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Rainer Travel Photography Article Now Online!

james bourret

New member
memories, dreams, and reflections

Yes, the images are beautiful. Its nice that to see that someone with such a demanding, technical capacity in the photgraphic world still has the creative impulse. I can well understand his desire to simplify his means and break from his "other" photographic world. Very fresh and dreamlike!
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
james bourret said:
Yes, the images are beautiful. Its nice that to see that someone with such a demanding, technical capacity in the photgraphic world still has the creative impulse. I can well understand his desire to simplify his means and break from his "other" photographic world. Very fresh and dreamlike!

Thanks James,

I'm so glad you read the article and "got it". Rainer is, IMHO, very talented and thoughtful. It is in fact tough to show this side of a professional photographer's work when his commercial work is on such a magnificent scale of perfection and clarity.

His personal work, while seeming casual is, in fact, excellent too, but represent an inner need to be released from constraints.

I'm glad you and others commented on this work. It means there is an audience.

Asher
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Asher Kelman said:
...I'm glad you and others commented on this work. It means there is an audience....
Hi Asher,

Even though I haven't commented myself so far, I have followed this thread very closely. Very interesting discussions and contributions, thanks all for that!

So all in all, if you consider "lurkers" like myself, there must be a bigger audience out there than you might think <writes he with a smile>.

Cheers,

Cem

[Edited due to a typo (thought ==> though)]
 
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Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi again,

After re-reading the article just now I would like to share my feelings about the pictures of Rainer, especially the second one (the people waiting for the vaporetto).
Having grown up in Istanbul, this particular picture invokes a strong sense of deja vu in me. You might know that Istanbul is a city divided by a big strait, the Bosphorus, and there are many boats (small and large), very similar to those vaporettos in Venice that sail across this stretch of water 24/7 to deliver people to their work and homes. If I think back of the countless times when I had to wait past midnight in a run-down lounge for one of those shabby boats to take me home after a very long and tiring day, the emotions I now get can be perfectly visualised as in the picture taken by Rainer. It is amazing how a blurred picture like that can contain so much emotional clarity and depth. Since the details in the picture are absent, the viewer fills in the details himself/herself, which is just what I do now. I agree with Mark’s comments fully when he wrote: Rainer’s vacation photographs is that it reminds me of a vague recollection of a place one has visited months ago - a deja-vu kind of feeling. So, perhaps Rainer is recording his future vague recollections of his vacation while he is on vacation.

I guess I should go to bed right now since it is way past midnight here and getting sentimental alone sitting in front of my PC monitor is not something I am particularly looking forward to <sigh>.

Cheers and good night (or day),

Cem
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
OK, here are some parting shots before I go:

Excited night crowd
nightcrowd.jpg


Dizzy
dizzy.jpg


The show that shook the audience
theatershake.jpg
 
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Don Lashier

New member
scott kirkpatrick said:
I can see what you might have seen as a flawed right hand side of this one, but it's nice enough to have been a starting point for a little exercise in developing the potential of "sandpiper flock startle sunset" pictures. I don't think it has been done to death yet, and it sure is a nice time for a barefoot walk along the beach.
Hi Scott,

One could certainly specialize in sandpiper photos - they're such a difficult subject. I've got scores of shots and all the inflight ones are blurred. otoh I've got tons of sharp gulls in flight. Of course my preference is to shoot just before sunset where shutter speed becomes a problem. Birds in flight is the main thing tempting me to trade in my 1D for a newer model where I can more safely up the ISO.

otoh if I were going to specialize in something on the beach, I think hula dancers would be much more rewarding.

I found another blurry discard which was interesting enough to save it from the trash can. Shot at 1/10 second, what saved it from total disaster was the fill flash. Note that this is somewhat the inverse of other examples in this thread with the subject (partially) defined and the bg somewhat blurred, and not due to DOF.

firedance2-028166-2-w.jpg


- DL
 
Don Lashier said:
hula dancers would be much more rewarding. (than sandpipers)

yeah. I like the spatial vagueness of this one. It could be a double (blurry) exposure.

another blurry discard which was interesting enough to save from the trash can...

