Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

I love irony. When I dabble in creative writing, I always like to include a healthy dose of irony. Irony fuels humor, and I tend to concentrate in that area. I suspect that most folks who ponder the topic of irony confine their thoughts to the written word, film, or theater. They probably don't think of irony in a still photograph, though we've all seen still photographs that display irony. Think of those photos of guys smiling and eating lunch while sitting on an I-beam 100 stories up. The irony is that they appear happy and carefree, while being in a situation that many of us would find terrifying.

If irony can be portrayed in a still photograph, must that photo include people, or, perhaps, animals? We probably tend to think of irony as involving living subjects, but is that absolutely necessary? Can one find irony in a landscape?

This is a photo of a portion of the Teton range, viewed from across Jackson Lake. One of the things that makes the Tetons more nearly unique is that they have no foothills, at least on the eastern side, which is the side most of us see. This is one of the reasons the Tetons are so photogenic. They seem to rise, instantly, from flat earth. The lack of foothills makes them appear closer to you than they really are.

Where is the irony? The trees on the opposite shore appear to provide some perspective, but that perspective is an illusion. We all know how tall trees are. Because the mountains appear to be immediately behind the trees, the mountains do not seem as tall as they really are. They seem to be about two or three times as tall as the trees, which probably isn't that impressive, as far as
mountains go. Now, look at the clouds. A couple of the peaks are kissed by the clouds. We can tell it is a clear day, so those clouds must be way up there, which ought to indicate that the peaks are quite high. Part of the photo is telling us that the mountains are rather small, and part of the photo is telling us that they are huge. You could call this "ambiguous", but I don't think that is accurate. "Ambiguity" implies uncertainty, but we are certain that mountains are tall. The trees, in the foreground, coupled with the illusion of the lack of distance, are telling us the mountains are not so tall, which is something we know to be false. I think that is irony.

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jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

I think two things:
1. You have a beautiful photo here--I enjoyed seeing it.
2. From the standpoint of an old college literature teacher, I believe you're over-thinking the irony thing.

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Thanks!

I am probably guilty of overthinking a lot of things. I was a math major, in college. (I am certainly guilty of underthinking things, as well. I went to a university that sold beer in the student union. You may not think those things are related, but I can assure you, they are.)

Landscape photography has always been a bit of a struggle, for me. Can I translate the beauty of the scene into a photograph? Can I create a photo that shows why I thought the scene worthy of capturing, in the first place? Often, I am less than successful in these pursuits, but even a blind squirrel finds an acorn, once in a while. When I first looked at this scene, I was struck by how close the mountains appeared to be. I knew the mountains were tall, but some of the elements in the scene were conspiring to make them look smaller. I tried to find a focal point, to give the viewer an idea of the scale, but there just wasn't anything around. To my eyes, the line of trees on the opposite shore were the only objects that could provide a sense of scale, but the scale was a lie! I thought that was ironic.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

I'm really enjoying the color in the trees. Yes, they do appear to make the mountains look smaller; but I've seen the Tetons so those trees aren't fooling me. Wonderful photo.
Erich

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Thanks!

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

thanks for an interesting dialog about images and irony. Regarding irony (perhaps as feigned ignorance), I think a protagonist of some type is helpful. Perhaps the protagonist could be a new happy flower newly frozen by a blizzard, or faced with destruction from a forest fire in the background or an incoming flood.

With animals, perhaps irony would be a hunter being hunted or some such. Anyway, with protagonist it is easier to see "intent" and to imagine that perhaps things are not as they seem.

With raw landscapes, perhaps the sun shining in the midst of a rain shower - the devil beating his wife type of thing. I wish I went to a school where beer was available in the student union!

I like your image, and also think that part of the irony is low lands green and warm vs high lands blue and cold. Images are all about showing the contrasts in my book, which at least is a component of irony..

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I've read your opening and your reply to jaymatt twice, Anvil, and I'm pretty sure I understand your point. Have been trying to think of something intelligent to say in response, but no go - lol.

Having moved from a place of small mountains to one of large, I can attest to the brain's inability to grasp the scale until experienced in person. However, unlike the recommendations of some that we shouldn't even try to photograph such grandeur and size, I disagree.

Your image is stunning and inspiration for those who dream, "Some day..."

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Thanks for the comments. I was actually thinking something similar, when I first posted. Irony frequently involves a living creature, whether it is a person or animal. The mountain range is the subject of the photo, but is it a living creature? (I am certain there are cultures that would hold that it is living.) Irony is usually found in the written word -- in compositions, as it were. Photographs are compositions, so might a photo contain irony?

Regarding selling beer in the student union... I went to college in Milwaukee, in the 70s. Whenever the university would throw a big, outdoor bash, each of the three local breweries would drive up a truck that had beer taps on the outside of the truck. Beer was an important part of the culture, at the time. Things have changed, since then.

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Thanks! On that trip, I was concentrating on photographing things that we don't see, much, around here. Elk during the rut, bears, bison -- you name it. I probably should have spent a bit more time trying to capture the mountains. I didn't really do that until we went through Grand Teton NP, on our way home. (We were looking for moose, and ran into these mountains...)

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

I like your image, Anvil, and your musings on confusions of scale.

I can never forget my first trip the Alaska Range and Denali NP. It was a grey, very overcast day, and we were on the 61
mile road open to driving...and then there, beneath the clouds was the mast magnificent line of impressive peaks. We got out of the car to marvel at the sight, and as I was setting up the tripod... my wife tugged at my jacket and said...David...look up...I looked up...and around...but all I saw was more cloud cover. “Higher” she said....same thing. We went thru several sequences of Higher...no higher..until I was looking up at an angle of 45° to 50° and saw a break in the cloud cover...and through that break in the broad cloud...I was looking up at the peak of Denali.

Dead silence...

My wife finally said “David....breathe! I’ll never forget that gasp necessary to pay back the oxygen debt that my prolonged breathless reaction to the sight of Denali’s peak way....way....way up there had occasioned. Up there ... way above the puny bunch of pseudo-magnificent Earth pimples I had been about to memorialize as truly magnificent.

A never to be forgetting moment.

It’s all a matter of scale!

Dave

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

LOL, if you ran into a moose, it would feel like running into a mountain

I just looked at your fantastic Gallery posting of the critters you encountered. Guess a bison run-in would qualify too. Gorgeous shots!

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Thanks! That's a great story. You were a lot closer to Denali than we ever got. When we saw it, it was off in the distance, so I didn't have to look up. We did, however, see the entire mountain, with no cloud cover.

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Thank you! We stopped for lunch at a place in Grand Teton NP. The place was going to shut down, the next day, for the season. We told our waiter that we were looking for moose. So, he pulled out a map, showed us where to go, and pretty much guaranteed we'd see moose. We followed his directions to the letter, and the only thing we saw was other people looking for moose.