Last seconds

[Zorki5]

The potter holds a thread in his hands, with which he's going to cut through the vase he just created. In just a few seconds the vase will cease to exist...

[churly]

I really like the implied motion and the intensity of this shot.  Why is he going to cut the vase?  Is it part of creating the vase or is there a statement of some sort implied?
Chuck

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I really like the implied motion and the intensity of this shot.  Why is he going to cut the vase?  Is it part of creating the vase or is there a statement of some sort implied?
Chuck

Good question. Intriguing shot.

[RSL]

I like the shot but I have the same question Eric has. My wife had a pottery studio for quite a while and I never saw anybody cutting a finished vase.

[Zorki5]

Thanks everyone.

It was at a large pottery/shop on Rhodes: they had everything from small plates to huge (almost man-size) vases, with all sorts of decorations; from simple meanders to classic Greek warriors.

The guy on the photo was not just a potter there, he was an attraction: he was making vases in front of those who'd walk into the shop. My guess is that he was making more vases that they could paint and/or burn in... Or maybe the perverts among tourists liked the look of vase cut in half? My guess is as good as everyone else's here.

I felt it was both sad and stupid. As to the latter: I for one would gladly return in a day or two and buy something that was made in front of my eyes, but that was never offered...

[brandtb]

Regarding the photographic image itself though it doesn't really "tell the story" as laid out in your verbal description(a). This just a capture of a tableau with various component elements including a lot of stone wall in the background. The viewers really don't know what the person at the potters table is "doing" - especially those not acquainted with this work. Perhaps it would have been something to actually capture what you described in the text.

[Zorki5]

The viewers really don't know what the person at the potters table is "doing" - especially those not acquainted with this work.

True, but neither did I. To me, it looked like a measurement of the vase, of sorts...

Suppose I knew what was going to happen, set 10fps, and fired. Which frame would I pick then? When the vase was just touched by the thread? That's not that different at all from what you see here. When the the thread just started cutting through? But that that's not what I'd want to capture -- to me, it's the last moment when that nice vase still existed.

Probably, I should have titled the image "Dying seconds", with no explanation, and left it at that...

[Zorki5]

When the vase was just touched by the thread? That's not that different at all from what you see here.

And that, in fact would be worse. That would look like a measurement, whereas on the shot I posted at least you see the thread is visibly above the vase. "As if he was going to cut it".