Cedric MASSOULIER
New member
Western suburbs, near Paris, a park in a modern place.
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A common place
- Thread starter Cedric MASSOULIER
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Cedric MASSOULIER
New member
Cedric MASSOULIER
New member
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Cedric,
It's a delight to see a seres of a body of work which carries a family of ideas and you have done well here with this family of images.Magnifque! Je vous remerci mille fois!
These first two are not necessarily the parents of the family, but they, perhaps, the spokesmen. immediately they present to us key motifs of repeating parallel texture, geometric linearity and triangles that are modern versions of the mountain tops , trees and rivers of natural landscapes that man has always loved.
Now we see a nephew, perhaps, a related set of forms that, when we examine carefully have the same DNA. Yes it's more dilute, but it's there. So we can linger with the next picture and see some recapitulaton.
It's as if we have had a school test my the teacher, a challenge, "Is this part of that group?". We realize you have chosen your position, perspective and the light so it does indeed seem belong to the family and we say, with some worry, "Yes!". We now are approved to meet the other members that follow!
Thanks for sharing,
Asher
Ken Tanaka
pro member
Hello Cedric; I join Asher in lauding your pursuit of a contiguous body of images. (It's such a wonderful visual and intellectual relief from the 1-off reflexive look-what-I-caught-today happy snaps vastly more common on Internet forums.)
This is the type of project I enjoy seeing. As is appropriate and customary in the art world I'll not critique specific images but, rather, comment on the overall body of work, making allusions to specific images as needed.
I like your apparent approach on this subject. A place that's clearly teeming with humanity but images that, with only one exception, only show humanity's evidence. ("Evidentiary imagery" as it's termed.) Whether that's by your cenceptual design or due to shyness of photographing strangers in unfamiliar settings is not clear to me.
The most compelling scene of this group is that of the empty swimming pool. I have to believe that there are stronger possibilities in that setting from different points of view and captured in different light. That would be the sample that would guide me forward.
The first image should be tossed. It's not well crafted at all and offers no meaning to the study whatsoever.
Offhand here are my suggestions if you want to move forward from this concept, Cedric.
1. Make sure your purpose perspective remains intact. These images are wandering back and forth between "pretty", "scenic/tourist", and genuinely conceptually productive. Don't let your lens be seduced by "pretty" unless it that's what you want to capture (in which case you should just go back to the city and avoid these dreary places!). Also, don't be seduced by pure geometry (a close cousin of "pretty") unless, again, it honestly reinforces the project body.
2. Different light, different times of day, perhaps twilight or night. I realize that these areas may not be the friendliest places for outsiders. I also realize that you don't appear to want to engage the residents. But the images you've presented look as though they were all captured during a 30-minute walk-through. You need more depth of study.
3. Be more brutal with your editing (shot selection).
4. At some point perhaps closer to when you feel this project is complete you'll need to address some earnest post-processing . Most of these images, for example, suffer from deep and distracting blue casts. You have a tendency to shoot on the shade side of objects which you should recognize and control.
Thank you for posting this work, Cedric. I cheer you onward! If we had more such conceptual proojects posted and discussed here OPF would really be a far richer and more rewarding photography site than any other venue today.
This is the type of project I enjoy seeing. As is appropriate and customary in the art world I'll not critique specific images but, rather, comment on the overall body of work, making allusions to specific images as needed.
I like your apparent approach on this subject. A place that's clearly teeming with humanity but images that, with only one exception, only show humanity's evidence. ("Evidentiary imagery" as it's termed.) Whether that's by your cenceptual design or due to shyness of photographing strangers in unfamiliar settings is not clear to me.
The most compelling scene of this group is that of the empty swimming pool. I have to believe that there are stronger possibilities in that setting from different points of view and captured in different light. That would be the sample that would guide me forward.
The first image should be tossed. It's not well crafted at all and offers no meaning to the study whatsoever.
Offhand here are my suggestions if you want to move forward from this concept, Cedric.
1. Make sure your purpose perspective remains intact. These images are wandering back and forth between "pretty", "scenic/tourist", and genuinely conceptually productive. Don't let your lens be seduced by "pretty" unless it that's what you want to capture (in which case you should just go back to the city and avoid these dreary places!). Also, don't be seduced by pure geometry (a close cousin of "pretty") unless, again, it honestly reinforces the project body.
