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Author Topic: Message to Tourists  (Read 2104 times)

seamus finn

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Message to Tourists
« on: June 16, 2016, 07:43:10 am »

-

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petermfiore

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2016, 07:45:28 am »

Makes you think on so many levels...

Peter

Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2016, 09:40:49 am »

They will go home, that's a part of "tourist" definition ;) What "social revolution" btw?

Rob C

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2016, 09:53:40 am »

Ambiguity, as Russ says...

Rob

RSL

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2016, 09:59:55 am »

Man, that's the way to attract tourists! I've gotta let my old tourist city, Manitou Springs, Colorado know about that unique advertising approach.
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2016, 10:14:45 am »

Ambiguity, as Russ says...

Rob
In spades.
Great shot.
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drmike

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2016, 01:49:26 pm »

That's a very clever shot, the words almost spoil it IMO.

I love the way the kid is cycling out of frame beyond the bold geometry of the kerbing but we have the two sweeping lines of bricks right across the frame that are pretty much independent of the kerb.

The looming shadow of the lamps is spoilt by the square thing they touch. If I could I would try and clone that away but I'd keep the drain towards the right. Ideally the lamp shadow would be more central but I think it's a great shot with interesting elements and composition.

Mike
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stamper

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2016, 03:40:22 am »

I think that a crop at the bottom taking out the shadow of the lamp is a possibility? It competes for attention with the figures which is the focal point. It can be done without cropping anything else in the image that is important. A fine image that has more than one interpretations?

drmike

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2016, 03:42:48 am »

I just happened to be here as you posted and cropped (by scrolling) the image to just under the words on the road and you're right it looks OK but different. I do like the shadow of the lights but they aren't in the best place. It was a happy shooting opportunity!

Mike
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stamper

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #9 on: June 17, 2016, 04:23:04 am »

I just happened to be here as you posted and cropped (by scrolling) the image to just under the words on the road and you're right it looks OK but different. I do like the shadow of the lights but they aren't in the best place. It was a happy shooting opportunity!

Mike

I like shadows in my images and the placement has to add to the overall likeability of an image. In this image there is a disconnect as if it is two images in one.

seamus finn

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2016, 06:52:31 am »


Thanks very much for the input, guys. Much appreciated. Here are two alternative versions as suggested:

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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2016, 08:41:46 am »

I have to say that I prefer the original to either of the cropped, "dumbed down" versions.
To me, the quirky, odd bits in the corners and edges feel like hints of "alien" tourists not daring to get too close to the words, thus adding to the ambiguity.

If you crop as suggested, you might as well go all the way and crop out everything but the words, getting a very dull, simple-minded image that is, however, easy to understand.

Just my two farthings.

-Eric
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Rob C

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2016, 11:00:46 am »

I have to say that I prefer the original to either of the cropped, "dumbed down" versions.
To me, the quirky, odd bits in the corners and edges feel like hints of "alien" tourists not daring to get too close to the words, thus adding to the ambiguity.

If you crop as suggested, you might as well go all the way and crop out everything but the words, getting a very dull, simple-minded image that is, however, easy to understand.

Just my two farthings.

-Eric


But valuable ones, Eric. I couldn't agree with you more.

Rob C

graeme

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2016, 11:51:16 am »

I have to say that I prefer the original to either of the cropped, "dumbed down" versions.
To me, the quirky, odd bits in the corners and edges feel like hints of "alien" tourists not daring to get too close to the words, thus adding to the ambiguity.

If you crop as suggested, you might as well go all the way and crop out everything but the words, getting a very dull, simple-minded image that is, however, easy to understand.

Just my two farthings.

-Eric

Totally agree.

IMHO the unique attraction of photography as opposed to other art or design disciplines ( i.e. painting, illustration or ( gawd forbid ) stained glass design ) is that there are always going to be some messy, accidental bits of reality present in the image. Unless you go photoshop crazy of course.

Great shot Seamus.
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seamus finn

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #14 on: June 17, 2016, 07:13:01 pm »

Thanks again, everybody. I'll definitely stick with the first one!
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Rob C

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #15 on: June 18, 2016, 02:46:08 pm »

seamus finn

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2016, 04:11:38 am »

Thanks for that, Rob - a fascinating and troubling insight into the toll mass tourism is exacting on places like Barcelona. For the record, this picture was shot in Sitges, a relatively short train ride from the city.
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Rob C

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2016, 07:00:23 am »

Thanks for that, Rob - a fascinating and troubling insight into the toll mass tourism is exacting on places like Barcelona. For the record, this picture was shot in Sitges, a relatively short train ride from the city.

