Without Prejudice 2

[Rob C]

Rob, thanks, yes, a wonderful trip.

The entrance is actually to apartments within a large old building within the Mellah or Jewish Quarter.

;-)

Rob

[GrahamBy]

I remember on a motorway in France stopping at one of those 'aire' places (without fuel and shops) for a rest, and using the loo. No seats over which to hover (you need good legs to perform the hover trick or, like myself, be very light), but two footprints on which to stand

Ah, a squatter... they used to be very common in public places, like railway stations etc. The first Parisian hotel I stayed in had them, back in 1984. They were particularly low maintenance, no amount of bad aim or vandalism could take them out of service. Now they're rare... the unfortunate thing is that they haven't been replaced with anything. France has a particularly barbaric attitude to the provision of public conveniences

There was still one in Singapore airport a few years back: knowing the technique meant avoiding the queue for the two "western toilets"

Mind you, the opening scene of Trainspotting, where the hapless (anti-)hero finds himself in "the worst toilet in Scotland"...

[32BT]

Mind you, the opening scene of Trainspotting, where the hapless (anti-)hero finds himself in "the worst toilet in Scotland"...

+1

the best representation of a trip you will ever see in a movie, as well as the best metaphore for life and/or the story that unfolds. That scene alone should have won an Oscar.

As for squatters: go visit China, still ubiquitous there, and then find out, on the spot, that they don't do toiletpaper in China...

[Rob C]

Toilets: There's a scene in one of the Tarantino movies - was it a Mexican setting one with Banderas and the delightful Salma Hayek? - where the disgusting can is the route into another area via a moving wall? (Desesperados?)

But this is all about Fake News: we are really chatting about the entrance to a block of apartmemts from hell. Which in turn could be further Fake News, because here in Mallorca, lots of exteriors look really dowdy but, get past the closed doors, and you are into beautiful courtyards! The Moorish influence remains strong here, so why wouldn't Morocco, souce of much of said influence, be exactly the same?

Secret courts, secret lives and loves, secrets that would fill novels; pleasure gardens of the mind and for ever just that invitation out of reach.

Much of life seems lived with the nose pressed always against the outside of the windows.

;-(

Rob

[GrahamBy]

I have some colleagues who work in Iran... the contrast there between the private and the publique is enormous, since historically it is a country with a high level of education for women, who have therefore expectations of what life should offer not at all like those offered by the men controlling politics.

Anyway, happier thoughts, another shot of Danièle

[32BT]

So, i'm scouting a staircase i saw the other night, but the light wasn't right, the sun would not be moving in a favourable position, trees are in the way that also cast unwanted shadows, there are some odd signs and structures in the way, and after about 10 minutes walking around the premiss i turn around to go home and see this!?

Probably won't make the cut, but notice the serendipity of being there at the exact right time...

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

That image almost wants a triangular format! Well, I guess not.
I like your staircase series.

[32BT]

Well, as with most of these projects, once you dive into a subject for a while, you start to notice the oddities, and perhaps even grow a weird kind of fondness for the unremarkable and silliness of some of these structured.

This one has just about everything wrong with it that could be wrong. It's going to remain a colorversion, because, well, even the colorscheme is wrong. Or what about the left and right handlebar? Or the fact that it is mounted off-center in front of the garagedoor? but apparently not to center with the door above? Even the shadow seems to know a better mounting position? And why is it even mounted outside?

That's just a start of a lot of questions for such a mundane structure...

[GrahamBy]

I love it :-)

[Chairman Bill]

Constantine Bay, Cornwall

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I love it :-)

Me too. Even a static scene can have ambiguity.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Constantine Bay, Cornwall

That's my kind of place!

[Rob C]

Well, as with most of these projects, once you dive into a subject for a while, you start to notice the oddities, and perhaps even grow a weird kind of fondness for the unremarkable and silliness of some of these structured.

This one has just about everything wrong with it that could be wrong. It's going to remain a colorversion, because, well, even the colorscheme is wrong. Or what about the left and right handlebar? Or the fact that it is mounted off-center in front of the garagedoor? but apparently not to center with the door above? Even the shadow seems to know a better mounting position? And why is it even mounted outside?

That's just a start of a lot of questions for such a mundane structure...

So true! It got me hooked, besotted on reflections and I'm the happier for it. I didn't ever imagine the day would come when I mentally grade the excitement quotient within a shop window that is not about the display itself, but what it has a chance to become.

You have really hit upon a promising theme that shouldn't run out of material very rapidly!

I'm trying to read between your lines, but had you decided to do this thing mainly as black/white or colour, or are you being forced by opportunity to do it both ways? I'm there too, in a way, but still prefer the black/white route for my own stuff.

Rob

[32BT]

So true! It got me hooked, besotted on reflections and I'm the happier for it. I didn't ever imagine the day would come when I mentally grade the excitement quotient within a shop window that is not about the display itself, but what it has a chance to become.

You have really hit upon a promising theme that shouldn't run out of material very rapidly!

I'm trying to read between your lines, but had you decided to do this thing mainly as black/white or colour, or are you being forced by opportunity to do it both ways? I'm there too, in a way, but still prefer the black/white route for my own stuff.

Rob

A shoppingwindowfetish, while understandable for a photographer, could get you in serious trouble. At least i can pretend to be documenting something for purposes of real estate management or something.

I initially intended to do B&W only, in 2x1 and 1x1 format. I want it to be about the light, the graphics, and the (wall) textures. Monochrome better emphasizes those elements and its a lot easier to shoot around noon in harsh light but with interesting shadows.

I believe yours sometime dictate color as well; blue and jeans go together like ..., like... I don't know? Pistache and icecream? (You may need a blender, though).

[GrahamBy]

A shoppingwindowfetish, while understandable for a photographer, could get you in serious trouble.

You know that the French term for window shopping is lêche-vitres, window licking? :-)

So here's a window reflection from one of Lyon's oldest restaurants, which happens to appear in one of the Lumière Brother's first colour demo shots, using autochrome. I used a Sony sensor in a Pentax box, boring...

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Did a shoot recently for some friends with a burlesque troupe. Two portraits:

[32BT]

Did a shoot recently for some friends with a burlesque troupe. Two portraits:

Nice going, you always manage to find those saturated colors, no?

I like nr 1 better for the theme, but find the portrait better in 2. Perhaps nr 1 would also work well rotated 90deg?

[Rob C]

Slobodan,

I should have such friends. How skewed this world that I get dirty windows!

;-)

Rob

[Rob C]

Oh well, no adults in this one, just dangerous dolls.



Rob

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

...you always manage to find those saturated colors, no?...

No, it is the exact opposite: they always manage to find me