The Master In You: Topic for August - Less Than Pristine (Page 10): Photos of decay and decline aren't about pleasantness or feeling comfortable so we're less concerned about using...

R.G. Loc: Scotland

minniev wrote:

....Rusted old vehicles and decaying houses persuade me to process more harshly and more creatively than I would ever process a landscape.... Any theories about why that is so?.....

Photos of decay and decline aren't about pleasantness or feeling comfortable so we're less concerned about using moderation or trying to avoid overcooking. Most landscape shots are about pleasantness, but when they're not we show the same willingness to embrace extreme adjustments and to push for a harsher look. I suppose it's like when you see portrait shots of wizened or weatherbeaten people where the processing has deliberately produced an uber-grunge look.

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

I live some twenty miles south of Bridgeport Ct. It has the highest population of all the cities in Connecticut, and it is a paradise for urban decay. A short journey up I95 whenever I feel an urge to photograph this sort of thing. While driving around, I spotted the shot tower of the old Remington Arms, and found my way over to it. It has an interesting history, and I am including a couple of links if you want to find out a little about that. When I pulled over to the curb, I had to decide if I even wanted to get out of my vehicle with an expensive camera. I was that impressed by my surroundings. I got over it, and have been back quite a few times thereafter. There are vast neighborhoods where I yearn to venture out and do some street photography, but I am way to wary. So,

#1. Is the shot tower. This one had a better sky than most I have taken.

https://www.hauntedrooms.com/connecticut/haunted-places/remington-arms-bridgeport

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/remington-shot-tower

#2. This cemetery is adjacent to the 73 acres that comprise of The Remington Arms property. The date of the deceased on the right hand side is 1881.

#3. Over on the good side of town.

#4. In the adjacent town of Stratford, is a small parking lot from which you can follow a path into the estuary of the sound. This is unfortunately also a somewhat scary area, based on a conversation I had with a local. I just liked the switchover amongst the weeds along the path.

#5. Also in Stratford is a large area of no longer used buildings. These really appeal to me for the simple colors and geometry. And of course that they have been abandoned.

#6. From another town to the north, Shelton, I have found many interesting sights including some very extensive graffiti art in the railroad tunnels. These buildings seemed worth stopping for.

#7. All I know as to location on this was somewhere in the Catskills. A friend was driving and he was more than happy to pull over when I saw something of interest. Walked around the back side of this structure along a country road. If anything I processed to enhance the surface textures.

#8. When in Vermont I am on the lookout for barns and such. This from a tiny town of Danby, which has all manner of good such subjects.

#9. The Salton Sea. I love this image. It seems to say it all for me. That is, regarding its demise. I include a link for those of you who are not familiar with it. https://www.california.com/what-happened-salton-sea/

#10. Lastly, Bethlehem Steel Company. Acres upon acres of interesting structures long abandoned. Shortly after this picture was taken I met a very nice man from Homeland Security. He said I wasn't supposed to be there.

(Download)

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

fergmark wrote:

I live some twenty miles south of Bridgeport Ct. ... (show quote)

Mark, these are all incredibly powerful images IMO. Truly superior work. And a few fascinating tidbits about your circumstances too

captivecookie Loc: Washington state

fergmark wrote:

I live some twenty miles south of Bridgeport Ct. ... (show quote)

I completely agree with Linda. Sorry I don't have a lot to offer you in the way of improvement but that's what you get when you do it right in the first place
😉

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

R.G. wrote:

Photos of decay and decline aren't about pleasantness or feeling comfortable so we're less concerned about using moderation or trying to avoid overcooking. Most landscape shots are about pleasantness, but when they're not we show the same willingness to embrace extreme adjustments and to push for a harsher look. I suppose it's like when you see portrait shots of wizened or weatherbeaten people where the processing has deliberately produced an uber-grunge look.