- DL

This little discussion has made me realize that I have been putting my blurries, especially of groups, into the trash can irreversibly. I do have an archive of filled 2GB CD cards, saved before reformatting, but finding stuff in there is for emergencies only. In the future I'll have to shoot for the blur and see what I can do with it. Instead I can offer a late afternoon, fading light, motion blur shot that I liked because it has a little mysteriousness to it.

RIMG0492cropsmall.jpg


scott
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Scott, Don and Cem, great additions.

I decided to work on Leonardo's subway shot in B&W:

DSCF0778 ADK.jpg


Sharpenned front steel rails. Curves on each layer.

Blurred b.g., reduplicated man and blurred one copy.

Blended, copnverted to B&W with channels. Will continue later!

Asher
 

Diane Fields

New member
I've looked at Rainer's personal travel photos and read Asher's article several times. The choice of b/w appeals to me almost immediately as that is my true love, though not what I shoot as often. However, it is what I print most often. I feel monotones get right to the heart of the image, not permitting it to be 'romanced' by color that affects our emotions, but pushing us to really 'see'--or not. We can only be affected by the image--and not drawn in by lush colors or, in the opposite direction, being put off by drab unappealing color.

My immediate feeling is that these were taken for himself--not to impress anyone, not to make money with the photographs, not even to 'record' his visit--but more visceral--his own feelings, as it were, of the trip as he encountered it hour to hour. When Asher wrote about him laying out the prints on the pavement in Munich that rather confirmed my feelings as I looked at the images before reading the article even though that was a different situation.

Then the choice for the last 3 (which may have been forced on him to some degree by equipment--but my feeling is that of course he understood this and used it to again capture what he was feeling) of the blurry, OOF images with the feeling of movement and life--that leaves us with the need to imagine for ourselves the 'real' subjects. I love that he moved away from his usual 'style' and photographed as he felt--and that he tried to convey his own feelings (of course, this is my interpretation of his intent) to the viewer. These are really the antithesis of 'normal' and expected travel photography.

I have a personal favorite photographer in this country who works similarly---the commercial work is outstanding for its purposes, but the personal work is more visceral and 'out of the box' to use an oft cited and probably overused phrase. However, the images convey a feeling as opposed to meeting all the criteria that most people feel is required for travel photography.

Asher's article confirmed for me that he had a similar experience to mine as he viewed the photographs. It was quite different from usual critiques and I'm looking forward to more articles like this---and more images that are less' expected.

I was interested in seeing the other photographs embedded in the thread--but admit I was 'translating' each to monotones as I read and viewed (those that weren't)--and felt, for instance, that Leonardo's subway shot was much stronger as a mono . My other impression is that, though there are often happy surprises, the intent to shoot in a certain way to convey feelings and experiences is somehow different--probably shown best in a series perhaps, as were Rainer's, or by seeing a period in an artist's creative life..

Diane
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Dierk.

Some valid issues, not controversy.

We need to be thoughtful about pictures. This thread isn't about just blurry pictures.

Maybe, we should reward the more considered and impressive pictures by putting them in a special gallery.

It is difficult to say, you shoudn't have posted this picture.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Asher
 
Asher, thank you for the work on the image, you even copy righted it for me.

I am in Nicaragua but almost no chance to take photos other than family related.

I could post one from the series that on my web site, I could write a bit about the image now that I am sitting on a WiFi stream in my brother's house.

056.htm


(there seams to be a problem with me embedding the image here, so I will copy the link to it on my web...

http://leonardobarreto.com/AQUI/source/055.htm

This is an image of a group of soldiers and it was captured with a slow shutter and TriXPan probably with a Canon 50mm f1.4

This was the all volunteer army Ejercito Popular Sandinista (they had a draft law after) and we where holding this ground for tree days from the "contras" that where on the other side of a small hill. It was a safe place, but the idea was to assault the enemies position something that was attempted unsuccessfully during that time. I counted at least 6 fatalities on my part of the trenches. As a journalist I was not allowed to charge enemy positions, but officers informed us that "everyone of us are going to the assault tomorrow morning"

So we went to "sleep" with this in mind: we attack at dawn. The only problem was that we knew that that there was a high mortality rate on the soldiers that did that earlier.

