Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: RSL on February 16, 2013, 04:21:14 pm

Title: Closing Time
Post by: RSL on February 16, 2013, 04:21:14 pm
The guy had closed the doors and was cleaning up. Wish there'd been a couple people there to turn it into "Nighthawks," but there weren't. I had a 3 megapixel point and shoot with me (this was in 2000). It was still light enough to reflect the clouds and a couple cars in the window.
Title: Re: Closing Time
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on February 16, 2013, 05:00:27 pm
To me this provides a fine example of "ambiguity" in an image. The emptyness of the bar, the body language of the one lone figure, and the faint clouds above that seem to be making a commentary on the scene (but what commentary?)

Together these elements poke at my soul and I am forced to come up with one, two, or many interpretations.

Beautiful!
Title: Re: Closing Time
Post by: Peter McLennan on February 16, 2013, 10:59:34 pm
To me this provides a fine example of "ambiguity" in an image.
Beautiful!

Indeed.  Really good photographs ask questions.  This one asks several and is lovely to view as well.  Don't need no stinkin' megapixels.
Title: Re: Closing Time
Post by: amolitor on February 17, 2013, 06:21:12 am
That's very fine.

The whole thing feels tilted to the right, for some reason, but then I found the sign which identifies this as The Crooked Grill, and I was ok with the tilt (whether real or imagined). I very much enjoy how well balanced the reflections are with the material inside. Is there some technical magic one uses to manage that, or does one simply hope for the best?
Title: Re: Closing Time
Post by: RedwoodGuy on February 17, 2013, 09:39:44 am
The guy had closed the doors and was cleaning up. Wish there'd been a couple people there to turn it into "Nighthawks," but there weren't. I had a 3 megapixel point and shoot with me (this was in 2000). It was still light enough to reflect the clouds and a couple cars in the window.
I've always enjoyed these reflective shots way more than say, ginned-up double exposures. I really like this photo and getting those clouds that way is fun as can be. I have so many window shots I had to stop my self from becoming a maniac about it.

The subject matter inside is composed perfectly and not by chance. Very well done to get in just the right position. The curve of the stools is delightful.