Juxtapositions - Contains profanity

[John E]

Hi, all, first photo posts for me.

These are all out of my comfort zone, as I primarily take landscape shots. And, I usually don't feel that a photo needs a title or an explanation, but it's nearly mandatory on the first. That snow capped peak in the background is Pikes Peak in Colorado, from the top of which Katharine Lee Bates was inspired to write the poem 'America the Beautiful'. Shot was taken at midday (lunch break at work), and I processed with Silver Effects Pro to add the 'black sky' look for added drama.

The last two were also taken at midday, upon leaving work one Saturday. The reflected building was constructed as the county courthouse in 1903 or so, quite early for this part of the US.

C&C most welcome.

John

[RSL]

Hi John, I'll be leaving Monday to mosey slowly back from Florida to my home in Manitou Springs. I'm taken by your photos, because for a decade I owned one of the condos in Colorado Springs at Park Place, where Boulder ends at the river. From sixty-five to seventy-two I lived at 1115 N. Cascade, next to Colorado College.

Check the Photo Gallery on my web under "The Sixties" for a bunch of Colorado Springs stuff from that era, then check "Colorado Springs" for more recent stuff, including at least one shot of the framing for South Tower of Plaza of the Rockies which is the building with the window you used as a reflector for your shot of the Pioneer Museum (formerly the courthouse.). In the nineties I used to hang out fairly often in the railroad switching yards and shoot pictures. I know exactly where you were standing when you made that shot of the gondola.

[Rob C]

This is interesting: I note that the promise of profanity has already given the top image more viewers than the two others.

Regarding the top image's graffiti: maybe the guy/gal knows of what he/she writes? It can be said of many places I know quite well, but whether I'm partially to blame or not for that state of goneness is another matter.

;-)

Rob C

[John E]

@Russ - Funny, I have a friend who used to live over in one of the apartment buildings at the end of Boulder. We used to get together as a group and play Acey-Duecy (which we renamed, for some odd reason, 'In-Between'). Early in the mornings we would work ourselves into a frenzy yelling POT-POT-POT (encouraging someone to bet the whole pot). We once had some CC hockey players come down and tell use to keep it quiet. I have worked in the Plaza for 8 years now, and that shot was taken when the Fine Arts Center - Modern, was still there. I miss being able to go down and visit - as I recall, they had a few of the Chihouly (sp?) pieces in there. Re: the RR car shot, one of the buildings to the right, where the homeless hang out, had a spray painted warning at the time: Don't crap back here! Cept, of course, they used the more common profanity.

@Rob - I naturally assumed when I took this shot that a teenager had sprayed the message. Of interest, the Swastika is oriented correctly, even to the tilt used by the Nazis. I have no comment on the sentiment, I just found the contrast interesting. I feel it essentially fails as a photo outside of the Colo Sprgs area, though, as most would not recognize the mountain, or the connection to the poem/song.

Thanks to both for looking and commenting.

John


Edit: BTW, Russ, you're in for a surprise when you get here. Spring sprang early this year - actually started in late March, and things are blooming all over. Totally weird, compared to the past 25 years I've spent in this town, many times shoveling snow throughout April.

[shutterpup]

So, you used the "infrared" to get the black sky in #1? I find the black sky over the top for my taste. I've used this technique in my own work to make a stronger image so I'm not adverse to its use. But usually when I use it, my image doesn't have as many details in it like this one. My image that I think of is one of a white-barked tree shot against a blue sky, which I turned black while retaining the white bark.

[RSL]

John, It just struck me that the my web listed here: www.FineArtSnaps.com is'n where the Colorado Springs stuff is. It's at www.russ-lewis.com. Sorry.

[John E]

Shutterpup: No, the infrared setting made the sky too black, and I also lost the contrast around the lettering. Don't recall exactly, but it may have been a yellow filter in SEP. I agree re: judicious use of the black sky motif. I rarely use it on my BW conversions anymore, I just felt the drama it added to the sky helped here.

Russ: Wondered 'bout that -- I found some very ice work at that site, but nada particular to CS in the 60's. I'll have a peek at the other site. Admire your work overall as people photography just ain't my thang.

John

[Rob C]

@Rob - I naturally assumed when I took this shot that a teenager had sprayed the message. Of interest, the Swastika is oriented correctly, even to the tilt used by the Nazis. I have no comment on the sentiment, I just found the contrast interesting. I feel it essentially fails as a photo outside of the Colo Sprgs area, though, as most would not recognize the mountain, or the connection to the poem/song.

John

I know zilch about the area, the mountain or even a song connection: however, I don't think the shot fails at all for those not in the know; food enough for thought to see nature and then graffiti, I imagine.

Rob C