I have done some grungy processing of wrinkled and weatherbeaten people but not nearly as extreme as some I've seen. I'm more likely to grunge up the environment than the people, though sometimes it's impossible to separate them out. There are masters of that genre who reveal interesting characters, and there are times when I feel like one can go too far in making unfortunates look even more unfortunate. It's a topic that could be discussed forever, with no real rights and wrongs, just opinions.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Linda From Maine wrote:

Aside from my abandoned mill, I probably don't take "harsh" far enough with these subjects. For many years, Minnie, your work has been ultra-engaging and instructive.

Thank ya Linda! We all find our own version of everything we photograph, and it's important to feel right about our own voice.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

captivecookie wrote:

Absolutely love this work of art. I fully encourage grunge techniques as a method to show the beauty seen in old things as interpreted by the photographer.

Thank you very much. I agree. I favor using grunge to emphasize the beauty rather than using grunge to emphasize ugliness.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

fergmark wrote:

I live some twenty miles south of Bridgeport Ct. ... (show quote)

These are very nice. Each of them either tells a story or offers a mystery to ponder. If I had to pick favorites it would be #1 and #8 though I agree with you that the Salton Sea one is a fine image reminiscent of Stephen Shore.

Your editing brings out the detail without overwhelming it. Well done.

And I relate to some of your difficult decisions. I live near the largest city in MS, with ample urban decay to keep me interested, but it has become so dangerous that I no longer go photo-hunting alone, and some places won't go at all.

cbtsam Loc: Monkton, MD

ebrunner wrote:

The Master in You is an evolution of the monthly Master's Critique. Here we will give you a "topic" each month with some themes to consider. Shoot some images with the topic in mind and then post them in this thread and tell us about them. Where did you shoot the image? What are your concerns and challenges with the image? How much, if any, consideration did you give to gear to get the image you wanted? You might also wish to address the themes that are mentioned along with the topic.

General guidelines: This is an open thread where you are encouraged to post your original works and discuss them. Please post only your own work. Do not post edits of another member's work unless you have asked that member for permission to edit. Remember that some people do not want their work edited by anyone. Please respect that. The topics will be active for one month at a time. You will have the entire month to ponder and work on the subject. Feel free to post at any time during the month. You can post more than one image. If you shoot more than one image on any given topic, you may make several submissions. That way we might be able to stimulate some conversations that act as inspiration or, at least, incentive for others to go out and try the topic themselves.

The original purpose of FYC was to be a "cafe" atmosphere where people gather to discuss topics pertaining to photography. It is hoped that this thread will encourage members to get out and shoot images that pertain to the topic and then enter into a discussion about your posts and the posts of others. This monthly topic is not about : "That is really nice" or "two thumbs up". While these are certainly legitimate responses, the aim of this topical thread is to throw a wider net. It is hoped that we will discuss what works and what does not work so well. If someone's work does not appeal to you, feel free to say so in a way that acknowledges that we all have different ideas about what appeals to us.

The Moderators

Topic Of The Month , August 2021: "Less Than Pristine "

Theme 1 How do you approach this topic Mechanical decay, industrial, urban decay, or rural buildings falling apart? What do you look for?

Theme 2 Processing: When do you say "too much"? Do you visualize post processing, or let it come to you?

For some time now, I've wanted to shoot the SS United States. This is the fastest Ocean Liner to cross the Atlantic. Her last voyage was in 1969, and she is presently docked in Philadelphia while a conservancy group is trying to invent a future for this once proud ship. The dock area is closed to the public. So, I had to photograph her from the street on the far side of a chain link fence. I wanted the photo to remind the viewer of a bygone era in travel, so I tried to make it look like an old photograph. I should have shot in film; but I did not on this occasion. (Maybe in the future). I did use "film" presets in NIK. I also cloned out the lines that keep the ship from floating away from the dock.

I thought this might be a good example of: "Less Than Pristine". Of course we are interested in discussing this photo; but we also want to see your examples of "Less Than Pristine". From your archives or shot recently, the choice is yours. This topic will remain active for the month of August.

