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Just for Fun No C&C will be given: Caged

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
b04625.jpg


Caged

Thanks for looking,

Cheers,
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Cem,

Exquisite!

This work is almost like a demonstration of the components of photographic art, as might appear in a textbook. We see patterns, colors, textures, geometry (in this case, carefully "rectified"), and interesting objects seen, or hinted at, through the windows.

And there is something very "Dutch" about it.

Thanks for letting us see this striking work.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi, Cem,


Exquisite!

This work is almost like a demonstration of the components of photographic art, as might appear in a textbook. We see patterns, colors, textures, geometry (in this case, carefully "rectified"), and interesting objects seen, or hinted at, through the windows.

And there is something very "Dutch" about it.

Thanks for letting us see this striking work.
Hi Doug,

Thanks a lot for your kind words, I hope that I actually deserve them :).

The picture was taken with a 200mm lens and a 1.6x crop factor sensor so the effective focal length is 320mm. As such, I did not have to correct much of the geometry, only a slight rectification as you've aptly put.

Besides the elements you've mentioned, another thing which makes this picture, if I may say so, is the element of duplicity. A bird lives in a cage by the window, but when we take a step back, we realize that the people also live in "golden cages" called apartments/flats just the same. The "golden cage" part is also the reason why I haven't converted this picture to B&W, which I have doubted for a while.

Cheers,
 

Paul Abbott

New member
Nice image, Cem. The meaning behind your photo is also conveyed very well by your framing and composition, nice one.


I did post this photo of mine on here last year with the same concept in mind. I'm not sure whether it is still here, I think I deleted it.
Here it is:



confinedspaces1of1600.jpg


Paul Abbott - Confined Spaces


I hope you didn't mind me posting it.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Nice image, Cem. The meaning behind your photo is also conveyed very well by your framing and composition, nice one.


I did post this photo of mine on here last year with the same concept in mind. I'm not sure whether it is still here, I think I deleted it.
Here it is:



confinedspaces1of1600.jpg


Paul Abbott - Confined Spaces


I hope you didn't mind me posting it.
Hi Paul,

Thank you very much for your comment and the picture. Actually, I am very glad to see it reappear again as I had been meaning to reply to it in the past and got distracted along the way. I have liked this picture very much and have tried to shoot something similar to it a few years back. But the result wasn't as good as yours. Yours is very interesting due to the successful communication of the message but also due to the compositional elements. And one keeps looking at it to discover more details, it is very content rich. I love it.

Cheers,
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
... I have liked this picture very much and have tried to shoot something similar to it a few years back. But the result wasn't as good as yours. ..
Here are the pictures I've experimented with a few years back. I am curious what you think them?

b09923.jpg


b09919.jpg


b09922.jpg


Cheers,
 

Wolfgang Plattner

Well-known member
Hi Cem,
Thanks for the comment Wolfgang. As I wrote to Doug below, it was a slip of the tongue.
Guess, that you are, as myself, not a native english speaker ...
So tell me if you please, what did you find interesting in this picture?

Cheers,
Well, at the first glance, there are some interesting windowscenes at the right part of the pic, but then there is that lag in the middle and then one row of windows at the left side. This pulls the interest to and fro' ... and why did you cut off the windows on the upper front and did no cut on the downside (hope this was correct english ...)?
I think, graphically the pic would benefit, if there were cutted windows on the bottom of the pic, too.
So the picture would open itself in a vertical manner, which could be an interesting second approach to the "opening towards inside" the pic by the windows.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Cem,

Guess, that you are, as myself, not a native english speaker ...

Well, at the first glance, there are some interesting windowscenes at the right part of the pic, but then there is that lag in the middle and then one row of windows at the left side. This pulls the interest to and fro' ... and why did you cut off the windows on the upper front and did no cut on the downside (hope this was correct english ...)?
I think, graphically the pic would benefit, if there were cutted windows on the bottom of the pic, too.
So the picture would open itself in a vertical manner, which could be an interesting second approach to the "opening towards inside" the pic by the windows.
Hi Wolfgang,

Thanks for taking your time to reply, much appreciated. As you've guessed correctly, I am not a native speaker of the English language. So mistakes happen sometimes :).

