Why do strange things make good..

[Graham.J]

...pictures?

I went out today to do a bit of snapping at a local pond, expecting ducks, and mist etc.

But I found a log sticking up out of the water, now logically I'd think...."it's a log" but somehow I really like this picture and it's definately my favourite of the day (after the monochroming in PhotoShop)



So what is it about strange little things like this that make good photos?

[simpo two]

Graham.J said:

So what is it about strange little things like this that make good photos?

Because they make you notice things that you'd normally walk straight past. Art is all around, you just have to find it.

As someone said, 'Photography is the art of seeing what others do not.'

[Graham.J]

That's a very good point actually, I'd not looked at it like that (is there some irony in that??? )

I actually didn't mean to be at that venue at all, from force of habit when I was on the way to the palce I wanted to go to I turned right and should've gone straight on, thought "sod it, I'll take the short cut" then saw the pond and some mist coming through the trees, so stopped and whipped the camera out.

Ended up staying for about an hour, funny how things happen

[Phil S]

The effect makes the water look very thick, almost oil like.

[CVP]

I like it. As PhilS said it makes the water look quite thick and oily.

Photography and art in general is a strange old thing, often some of the most striking images are those of ordinary everyday objects or views that people are used to but then shot in a very different manner. These have a kind of shock value as you go "Oh it's a [insert name of thing]".

Chris

[V6GTO]

simpo two said:

Graham.J said: So what is it about strange little things like this that make good photos? Because they make you notice things that you'd normally walk straight past. Art is all around, you just have to find it. As someone said, 'Photography is the art of seeing what others do not.'

A bit like this?


Martin.

[Graham.J]

Phil S said:

The effect makes the water look very thick, almost oil like.

I was hoping to get an effect like that, the water was really clear from the original angle I was going to take the shot at, but I didn't want any of the bed to be in the shot, so I moved around a bit and the reflection from sun seemed to 'thicken' it up

[Graham.J]

V6GTO, I really like that picture, the subject is interesting and the angle of choice sets it off nicely Is that in London somewhere, I really want to do some photography in the City sometime.

[_dobbo_]

I really like the log in the water shot. Once again, the power of digital shines through in the "processing"

Martin, I'm a big fan of your shot too. For some reason I love photos taken of the reflection in building windows. Here's one I took on a bus tour of New York.





Not as striking as yours, but I like the way (by luck) I caught the street signs, and the helicopter in the reflection.

[V6GTO]

Graham.J said:

V6GTO, I really like that picture, the subject is interesting and the angle of choice sets it off nicely Is that in London somewhere, I really want to do some photography in the City sometime.

Graham,
Yes, that's at Canary Wharf. I think that was taken with a 28-135 zoom at the 28mm end.

Martin.