Hi Seamus,

I'm concerned about what's going down in the UK regarding the Brexit matter. For me, it could be a disaster if only for medicines, about which there seems confusion as to whether it's a separate agreement or an EEC one to have a reciprocation deal, but for the wider Brit population happy at home, I think it would be a mistake to quit. Even just the E 111 is a piece of solid gold when you need it. And anyone well might. That aside, being part of a bigger commercial market, with the rights that gives you, still makes sense, however you cut it.

Yep, there's a huge difference between a common market and a political union. That's what we all believed we were getting into, as I imagine, did our fellow members across the Channel. I shouldn't think many of them - apart from maybe the French - wanted to share in what was our nature of constant strikes, labour disputes and closing factories. I guess they just wanted to ship more wine, cheese and pasta, and cars and cameras, and sell easier package holidays with fewer currency control restrictions. Few bargained for what they got: French, Spanish and Italian property prices hitting the roof because of the deeper pockets and greater gullibility of the Brits and Germans abroad, until they reached a pitch where, as I was told to my face by a local plumber doing a job for us one day, that the locals could no longer afford to get married, buy a home of their own. Sure, the Spaniards who sold made some big money - in their then current terms and perspectives - but lots also discovered that they could no longer buy back into the market themselves.

It becomes a vicious circle of profit, greed, regrets; but that's one aspect that might have actually been worse without the EEC because the Euro did drive up prices and the value of the peseta changed; I will not forget the first Sunday market we went to after the ending of the peseta: a coffee had doubled in price. I doubt many cafés were unhappy about that, but if you were on a mortgage...

Perhaps cities fare worse than Hicksvilles do; by their nature, and especially if already on the tourist maps due to history, then even more crowding will bring problems for everyone, the tourists included. I used to dread driving off the Palma/Barcelona ferry on our frequent trips to Scotland in the car. It was as bad doing it the other way around. Nothing to do with strangeness of driving on the other side: I'd already many years of living and driving here before we started to do those trips - it was simply the overwhelming confusion of the first, multi-lane roundabout that you hit as you leave the mouth of the port. There was no obvious lane to enter to get where you want to go... the return trip, through those semi-tunnel stretches with just a tiny notice telling you when to go off for the ferry terminal was no happier an experience. Made the French system into Calais's ferry terminal a model of excellence and clarity! But then, the French motorway system (bits I've used!) is a great example of good engineering and sanity.

The answer to getting more easily out of ferry and onwards to France was partially provided by getting the Saturday night ferry from Palma that took one into Barcelona very early Sunday morning. One hoped most residents would be abed, sleeping off the night before! How it must be now, with ever more visitors, I dread to think.

Rob
« Last Edit: June 19, 2016, 07:04:27 am by Rob C »
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2016, 10:26:36 am »

... What "social revolution" btw?

Anyone care to enlighten me?

For what it's worth, I lived four years in Barcelona and visited Sitges once, so not totally ignorant of the environment.

seamus finn

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Re: Message to Tourists
« Reply #19 on: June 19, 2016, 10:47:28 am »

I haven't figured it out, either,  Slobodan. Would it have anything to do with the Catalans' continuing fight for independence?  It's a very live issue, as you well know from your time in the city.  My son, who lives there, explains the hostility towards Spain like this: 'How do you know when a goal has been scored against Spain: Answer: when fireworks light up the sky in Barcelona.'  The documentary referenced by Rob above is well worth a look and throws a whole new light on Barcelona's development into a gigantic 'theme park', but I doubt if that's the social revolution referred to in the slogan on the ground in Sitges and I doubt if very many tourists care about the independence issue.


Rob: There's a lot of concern in Ireland about Brexit. If the Brits leave, nobody knows what the relationship will be between North and South here, especially concerning the return of 'the Border'. In any event, it will mean twenty-six counties will be in the EU, and the six Northern counties will not. Bizarre.

Personally, I have a gut feeling that when it comes to physically putting an X on the ballot paper on Thursday,  an invisible grip will reach out and drag enough wrists towards the REMAIN box to just about save the day.
« Last Edit: June 19, 2016, 10:58:42 am by seamus finn »
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