Forum Folk, Here are my thoughts and feelings about the PhotoForum member's gallery/exhibit space now on display at http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery.html: Roderick Chen - http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/chen.html Always evocative, Chen again gives the viewer an outstanding image. No title to lead the thought allows us to see what we want in this picture. I see what I would call "Serenity amongst Chaos." Others may (and hopefully will) see other things. Perhaps even this afternoon, something else will enter my mind. There is serenity in the monk-like figure that the most clearly defined object in the photograph. And although the figure is the most clear defined, there is still a bit of movement, as if there is not yet complete oneness of thought, mind and body. Everything else is still moving, unsettled, in turmoil. This photograph is a masterpiece in design and execution. Bravo! Richard Cooper - Lines http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/cooper.html A foggy day adds a bit of mystery and intrigue to what would otherwise be a mundane subject. But this photo is anything but mundane. A spot of red in the center captures the eye and holds it. The lines of the bridge accent, but do not detract. There is no weight on the right to balance the strong verticals on the left, but the red, perhaps the color with the most ability to excite the brain’s visual cortex, so strongly holds the eye, that the asymmetry goes almost unnoticed. This image is complex in its message. The mood created by the darkness of concrete bridge piers, trestle and reflection, and enhanced by the fog is somewhat mysterious. The placid water speaks of serenity. The red jacket pulled high to the neck, long sleeves and long cut below the knees indicates cold. The red, normally a hot color, but here dulled by the fog, only enhances the cold. The spot of color in the center, so small and so dissimilar to the rest of the photo, seems to imply loneliness. I like this picture a lot. John Mason - Smoke from Burn Outs, Eastside Raceway http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/jmason.html At first glance, this is a lot like Cooper’s shot, but there is no color. It is black and white. The title describes the situation. The racer defines the location. The short sleeves on the spectators indicate the season, or at least the weather. The figure on the right is the mystery shrouded in smoke. I keep looking at this image, trying to decide if this is a fireman in his turnout gear or something else. I really don’t want to know. The mystery keeps me looking. Greg Fraser - Reality http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/fraser.html Getting away from the cold of Cooper’s photo, Fraser definitely brings us back to summer and warmth. Bathing suits and a fishing pole: there is water nearby, but it is uncertain if it ahead or behind. My guess would be in front of them. I get this feeling not from the vagueness of the horizon, but the apparent energy in the posturing of the children. They seem to be eager, full of energy and ready to go start something. Viewing this picture leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling about a warm and fuzzy day. We all needed this photo this week. Gregory david Stempel - The Storm http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/stempel.html Very reminiscent of his image, "The Farm" from two weeks ago, Stempel provides us once again with the majesty of Nature despite her sullen intent. He shows us a charged atmosphere created by wicked skies looming over a dark landscape punctuated by a busy highway and red lights atop bridge superstructures. As with "The Farm," Stempel enhances the frailty of mankind with the vastness of his skies. Humanity is larger here than with his other submission, but the strength created by the lightning continues to show the insignificance of the human. Another winner. David Small - http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/small.html And the winners just keep on rolling today. The lines of the boards, pointing to and enhancing the white cross is so excellent. The white triangle formed, I suppose, from sunlight streaming through a window, pulls the attention from the cross, but especially with the dark shadow in the triangle’s center, it releases us back to the cross. I don’t know if the cross is purposeful in symbolic meaning or not. Small does not give us enough clues. But the symbolism is there for us to interpret in a myriad of ways. But it is that lock at the bottom of the cross that gives us an entire new layer of possible meaning in this picture. Then there is the red tone to set the mood. This is a photographic masterpiece, Mr. Small. You have created beauty, mood and meaning from what you found and recorded for us. Alan P. Hayes - Convenience Store http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/hayes.html Apparently the result of a drive-by shooting, this convenience store had an attempted light and color hold-up that was saved by the STOP sign. Had the sign not showed up at the right time, this image wouldn’t have been as strong. But it works. Jim Davis - waiting in the rain http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/davis.html Despite their diminutive size in the photographs, the birds are the obviously the central theme in photograph. They watch, perhaps silently, over the pond, waiting for an indication that they may feed. They wait in the drizzle and apparent cold. Their waiting in these conditions create the mood that is felt as this image is viewed. Bob Talbot - Warrior http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/talbot.html An image of a LARGE sailing ship that works as a vertical! The immensity of the black ship is enhanced by the smaller vessels around it, but it is diminished by the white waterfowl in the foreground. Black/white, large/small, far/near left/right: all contrasts, but contrasts that compliment each other into a very effective whole. Dan Mitchell - Tram car http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/mitchell.html A blast from the past. I’ve never been to Scotland. I’ve never seen double-decker trams. But even to me, this is a memory photo. Even though I really liked the color in the tram, I may not have looked closely at the photograph if Mitchell had not written such an interesting description. But once you know this photo represents a bygone era, you can look at this and recognize the time it was taken and the memory cells are suddenly switched on. The hair styles in the yellow ad bring back memories. I wish I knew what Verno is. Thanks, Dan. David Thompson - University of Texas tower http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/thompson.html Awash in red light and framed by golden arches of water, this is a very good photograph. Thompson exposed this one perfectly to enable us to see the object of his attention. This is colorful and interesting. I like it. Hideki Tomeoka - http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/gallery/tomeoka.html Sun still shining brightly on golden leaves of fall complementing well the blue of the skylight containing an almost hidden seated figure. So far it is a very pretty picture. But then you begin to notice that despite the sharp focus on the leaves, they are not really the subject here. The subject is the seated woman. This is a very well conceived photograph. It works very well. I like it a lot. This was a great week of images. I liked almost all of these pictures a lot. I would be hard pressed to pick one I like best. I like images that create a mood in me when I view it. Practically all of this week’s photos did that. I think I will give the award of My Personal Fave of the week to Small, as there is symbolism/mood/and color hint. Therefore there are more ways for the mind to go on this one. But Tomeoka’s symbolic woman is up there also. Chen’s monk, Cooper’s red, Mason’s mystery, Fraser’s warmth, Stempel’s power, Hayes’ balance, Davis’ small birds, Talbot’s contrasts, Mitchell’s memories and Thompson’s color all create moods. Very good work, folks. Thanks for sharing your photographs and your feelings. And thanks also to Andy and his staff who put the page together for us. peace, rand
