Steel Sculpture

[Rob Keijzer]

This is a sculpture rising up from the ground. I recently shot this in Amsterdam.

[JRandallNichols]

What question are you asking about this shot?  What are you concerned about?

[Rob Keijzer]

Hello Randy,

Well most of my shots I'm pretty sure about; they're either good enough for their purpose, or below standards (some are even plain horrid).

With this shot I'm not sure. People that see it, like it, but sometimes for the wrong reasons. They appriciate the technical correctness and the fact that it's not out of focus etc.

I, however would dearly love to hear what impression one might have. I meant the shot to be stylistic, not documentary.

I should have been specific in my original post, indeed.

And a happy new year to you all!

Rob

[Jonathan Wienke]

There don't appear to be any technical deficiencies in the image, but the subject matter doesn't really inspire me. Simple geometric forms are not as interesting to me as landscape scenes, portraits, etc. It's not the sort of thing I'd hang on my wall for inspiration.

[macgyver]

Honestly, it doesn't do all that much  for me, except for one detail, the light on the righthand tower appeals to me.  I would say that without that it would be nothing special.

[JRandallNichols]

Rob.

You mention people liking this image but for the wrong reasons.  I would be curious what you meant by that, if anything more than its technical correctness.   I find it initially arresting and pleasing because of the abstract forms, and like the previous contributor I too gravitate to the light on the right tower.

I do find myself leaving the frame in two places, however, at the top of the left tower and out of the lower left corner.  Further, the top of the left tower somehow deprives the image of some mystery I suspect initially it otherwise might have, almost as though it ceases to be abstract and at the top becomes documentary.

I tried a little rudimentary photoshop work (attached) to crop a bit to help me stay in the frame, and to accentuate the right tower highlight by darkening the sky a bit and throwing the left tower nearly into silhouette.  I think I like it better in terms of increased abstraction and mystery.  Reminds me of the classic little book about perspective Flatland.

Thanks for offering us this shot.

[Rob Keijzer]

Randy,

Thank you for offering your insight.  With "wrong reasons" I meant that people in my neighbourhood, who saw it in print, liked it because it was a sharp, textured thing in front of a sky.

I think your rendition is better because of the cropping, although in my vision, it also crops away the one possibility to see that the left tower's top doesn't follow the line of the others. (which it in fact does in reality; it's the steep perspective that makes the top seem different).

The curve you applied is a bit too contrasty and saturated for my taste, but that's probably just me.

Thanks!
Rob