In the photo you can see the stress of the battles past and future in this very young men that hold their guns and to themselves and sit there in a close group making no jokes and not knowing where to look at. One can count now looking at the picture four of them looking towards the photographer and his camera, maybe thinking that this was somehow an historic moment and that it was being capture for posterity. Had they forgot about their dead friends and concentrated in their own mortality? ... don't know, but early next morning we all found out that the contras had escaped in the cover of the night.
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
leonardobarreto.com said:
Asher, thank you for the work on the image, you even copy righted it for me.

I am in Nicaragua but almost no chance to take photos other than family related.

I could post one from the series that on my web site, I could write a bit about the image now that I am sitting on a WiFi stream in my brother's house.

056.htm


(there seams to be a problem with me embedding the image here, so I will copy the link to it on my web...

http://leonardobarreto.com/AQUI/source/055.htm

This is an image of a group of soldiers and it was captured with a slow shutter and TriXPan probably with a Canon 50mm f1.4

This was the all volunteer army Ejercito Popular Sandinista (they had a draft law after) and we where holding this ground for tree days from the "contras" that where on the other side of a small hill. It was a safe place, but the idea was to assault the enemies position something that was attempted unsuccessfully during that time. I counted at least 6 fatalities on my part of the trenches. As a journalist I was not allowed to charge enemy positions, but officers informed us that "everyone of us are going to the assault tomorrow morning"

So we went to "sleep" with this in mind: we attack at dawn. The only problem was that we knew that that there was a high mortality rate on the soldiers that did that earlier.

In the photo you can see the stress of the battles past and future in this very young men that hold their guns and to themselves and sit there in a close group making no jokes and not knowing where to look at. One can count now looking at the picture four of them looking towards the photographer and his camera, maybe thinking that this was somehow an historic moment and that it was being capture for posterity. Had they forgot about their dead friends and concentrated in their own mortality? ... don't know, but early next morning we all found out that the contras had escaped in the cover of the night.
Leonardo
I just wanted to let you know that your photography (particularly the ones from the above link) and your explanations of the "moment" when shooting this pictures are really strong, hard and go directly to our brain and our heart. For me anyway.
This is non hidden "engaged" journalism. reading you, remembering the pitures I just saw was frightening and emotioning.
Congrats for your courage and large "salud" to you.

I also had a look on other pictures of your website and I like very much many of them.
You like also color and light and this can be seen from those photography.

I wish you the very best.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nill Toulme said:
Pardon me... is this the blurry photos thread?Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

No! Not merely blurred, although it could include that. :)

This is a thread discussing Rainer Viertlböck's hand-held, slow shutter B&W photographs.

However, we exploring the meaning of apparently similar images. To date we have discovered a number of wonderful further examples akin to Rainer's deconstructive approach.

I will be gathering these and writing about them.

I would love to know your thoughts on your own picture. I have always felt that these giant structures are interesting subjects. Maybe this would make a challenge subject for the future.

Sometimes we have a hurdle to climb before showing our own work. I'm pleased that people have braved criticism and posted their fuzzy images too! You too!

Nil, I'd love to know reactions to our editorial choice to feature Rainer's vacation images, my own writing and also your reactions (feelings and thoughts) in seeing the 4 pictures themselves.

Asher
 

Mary Bull

New member
Been there, seen that!

On the road too early, in need of coffee, a long journey still ahead. Thank goodness I was passenger and not driver!

NB: I agree with Asher--I'd like to see more of people's images of stacked freeways in a thread dedicated to them. In particular, what you have of Atlanta. I'm pretty sure that I'm not wrong in thinking that you have more.

Mary
 
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