I think that your analysis is quite important and you pose a lot of interesting questions. And I will think them through for sure. Right now, my short answer would be (to the question why I did not cut/crop the windows on the lower side of the picture as well) is that I think that the composition is better balanced this way. Let me emphasize that this is what I think now, maybe at a later time I may change my mind. I do not claim that my crop is the right one, not at all. There will be many equally good alternatives I guess.

Regarding the issue of leading the eye of the looker into the picture and holding it there, I have divided feelings about that myself. I personally like it when I have a multitude of interesting things to look at in a picture like this one. Accordingly, I concentrate on the content and composition initially and not on narrowing things down to one single point of attention. But again, it is just me. Rest assured, I am fully aware of the sins I have been committing when it comes down to breaking the "rules". :)

Cheers,

PS: the technical discussions were moved to another thread.
 
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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
b04625.jpg


Cem_Usakligil: Caged


I agree with the discussion points and the idea of eye movement is at play as a consideration and also the possibility that the person up the top is also caged and maybe who else? Perhaps ourselves too?

Having got this far, one can say, O.K. that's what I did, those decisions have been made and next will be a new photograph. That decision is entirely up to the photographer and in this case, that's only you. However, after the discussion, you are already changed, you've also done different things and coming back to your photograph, likely you seem ore options. If there's a compelling voice from the piece to you saying I have life and independence of you my creator, then you must respect that. OTOH, if you don't hear that voice of life, you might consider alternative ways of developing this idea and taking it to a new level of abstraction.

I think there's a lot of reserve here that can allow some pliability of your workings here. IOW, I think you can go much further if that is allowed.

Asher
 

Kathy Rappaport

pro member
Color and warmth

I love this concept and the color is so cheerful.

I hope you print this and frame it. It would be stunning with a double white mat. and gold frame.
 
I think there's a lot of reserve here that can allow some pliability of your workings here. IOW, I think you can go much further if that is allowed.

Hi Asher,

I'm not so sure. I know Cem as a photographer who is pretty well informed about both the artistical and technical possibilities of a scene. I'm not saying that in retrospect an image cannot be improved upon, a bit, but Cem generally nails what's there to be nailed ...

Sure, I would also try playing around e.g. with tonality and such to see if it brings anything that wasn't already pre-visualized, and I assume Cem has, but the image looks good as it is. Personally I would indeed explore the tonality potential, but then a photographer also has the original scene to weigh in. Some like to completely alter the image anyway, to fit a certain style (whether derived from a plug-in or not) or a vision, others like to stay closer to the original situation.

Cheers,
Bart
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Asher,

I'm not so sure. I know Cem as a photographer who is pretty well informed about both the artistical and technical possibilities of a scene. I'm not saying that in retrospect an image cannot be improved upon, a bit, but Cem generally nails what's there to be nailed ...

Sure, I would also try playing around e.g. with tonality and such to see if it brings anything that wasn't already pre-visualized, and I assume Cem has, but the image looks good as it is. Personally I would indeed explore the tonality potential, but then a photographer also has the original scene to weigh in. Some like to completely alter the image anyway, to fit a certain style (whether derived from a plug-in or not) or a vision, others like to stay closer to the original situation.

Cheers,
Bart
Hi Bart,

It is good to have someone like you who knows so much about one's personal shooting styles and vision. Wolfgang and Asher have both made valid points and I will see whether I can apply those ideas in the practice. So I wouldn't mind going further but possibly not with this particular picture as it is pretty much complete in my mind as it is now. Thanks.

Cheers,
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Asher,

I'm not so sure. I know Cem as a photographer who is pretty well informed about both the artistical and technical possibilities of a scene. I'm not saying that in retrospect an image cannot be improved upon, a bit, but Cem generally nails what's there to be nailed ...

Bart,

You are quite right. Cem takes advantage of the artistic and technical possibilities of the scene and exposed the shot wonderfully. That's the starting point and perhaps the end of it. There's no need to do more unless he feels it's permissible and interesting as an exploration. I hold Cem's work in high regard, as you know, and seek to follow his every direction and understand what's going on artistically and in his mind. I then want to ask if it has been taken yet to the nth, whatever paradigm he's working on. Cem's work is a special interest for me, so that's my motivation.

Sure, I would also try playing around e.g. with tonality and such to see if it brings anything that wasn't already pre-visualized, and I assume Cem has, but the image looks good as it is.

Agreed. There are no problems I see.

