through the day on this photo
what about a white background ! I think it would be so interesting to see- and might be way cool-

Charlotte-

Asher Kelman said:

Tom,

I don't care how it was "deeded", but you did it in with esthetic happenstance. The resulting image of black works well. I do hate the "language arts fartsy". Most often I have found that folk who use it that I've met, are obsessed with gear and either MTF's to the edge or wowed by the bokeh of soft focus lenses.

This picture does have meaning, even tough you posit that it doesn't come from your own noggins. Still, that belies the fact that you shared it, knowing already that it was already infused with enough simple oddity to make art lovers pay attention and then come back to this for more.

Asher

**** P.S. if you can spare some, a little powdered viagra could very well revive the drooping plants, indeed, according to a recent Daily Mail article

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I'm just stirring, Asher. Its an Aussie thing I think. I'm as Arty Farty as the next bloke. I've shared a glass of Chardoney at the shows with the best of them. By the way, what's an MTF (I know what an MFT is but I haven't had the opportunity to call anyone that in years)?
I through a bit of that Viagra on the garden on your advice. Got a bit on myself in the process. Frightened me and the neighbours.

Tom dinning said:

I've seen a few of these arty farty shots about of late and thought I might give it a go. You know the stuff; a jar of flowers in B&W, call it Fine Art and charge a fortune for it.

I had it all set up in the 'studio' (the garden shed)and went for a cuppa. When i got back the bloody flowers had carked it. Wilted like grandpa without his Viagra.

Do your think I could tell people I did it on purpose and still get it by the art critics?

_D300594 by tom.dinning, on Flickr​

Click to expand...

Tom,

This is the understatement that may well represent all your work. There's a giant emptiness we are allowed to exercise our own ideas in. I feel we're privileged to have you among us.

Asher

Asher.
I found one with a white background. I suspect you may have already found it. Was that you prowling through my Flickr account? You left some fingerprints behind and I've sent them for forensic identification.
As you can see, I also tried a bit of that Viagra. Worked like a dream.

_D300560-1 by tom.dinning, on Flickr

Tom,

Now I've seen the one cured with your Viagra, (that's really and that's act of great piety in itself), I return to this forlorn plant and ask, did you screw with it, a bit in post, making it super-green or was it just heavily under-exposed and just appeared like that from JPG in-camera processing.

Asher

Immediately striking and beautifully simple. Wilting, I do not about..not yet anyway!!

Best.

Asher Kelman said:

_D300594 by tom.dinning, on Flickr​

Tom,

Now I've seen the one cured with your Viagra, (that's really and that's act of great piety in itself), I return to this forlorn plant and ask, did you screw with it, a bit in post, making it super-green or was it just heavily under-exposed and just appeared like that from JPG in-camera processing.

Asher

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Screw with it? Indeed! Excuse my temporary indignation for a moment.
I love working with low soft light, Asher; the lower and softer the better. I dream of capturing the very essence of a subject using as fewer photons as I can possibly manage. Its a sort of primeval things I guess. In my 'studio' i set up things like this and push the limits of exposure as far as I can to get that essence of form as if the light has just illuminated the surface for the very first time and I'm seeing it in all its glory. The exposure of these shots usually results in durations of minutes and apertures of f32 or bigger. ISO is usually pushed to its limit as well. It all depends on what I want the results to look like but purity of form is what I am after - maybe with a twist for interest.
Every shot is recorded in RAW. I don't want the camera messing with my files and I need all the data I can muster. The shots are usuallu under-exposed but not too much. Sometimes I'll bracket if I think I might need a bit of detail in the shadows later but usually the histogram finishes about half way along the scale. In this shot I exposed for the white on the vase and then bracketed for -2EV to +2EV but only finished up using the -2EV shot.
In PS the curves were adjusted to give me a nice rich black background and a good white. I let the green do its own thing and was happy with that. I suspect its a bit saturated but not much.
Oh, and I softened the vase so the reflection from my light source wouldn't show.

Cheers
Tom

Tom dinning said:

I love working with low soft light, Asher; the lower and softer the better. I dream of capturing the very essence of a subject using as fewer photons as I can possibly manage. Its a sort of primeval things I guess. In my 'studio' i set up things like this and push the limits of exposure as far as I can to get that essence of form as if the light has just illuminated the surface for the very first time and I'm seeing it in all its glory. The exposure of these shots usually results in durations of minutes and apertures of f32 or bigger. ISO is usually pushed to its limit as well. It all depends on what I want the results to look like but purity of form is what I am after - maybe with a twist for interest.

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Tom,

For art, as you make it, what you do is right once you like it and are satisfied. Others can accept that and enjoy it too or else move on and get their hamburger elsewhere! You've succeeded with the form and presence of the vase. The wilted stems, as you pointed out, do what they do as the blacks and whites of the composition are adjusted. The result has already been acclaimed by the responses. The question of the final hue of the stem is just academic, like asking about the pigment an artist uses.

Asher

Tom dinning said:

Hi Sam.
But it can also be used to disturb the viewer. Providing space where there is mystery and intrigue, forms that would not normally be visible, an illusion of completeness in a place where we believe there is more but can't see it.

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Thanks for posting the photo - you've made me think in new ways - you've brought something to my conscious attention that I've been doing intuitively/unconsciously the whole time.

Wonderful shot, Tom! Happy accidents are to be recognized for what they are and not to be sneezed at, IMHO. Thanks for sharing it...

Jean

Jean Henderson said:

Wonderful shot, Tom! Happy accidents are to be recognized for what they are and not to be sneezed at, IMHO. Thanks for sharing it...

Jean

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Its awefully hard to sneeze when I have my tongue in my cheek, Jean.
Accident indeed. This took me hours to have this 'accident'. I'm a bit anal when it comes to photography. Although I'm not necessarily all that good at it, everything I do is with purpose, even the 'mistakes'. Mind you, not everything turns out the way I want it. Purpose and outcome aren't necessarily connected as I'm sure you are fully aware.
The process here is simple. Something triggers an idea in my convoluted brain. I lay awake half the night thinking about that idea and how I can get it in print. Some time later I'll start setting up for the 'shot', which usually amounts to hundreds of shots over a few day, weeks or months. After much abusive discourse with myself and the camera I will come close to what I want at which point I will share it with others such as yourself and then move on to the next idea or even go back to this one and see what else I can do.
Irrespective of the quality of the final image, i enjoy the process. The photograph is not the thing; its part of the thing. Its an adjective for life; a descriptor for what I have done, a pause in the sentence to stop and reflect but not a place to linger. There are too many other things to do.
I appreciate your comment and am glad it brought a moment of joy into your life. It gave me a whole morning of joy to take it.
Cheers
Tom

Tom Dinning, I like you.

charlie chipman said:

Tom Dinning, I like you.

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Thanks Charlie but I already have someone who likes me. I can only tolerate one person at a time so if you take a ticket and stand in line, I'll let you know when the position is available. Don't go far. It could be sooner than you and I think. I've alread crossed into no-man's-land once or twice today.

Just for the record, Here's a couple more shots from the same morning. Ain't photography fun?


_D300589-1 by tom.dinning, on Flickr


_D300581-1 by tom.dinning, on Flickr


_D300606 by tom.dinning, on Flickr