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Author Topic: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today  (Read 4705 times)

Todd Suttles

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Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« on: May 26, 2015, 07:29:51 pm »

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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2015, 08:12:40 pm »

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Rosa Parks ????????????????

Cheers,
Bart
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Bruce Cox

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2015, 08:36:24 pm »

Your shot is an architectural success, though somewhat at the expense of the sculpture [which I haven't seen].  I like your angle of view, but feel Ms Parks might have a larger role.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2015, 09:43:53 am by Bruce Cox »
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stamper

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2015, 05:20:42 am »

A good idea which would have benefited from having something other than the cone in the view. A person if possible? Nice processing BTW

Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2015, 06:19:44 am »

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Hi Todd,

It's a well made image, composition and processing, but the connection with Rosa Parks is not clear.

Cheers,
Bart
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PeterAit

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2015, 08:24:36 am »

Hi Todd,

It's a well made image, composition and processing, but the connection with Rosa Parks is not clear.

Cheers,
Bart

Is the cut-out not meant to be Rosa Parks holding a sign?
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2015, 08:32:23 am »

Is the cut-out not meant to be Rosa Parks holding a sign?

Maybe, but what is her relation to Birmingham?
Unless it is a poor name joke about parking.

Cheers,
Bart
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2015, 08:59:15 am »

Is the cut-out not meant to be Rosa Parks holding a sign?

Any pics of her holding a sign?

Todd Suttles

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2015, 08:09:30 pm »

Thanks for the feed back. One of the questions I had in mind was if a viewer would be able to get meaning from the title. Obviously the answer is no, which means only I -who grew up in the South; +know the image is the back side of a sign, at a bus stop; +Know the image was shot in Birmingham, Alabama; -would understand the title and the comparison between today and then. Thanks much, -t
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luxborealis

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2015, 10:20:43 pm »

Rosa Parks ????????????????

Cheers,
Bart

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks

(Sorry for not making the link active, but iOS 8 Safari, is boycotting my attempts right now.)
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Iluvmycam

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2015, 10:26:36 pm »

Interesting shot. Nice to see something different here.
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2015, 08:40:24 am »

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks

(Sorry for not making the link active, but iOS 8 Safari, is boycotting my attempts right now.)

Hi Terry,

I'm aware who Rosa Parks was, it's the connection with the image that escapes me.

Cheers,
Bart
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Todd Suttles

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2015, 01:37:37 pm »

Had the title been "Behind Rosa Parks Bus Stop, Birmingham, 2015 " would your perception or like/dislike of the image have been different? -just curious.
Another question: Is a title (subject) required?
Many Thanks to those who have taken the time to comment. I am learning, -t
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2015, 02:13:13 pm »

Had the title been "Behind Rosa Parks Bus Stop, Birmingham, 2015 " would your perception or like/dislike of the image have been different? -just curious....

What I am curious about, and I assume Bart as well, is the link between Rosa Park, bus stop, and Birmingham. The historic event, and the related bus stop, took place in Mongomery, AL. Also, a woman holding a protest sign is not something I would associate with Rosa Park. Maybe I am just not informed well enough, so would appreciate if someone would help us understand the connection.

luxborealis

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2015, 10:47:03 pm »

Hi Terry,

I'm aware who Rosa Parks was, it's the connection with the image that escapes me.

Cheers,
Bart

I figured you did, or if you did or at least would know enough to look her up. But, just in case...
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #15 on: June 01, 2015, 08:30:44 am »

What I am curious about, and I assume Bart as well, is the link between Rosa Park, bus stop, and Birmingham. The historic event, and the related bus stop, took place in Mongomery, AL. Also, a woman holding a protest sign is not something I would associate with Rosa Park. Maybe I am just not informed well enough, so would appreciate if someone would help us understand the connection.
I, too, am well-informed about who Rosa Park was, but I also failed to see any connection between the image and Rosa.
So for me, the title is a red herring.