2. Different light, different times of day, perhaps twilight or night. I realize that these areas may not be the friendliest places for outsiders. I also realize that you don't appear to want to engage the residents. But the images you've presented look as though they were all captured during a 30-minute walk-through. You need more depth of study.
3. Be more brutal with your editing (shot selection).
4. At some point perhaps closer to when you feel this project is complete you'll need to address some earnest post-processing . Most of these images, for example, suffer from deep and distracting blue casts. You have a tendency to shoot on the shade side of objects which you should recognize and control.
Thank you for posting this work, Cedric. I cheer you onward! If we had more such conceptual proojects posted and discussed here OPF would really be a far richer and more rewarding photography site than any other venue today.
Cedric MASSOULIER
New member
Hi Ken,
You're quite true : i made these pictures during an 1 hour walk in this place. I liked it and i think i will continue this work there. I need more different lights and ambiances as you noticed. I will present a more consistent serial later. For blue casts, it is my choice : i like blue shadows, maybe it's not a good choice...
I decided to work on such projects now, creating serials.
You're quite true : i made these pictures during an 1 hour walk in this place. I liked it and i think i will continue this work there. I need more different lights and ambiances as you noticed. I will present a more consistent serial later. For blue casts, it is my choice : i like blue shadows, maybe it's not a good choice...
I decided to work on such projects now, creating serials.
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Bodies of Work!
Ken,
I did not reject the first image as I felt that in the early stage it serves as one of hte rulers in Cedric's pocket by which he selects scenes. I also ignored presentation and finishing of the images since that would be a distracting obsession at this early stage.
As usual I find your comments succinct and instructive!
This is why we have "Themes" and why we enjoy the output of, for example, Paul with his monuments in London or Ben Rubnstein with his pictures of Yemin Moshe in Jerusalem.
An admonition I admire!
This is our dream! It does require clarity of purpose and an investment in the effort of review of one's work and returning. So this is why we are not so readily impressed with seemingly perfect "one-offs". The body of work better allows one's conversations with oneself and others to be renewed on each visit. Thus we look forward to more of that set of sensibilities and the photographer is taken seriously and develops a following.
OTOH, Like party girls, sunsets, prettiness and beauty or beggars and ruin, often are presented for "razzle dazzle" a one time "intense moment" with no commitment, not for cherishing and marrying, unless all one wants in life are trophies as one rushes past things.
Asher
Ken,
I did not reject the first image as I felt that in the early stage it serves as one of hte rulers in Cedric's pocket by which he selects scenes. I also ignored presentation and finishing of the images since that would be a distracting obsession at this early stage.
As usual I find your comments succinct and instructive!
This is why we have "Themes" and why we enjoy the output of, for example, Paul with his monuments in London or Ben Rubnstein with his pictures of Yemin Moshe in Jerusalem.
An admonition I admire!
This is our dream! It does require clarity of purpose and an investment in the effort of review of one's work and returning. So this is why we are not so readily impressed with seemingly perfect "one-offs". The body of work better allows one's conversations with oneself and others to be renewed on each visit. Thus we look forward to more of that set of sensibilities and the photographer is taken seriously and develops a following.
OTOH, Like party girls, sunsets, prettiness and beauty or beggars and ruin, often are presented for "razzle dazzle" a one time "intense moment" with no commitment, not for cherishing and marrying, unless all one wants in life are trophies as one rushes past things.
Asher
Paul Abbott
New member
Cedric, the second shot in your initial post is a great photograph and I really like the geometry and angles in that one.
Cedric MASSOULIER
New member
Hi,
Some new shots, with a different light :
Alas, swimming pool is now full a water...
Some new shots, with a different light :
Alas, swimming pool is now full a water...
Rachel Foster
New member
I especially like the vibrant colors and lines in these two.
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi,
Some new shots, with a different light :
Alas, swimming pool is now full a water...
It's interesting, Cedric, that all these have a sharp triangular element coming from the right.
Asher
Cedric MASSOULIER
New member
Hi,
I made shots during several days and with different lights. I think i have now stuff enough to work a complete serial. Rendez-vous in some weeks to see the final result
Maybe i will make other occurences to complete or modify the work...
Regards,
Cedric
I made shots during several days and with different lights. I think i have now stuff enough to work a complete serial. Rendez-vous in some weeks to see the final result
Maybe i will make other occurences to complete or modify the work...
Regards,
Cedric