Post Yer Still Lifes take 2

[aphexafx]

I tend to obfuscate, so take my stuff with reserve. I am not partiularly successful.

That's one of the things I particularly like about some of your work, is that I find myself staring at it thinking...what is the intention? Your groups of objects are often intriguing to me. Abrupt clarity is overrated, imo.

Also, I would very nearly kill to see a backed-away shot of your studio/staging area, but I understand if you feel that this would take away from your product...

[Jim Cole]

Ken,

I agree with your assessment of the astronomy image. It's missing the spontaneity and naturalness. This is the part I don't get. It looks like my workspace, which in the scheme of things makes for a rather boring photograph.

Christopher posts an image where I can see no spontaneity or naturalness at all. The objects would never come together that way. Yet, the photograph is most pleasing to look at.

I agree with Matt's comment of being unable to define the intent, but enjoying the photograph. I had a long conversation with my wife about an hour ago discussing this exact same thing. I came away confused.

"Clarity is overrated" and being literal is boring. "Obfuscation" works well for Christopher without spontaneity and I am finding it more and more dificult to define a successful still life. I know one when I see it, but my own attempts are woefully inadequate for all the reasons discussed here. My mind is too linear for this I fear.

Jim

[aphexafx]

"Clarity is overrated" and being literal is boring. "Obfuscation" works well for Christopher without spontaneity and I am finding it more and more dificult to define a successful still life. I know one when I see it, but my own attempts are woefully inadequate for all the reasons discussed here. My mind is too linear for this I fear.

Jim

Jim, I disagree about your mind. I too am struggling with this type of work, in fact, I have a scene set up right behind me that I've been working on all morning, and I fear that it is also too linear. But I'm not going to give up! I am going to start shooting more 4x5 so that I can post my results here. The advice is just too precious to pass up.

Kudos to you and your efforts! Keep going, I've been watching and rooting you on.

[Ken Lee]

I agree with your assessment of the astronomy image. It's missing the spontaneity and naturalness. This is the part I don't get. It looks like my workspace, which in the scheme of things makes for a rather boring photograph.

Christopher posts an image where I can see no spontaneity or naturalness at all. The objects would never come together that way. Yet, the photograph is most pleasing to look at.

I like to watch the master chefs on TV from time to time. It's neat how they appear to just toss in a bit of this, and chop up a bit of that. Their measurements are approximate. They have a basic scheme in mind, but they are loose when they execute. Sometimes, they try something unreasonable just to see if it works. They improvise and explore, over a well-established score.

In the same way, still life artists sometimes play and combine things that would not normally be found together. They arrange objects in a way so that they overlap and harmonize properly, but they do it loosely, sloppily as it were, so that things appear to have come together naturally. They leave the shoelaces untied here, or a candle burned out there, or some coffee stains on the papers.

In classical Japanese art, there are specific terms like wabi and sabi - which refer to the aesthetics of looking natural, used, even worn-down or worn-out. The Japanese artists certainly understood orderliness, freshness, and clarity - but in the arts which came out of their contemplative traditions, they admired the way that nature bangs things up a bit over time, and makes things less obviously symmetrical.

Like the rest of us, I'm sure Christopher would admit that some of his photos worked out better than others, and that he is sometimes surprised. My guess is that he fiddles around a lot. We don't see all his "duds".

In a nutshell, no matter how much we plan, there is always an element of uncertainty (or at least the appearance of uncertainty) in what we do, which makes things fun. We all keep coming back for the surprises.

[Jim Cole]

I like to watch the master chefs on TV from time to time. It's neat how they appear to just toss in a bit of this, and chop up a bit of that. Their measurements are approximate. They have a basic scheme in mind, but they are loose when they execute. Sometimes, they try something unreasonable just to see if it works. They improvise and explore, over a well-established score.

In the same way, still life artists sometimes play and combine things that would not normally be found together. They arrange objects in a way so that they overlap and harmonize properly, but they do it loosely, sloppily as it were, so that things appear to have come together naturally. They leave the shoelaces untied here, or a candle burned out there, or some coffee stains on the papers.

In classical Japanese art, there are specific terms like wabi and sabi - which refer to the aesthetics of looking natural, used, even worn-down or worn-out. The Japanese artists certainly understood orderliness, freshness, and clarity - but in the arts which came out of their contemplative traditions, they admired the way that nature bangs things up a bit over time, and makes things less obviously symmetrical.

Excellent contribution, Ken.

[cjbroadbent]

More of yesterday's junk on tmax 8x10 w/Gandolfi + 240 sironar & 1 umbrella. Less zing than yesterday's M8. Oh well, LF is purity.
My Mac portfolio will lapse tomorrow - I've switched to http://picasaweb.google.com/cjbroadb...eat=directlink

[Miguel Coquis]

amazing !!!
Spring blossoms every where around here,
even in the bottle.... !!!
Have a nice week end fellows !

[cjbroadbent]

...what is the intention? ...see a backed-away shot of your studio/staging area....

I get to have to do a lot of shots for other people with clear intentions. On my own, I tend to privilege form over function and build absurd monuments, fitting junk together sudoku fashion until all the light and dark parts fit against each other in one structure. Here you see the camera backed too far off to get cohesive (and tangible) perspective. I backed off because DOF was lacking and made a bad shot (my last post). The good shot was a digital test (on the previous post) done right close in. The rule is: never shoot further away than the width of the subject.

[Robert Fisher]

Christopher, thanks so much for the image of your setup for the still life. I ALWAYS wonder how you pros do the setup for your shots. Thanks again and PLEASE continue if you are so inclined.

[Jim Cole]

Christopher,

Thanks for the studio shot and included tips. As always, your advice is most welcome.

I think most of us here like your "absurd monuments".

Jim