Personally I would indeed explore the tonality potential, but then a photographer also has the original scene to weigh in. Some like to completely alter the image anyway, to fit a certain style (whether derived from a plug-in or not) or a vision, others like to stay closer to the original situation.
This was not on my mind.

However, since one has already cut though part of the building, has the idea of cutting been carried though as far as one might risk and even further perhaps. For example, does it have to be in one piece? Could the person in the window be isolated in a segment or other arrangement. If the building were to be fragmented, then what's in between? Is it sky? I bring this up, not to say it's needed, but I see within the form of the building, rendered as it is, a reserve to take this much further. This, without losing anything and possible getting to a new level of intensity.

I have only mentioned one set of possibilities. I am only thinking in this line because the picture has those endless possibilities and Cem has already departed reality, even in the use of a flat plane to describe "caged", the bird and the figure in the window, and thus has already started on a path of derivatives and abstraction.

Asher
 
Last edited:

John Angulat

pro member
Hi Cem,
I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to post sooner!
This is a wonderful capture!
For me, it works in so many ways.
I like the orderly geometry of the building's facade.
I like the seemingly random sizes of the windows, each with it's own unique peek at their interiors.
Many have commmented before me in a more "artful" manner.
I just say "I like it".
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Cem,
I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to post sooner!
This is a wonderful capture!
For me, it works in so many ways.
I like the orderly geometry of the building's facade.
I like the seemingly random sizes of the windows, each with it's own unique peek at their interiors.
Many have commmented before me in a more "artful" manner.
I just say "I like it".
Thank you John, a simple "I like it" is equally appreciated :).

Cheers,
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Cem,

I'm glad that you are considering more in this vein. That will be helpful and interesting.

If it in fact is part of the portal series I need to retrace my steps and thinking on this one image. After all, it might be that we have a possibility of being trapped within a portal.

However, if this picture is driven by new creative motif, I look forward to further pictures. After all, with a "one-off" one risks under-appreciating and over-commenting on a work as there are few landmarks and a sparse vocabulary of what new ideas and motifs are being built into the work. A trivial picture might seem to have exaggerated value and a worthy work can be missed. As one can experience more in a series, we learn so much more.

Asher
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Cem,

I'm glad that you are considering more in this vein. That will be helpful and interesting.

If it in fact is part of the portal series I need to retrace my steps and thinking on this one image. After all, it might be that we have a possibility of being trapped within a portal.

However, if this picture is driven by new creative motif, I look forward to further pictures. After all, with a "one-off" one risks under-appreciating and over-commenting on a work as there are few landmarks and a sparse vocabulary of what new ideas and motifs are being built into the work. A trivial picture might seem to have exaggerated value and a worthy work can be missed. As one can experience more in a series, we learn so much more.

Asher
Hi Asher,

You never cease to amaze me, your powers of observation and intuition are second to none. As I have been meaning to dwell a bit more on the picture, I was planning to write the following.

This picture was taken at the beginning of 2007, and as such it predates my "portals" as a series. Of course, I have been taking pictures which fit into the portals concept much longer than the past two years. Only recently, however, I have come to realize my own artistic motives as to why I was doing it; mainly thanks to the excellent C&C and help I have received from you and many others here in OPF.

So this picture is not driven by a new creative motive. It is a (chronologically regressive) evolution of the portals. See it this way: the small windows are also portals into the lives of different people living there and it reminds us of the multitude of choices we make in our lives and how we sometimes (or usually) end up caging ourselves into a position from where there will be no easy escape. Am I making any sense? I hope I am :)

Cheers,
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
...I agree with the discussion points and the idea of eye movement is at play as a consideration and also the possibility that the person up the top is also caged and maybe who else? Perhaps ourselves too?

Having got this far, one can say, O.K. that's what I did, those decisions have been made and next will be a new photograph. That decision is entirely up to the photographer and in this case, that's only you. However, after the discussion, you are already changed, you've also done different things and coming back to your photograph, likely you seem ore options. If there's a compelling voice from the piece to you saying I have life and independence of you my creator, then you must respect that. OTOH, if you don't hear that voice of life, you might consider alternative ways of developing this idea and taking it to a new level of abstraction.

I think there's a lot of reserve here that can allow some pliability of your workings here. IOW, I think you can go much further if that is allowed.
Hi Asher,

Yes, the insuniation is that we too are caged in by the choices we make.

I am always willing to hear your or others' opinions on how to take my work further, of course it is allowed :).

Cheers,
 
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