March 7, 1982. Point Lobos, California coast. My wife and I were out for a glorious day of photography back in the day when you could still get into the Point Lobos preserve on a Sunday without tripping over sixteen other people in as many square feet. (I’m reminded of something Yogi Berra supposedly said about a restaurant: “Nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded.”)
I went back to the car to change film and while taking a quiet moment I noticed the reflection of the door frame in the side-view mirror. I opened the lens all the way to f/1.8, focused on the glint of sun on the chrome trim, and on the last exposure of the roll I made my first deliberately abstract photo.
You see the image above. It is what it is, but that’s not the point.
What struck me immediately was the sharp line against amorphous color. Just enough form for definition—an anchor—but not too much. The rest of the image contrasts by lack of definition. It’s easy to overthink this and get all yin/yang and form-and-void about it. Or you can just enjoy it. I chose the latter.
This is close to the ultimate:
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Yeah, this is a bit before we got acquainted. Actually I was recovering from my near death experience so might not have seen it anyway. Shows what keeping an interested eye open can lead to. I choose the latter also which is similar to a comment I made a few minutes ago elsewhere about pixel peepers. Glad to know ya. 🙂
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Glad you took the time to look. Glad you liked it. Glad you survived. Glad to know you. What was the comment about pixel peepers?
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Reed Andariese posted an old shot of a kingfisher and apologized for it being a huge crop. I said that it only matters to pixel peepers (there is good and bad peeping) and it was a fine shot of behavior. I got started with internet image posting on NatureScapes.Net and the critiques there were sometimes brutal literally over pixels. 🙂
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When we were working with Rachael Talibart this summer she said as long as the shot is acceptably sharp she uses it. Wise words.
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Thanks for all the glads. I am too.
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