This is certainly no great photo, the yellow reflection to the left is much too distracting for that, but it does one thing very well: it accurately shows the light that caused me to take it in the first place.
Technically this is not an HDR image. It was made from one RAW file by combining three different versions, using luminance masks, “Blend If” sliders, an extra layer in “Soft Light” blending mode and a photo filter.
I could probably have found a better composition, but I was in a hurry. I crouched in the middle of the street, sheltering myself and the camera from the heavy rain with an umbrella, using a short time when there were no cars. Pretty inconvenient 🙂
Here is one more image with the same Sigma 30/1.4 lens. I kinda like it, though neither my artistic contribution is overwhelming, nor is it that of the graffer. Sometimes I wonder. I can understand what someone could get out of making graffiti, at least a certain kind. Some graffiti are art, even if Ted disagrees 🙂
But where does this trend to use stencils come from?? Why do people do that? There is nothing at all artistic in it. Even a monkey could do that. Why bother? Do you have any idea?
The Song of the Day is “Stormy Weather”, one of my most favorite songs, a Harold Arlen composition, this time interpreted by Ethel Waters. I found her by chance, searching for versions of “Stormy Weather”, not knowing that it was actually her signature song. Well, it’s probably excusable, she was slightly before my time 🙂
I have it on a compilation of recordings from between 1931 and 1934, but that does not seem to be available any more. Instead you could probably get this one called “Am I Blue?”. Hear it on YouTube.
There are 4 comments
andreas (2008-06-29)
Thanks. I guess I should make it even more a habit to linger, try a second or a third shot. I already do, but I still have to do it consciously. That's not enough. So many times I can get a better image if I simply try it again, differently, the same way but with a slight variation, ... That would even have been possible here. Getting wet? Ridiculous. I was 50 meters from home. On the other hand, this was really a fleeting moment. The interesting thing was the light in the sky, and that can hardly have lasted longer than one or two minutes.
Ted (2008-06-30)
Stencils are the natural extension of graffs... They are more efficient forms of self indulgence ... Here they are called stamps. Frankly I think the next step will see the vandals simply saving money on paints or stencils and merely smearing their excrement on walls then spraying it with some sort of quick hardening glue. Of course most of these things are a form of excrement already... Just not the most organic and cheaply available.
BTW, we both know that when the smearing begins, social enablers will declare the results to be high art and movements will develop to not only save them but to guard THEM against defacement.
And on..... It's the circle of life....
Thomas (2008-06-28)
Well, you certainly managed to capture a very special, wet light. That's a real rainy evening/night in the city - I didn't realise before how beautiful it can be...
💬 Reply 💬