Moderators,

The Master in You is an evolution of the monthly M... (show quote)

I made this image back in April. While the subjects are clearly less than pristine, my attraction here was and is to the way the stems and flowers move about in the frame, rather like an abstract painting; your view, of course, may vary. I thought of them as dancers, with flowers in their hair, reminiscent of the hippies from the 60s (the Scott McKensie song - "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" - was 1967). I shot over fifty images for this one, and combined them in a focus stack with HeliconFocus, so it should reward pretty close examination.

I think it was the first one I used my soldering jig for - a plate of steel about 8.5 x 11 inches, with five flexible arms with magnetic feet and clips on the other end, so I can pose things like these flowers. Pretty cheap and relatively easy to work with.

With Flowers In Their Hair - Tulip # 10, 2021(Explored)-04-25-A1-C1-x21-18-32-03-(C,Smoothing2)-copy-1 by Sam Yaffe, on Flickr

If you click on this link, you can view the image in greater detail.

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

minniev wrote:

These are very nice. Each of them either tells a s... (show quote)

I googled Stephen Shore. Another photographer you have made me aware of. I see what you mean. A couple in particular. I tried on numerous occasions to find the right angle at which to photograph the tower in #1. When the vines are colorful they are really attractive on the brick but I wasn't happy with the compositions. Hard to convey what that graveyard is like. It is a circular drive at the end of a straight shot from the buildings of the tower. The large monoliths all sitting all alone in a vast rumpled landscape, abutted by the back side of the trucking business. The nearest encroachment.

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

captivecookie wrote:

I completely agree with Linda. Sorry I don't have a lot to offer you in the way of improvement but that's what you get when you do it right in the first place
😉

I appreciate your confidence in Linda's assessment.

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

Linda From Maine wrote:

Mark, these are all incredibly powerful images IMO. Truly superior work. And a few fascinating tidbits about your circumstances too

Thank you Linda. It's a topic of great interest to me. Urban decline as an architectural dilemma and all the ramifications in society, as well as looking at it from the forces of erosion over time. Mans works, being returned to nature. Something like that.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

fergmark wrote:

I live some twenty miles south of Bridgeport Ct. ... (show quote)

Mark, you present a really great set that truly expresses the topic.

Salton Sea is the only area I know in your area and I am surprised you chose to represent it so benignly. Your shot is well thought out and the capture of the chair is inspired. Although I can no longer travel I have watched the deterioration of that area over a period of at least 25 years. There are many more graphic representations you could have chosen but if it matters I approve of your choice.

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

Curmudgeon wrote:

Mark, you present a really great set that truly expresses the topic.

Salton Sea is the only area I know in your area and I am surprised you chose to represent it so benignly. Your shot is well thought out and the capture of the chair is inspired. Although I can no longer travel I have watched the deterioration of that area over a period of at least 25 years. There are many more graphic representations you could have chosen but if it matters I approve of your choice.

Sorry if I my wording was confusing. I am in Connecticut, but have visited the Joshua Tree area a number of times. The Salton Sea photo, from 2004, was meant to be all about the chair in this environment. It reflects at the same time, the incongruity and inevitable future of an office chair on the shore of a body of water, and the body of water unnaturally being there, and its inevitable decline. The single bird would also suggest that life is not flourishing in this place. There was no effort to represent anything in a way other than the benign truth. Thats a quick translation of my thoughts at the time.

jburlinson Loc: Austin, TX

minniev wrote:

Rusted old vehicles and decaying houses persuade me to process more harshly and more creatively than I would ever process a landscape. I have seen others do the same. Any theories about why that is so? Are you prone to these kinds of creative interventions with decaying things?

My experience with theories is that they are like Rorschach tests, often telling us more about ourselves than about anything in external reality.

That being said; my theory is that people have a certain fascination with the decay or deterioration of human-made objects, kind of like in the poem Ozymandias, where the long-gone ruler's great works have been obliterated into the desert sands. So it's not surprising that we might be inclined to help the process along. It's like when I was a kid doing target practice. I was much more interested in shooting up tin cans or old cars than in firing at a rock or something like that.

This impulse does not hold for God-made things, like the natural world or human beings. Witnessing the decay of such things is painful, and, if anything, calls for us to ameliorate the ravages.

That's just a theory though.