Without the title, it is indeed an intriguing image, and I agree that a person instead of the cone might have made it even better.
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brandtb

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #16 on: June 01, 2015, 11:31:20 am »

Todd - re. your question about titling...it is mostly an ephemeral addition and often times useless addition. Background. People have always loved stories, making up stories, and telling stories - this will never change.  Many aspiring photographers are no different - and will add a "layer of meaning" on top of a visual work in an attempt to "help the story/visual story along". Problems arise (not necessarily in your post per se) when the title is doing the "heavy lifting" in attempt to force or add juice/importance/critical information/merit - to a photographic image - where there is no/or little juice/importance/critical information/merit. For many photographers one may sense that they are more involved in a mental narrative and/or creating one - than actually looking at what may/may not be in front of them - and this is born out in their titling day after day. For landscape type work e.g., sometimes just a simple place name/time of day can be useful as in an image by Galen Rowell..."Sunset over Machu Picchu". Does one really need any more verbal information for this image?...highly doubtful.  As well, if one looks at work by, Edward Burtynsky, Sebasiao Salgado, Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter to use just a few familiar names...is it necessary for them to "tack on verbal narrative"?, again, highly doubtful. Oftentimes, viewers over time will add their own "made up name/story" for an artist's work - and this is worth noting - the possibility of letting the viewer assess and have the freedom to create their own internal story about the work. I think this sometimes the best approach as it allows a viewer to "quietly" be a a part of the visual creation...without the additional verbal chatter.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2015, 09:21:58 pm by brandtb »
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #17 on: June 01, 2015, 01:29:39 pm »

The image is actually full of hidden meaning.

Here is what i see: omnipresent and omnipotent government intrusion into our everyday lives, telling us what we can and can not do (the no-parking sign). People sick of it organizing civil-rights protests and later on erecting a monument to it. Futility of defying the government (no one is apparently daring to embark on a civil disobedience action - no one parks* in that alley). The cone represents... wait, what does the cone represent? Insert your hidden meaning here.

*There you go, a well-hiden connection to R. Parks!

spidermike

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #18 on: June 01, 2015, 01:37:26 pm »

Oftentimes, viewers over time will add their own "made up name/story" for an artist's work - and this is worth noting - the possibility of letting the viewer assess and have the freedom to create their own internal story about the work. I think this sometimes the best approach as it allows a viewer to "quietly" be a a part of the visual creation...without the additional verbal chatter.

I've come back to this thread a few times before commenting and I have come to agree with this comment.
Sometimes art is there to be 'in your face' and make you think or to be impressed by the skill of the artist - I think this particular piece is meant to be in the background, almost subliminal. Noticed by someone who is stood at the bus stop in those 'ho-hum moments' with not enough time to open a book but you look around and this 'piece' draws you in. I don't think it is meant to be a 'memorial' as such (that would belong in Montgomery as said above) but geographically and culturally close enough to still resonate. To overthink it seems almost to miss the point.
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Todd Suttles

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Re: Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Today
« Reply #19 on: June 01, 2015, 11:07:50 pm »

Todd - re. your question about titling...it is mostly an ephemeral addition and often times useless addition. Background. People have always loved stories, making up stories, and telling stories - this will never change.  Many aspiring photographers are no different - and will add a "layer of meaning" on top of a visual work in an attempt to "help the story/visual story along"...         ...Oftentimes, viewers over time will add their own "made up name/story" for an artist's work - and this is worth noting - the possibility of letting the viewer assess and have the freedom to create their own internal story about the work. I think this sometimes the best approach as it allows a viewer to "quietly" be a a part of the visual creation...without the additional verbal chatter.
Thanks Brandt. This helped organize my thoughts about it. I usually hate NAMING an image. There have only been a few that I strongly knew what it would be called before I shot it and why. Room with a View below is one. I think my new rule will be if I don't know the title before I shoot it, I'm not going to name it.

And thanks Slobodan & Spider Mike
« Last Edit: June 01, 2015, 11:11:14 pm by Todd Suttles »
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