• Photos

  • Level

  • Score

Hanging out the laundry

© Peter W. Marks

Hanging out the laundry

Uploaded: September 13, 2008

Description

Portloe, Cornwall

Exif: F Number: 16, Exposure Bias Value: -0.33, ExposureTime: 1/320 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 200, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 70.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 20D

Comments

Peter W. Marks October 09, 2008

I would appreciate some in-depth critique on this image. I am not looking for "nice POV" or the likes but suggestions as to how you might have made this image to improve it or even whether or not you think it was worth making at all! What I was seeing through the viewfinder was an image that put me in mind of the abstract paintings of the famous Dutch artist, Piet Mondrian. He painted images made up of outlined rectangles of varying sizes with some rectangles filled with color and others left white. In my image I divided up my "canvas" with the large rectangle of the house, the grey walls and yard rectangle which fills approximately the left side vertical one third and then the one third rectangle of the wall with the white gate. Doors, windows, gate, fence and roof make up other rectangles. Leaving the lady hanging out the laundry in the image was deliberate so that the abstract arrangement was in a juxtaposition to the photo-realist image of person and laundry line. Quite possibly this doesn't work but is a whole lot more fun than making a macro of a flower. #1013420

Peter W. Marks October 15, 2008

No thoughts on this, folks?? #6603337

Errick L. Cameron level-deluxe October 19, 2008

I would have liked to see more of the white gate and possible clone out the gutter on the right hand boarder as it has a tendency to distract my eye. But.. all and all, a very good photo depicting daily life. I like it. #6621608

Peter W. Marks October 19, 2008

Thank you Errick. Thanks too for your hospitality on Fri evening and I hope that the rest of Art East weekend goes well.
Peter #6622254

Nikki McDonald level-classic March 13, 2009

I decided to look for this one after seeing the EP on your windows crop. I definitely think this was worth making. I like it much better than the windows -- no comparison in terms of interest :) though I do think the crop was a good idea for a completely different look. Love the thought that went into this composition and I really think you are on the right track; the overall composition is excellent. How are your ps skills and how do you feel about cleaning up reality with a little -- well maybe a lot of -- cloning? Did you crop at all? Do you have the rest of the gate? Keeping your excellent vision in mind, I would suggest you simplify just a bit and I think you'll have just what you were after. #7282083

Peter W. Marks March 14, 2009

Good morning Nikki. Thank you so much for spending time with my image in a very helpful way.
I had to laugh over your suggestion re cloning as I very intentionally left much of the grunge in the shot. Now let me first say, I have two sides to my character. One is the king of procrastination "Why do today, or even tomorrow, what can be put off till next week?" and the other is "Haul the camera out of the bag, point it in approximately the right direction and that's got that over with!" So, as a friend once told me "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions" and so it is with me and my promise to myself that one day I will actually take my tripod with me and spend careful, thoughtful time on my photo making :)
But back to the "cleaning up" of the image. Yes, I understand completely what you say and it would have been easy to clone out the rusty TV antenna dishes, stray cables on the wall and patch up the peeling paint etc but then it would not have the very "reality" that you make reference to. The antenna and the addition to the building on the left side are about the only things that have changed in 150 years and as my life accounts for nearly half of that and this place is only a few miles from where I was born and raised, it reminds me of what 'was' and now 'what is'. It is the very paradox of nostalgia and reality. The lady hanging out the washing to dry probably has a washer/dryer in the house but this very act took me back all those years to when Monday was always laundry day and we kids had better stop kicking a muddy ball around our tiny back yard.
No, that was all the gate I had in shot and will try to do better when we go back to Cornwall in a couple of months time. Will probably get all the gate but no washerwoman!
Thanks again Nikki. Pete #7283795

To discuss, first log in or sign up (buttons are at top center of page).

Get Constructive Critiques

Sign up for an interactive online photography course to get critiques on your photos.


 

Did You Know?

Discussions by Category: You can view photo discussions on various themes in the Community > Photo Discussions section of the site.

BetterPhoto Websites: If you see an orange website link directly under the photographer's name, it's totally okay. It's not spam. The reason: BetterPhoto is the one that offers these personal photography websites. We are supporting our clients with those links.

Unavailable EXIF: If there is no other information but 'Unavailable' in the EXIF (meaning no EXIF data exists with the photo), the 'Unavailable' blurb is not displayed. If there is any info, it shows. Many photos have the EXIF stripped out when people modify the image and resave it, before uploading.


 

The following truth is one of the core philosophies of BetterPhoto:

I hear, I forget.
I see, I remember.
I do, I understand.

You learn by doing. Take your next online photography class.

You &

Love It!


Copyright for this photo belongs solely to Peter W. Marks.
Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.