photgraphy~grow your eye challenges # 2 ~ something ugly!

[redtailgal]

AP.....you have a classic example of "wait for the ugly pic to be a pretty pic"

Wait a little bit, let the green grow out. Then play with different times of the day (for different lighting), play with some angles and views, maybe zoom in a little to bring out some the texture in the brick.

OR

Go out tomorrow and get back down on your belly, see what you can find for a close up. A busy anthill in a flowerbed can make some really neat pics........

There is a picture there, just waiting to be seen. "ugly" places are usually RICH in texture, and detail. It's all the various texture and detail crammed into a large scene that makes it "ugly" to our eye. The trick is to teach your eye to weed out the un-needed chaos, training it to hone in on the details.

 

[elevan]

We had a really dreary day here and were on the go most of the day. I'll get B out tomorrow so he can take his ugly shot. He already has it planned out. Then we'll sit down and add it here and go through everyone else's pics. He's really excited, so look for his pic tomorrow.


Hank - when I look at your pic here I see all the stuff that I could repurpose. There is treasure in that fallen barn/ shed.

 

[elevan]

Here are B's submissions (he has 2 for this challenge).
I have a disclaimer for these pics...this is NOT my vehicle.


It's Messy!

Clean it up!

B says...messy is ugly. He needs to clean that truck up!

 

[elevan]

Ok, B had something to say about each pic submitted so far. It amazes me what he sees sometimes. And I hope that each of you will comment on B's pics in the same fashion.

The following words are B's...

Hank's pic: "I would have gone behind the barn and looked in the window and shot to the right to get all of the mess in that direction."

RTG's shed pic: "I don't like that the roof is out of the pic. But it's a good pic."

RTG's cactus pic: "Crop the bottom off. I really like the 'feel' of the barn siding."

RTG's wasp nest: "I would keep the top right corner of the pic. I don't like bee's nests. And I don't like the nail. But I like the way the wood looks."

RTG's hole pic: "I like what you could do with this."

Autumnprairie's pic: "I would lose the right 2/3 of the pic and just keep the dead stuff. The green is pretty but the dead stuff is ugly."

 

[redtailgal]

B..........

Shed pic: You are right. I dont like that I cut the roof of the shed off either. That was a good catch in noticing that.

Wasp nest: You dont like bee's nests? Me either! But I liked the nail, I thought it was sorta cool.

Hole pic: If you have time, would you tell me what YOU would do with this? Or, watch for a chance to take something similar.......It just may be a future assignment!

Is this what you mean about cropping the bottom off the cactus pic? I like it better this way, your right the wood does have a nice feel to it.

 

[elevan]

I'll make time in B's lessons tomorrow afternoon to have him answer your questions RTG

 

[redtailgal]

B.....

Thank you for doing the assignment. I've been looking forward to seeing what you would do next. I think that you are an excellent photographer, and I think that we can teach each other lots of things!

About your pics:

The chainsaw pic: It is messy (like my truck ). You did a good job. It's hard to notice things in a messy picture because there are so many things to see. That's what makes messy look ugly. But, if you will look at just a little part at a time, you will see all sort of stuff that you can take a picture of. I would try taking a picture of the gear stick, kind of off to the side a little bit so there is still a little shiny light on the top, and I would get as close to that gear stick as my camera would let me. Another thing that I think would be cool, is to take a picture of the chain on that chain saw......looking straight down on it, and letting the picture be a little blurry.

THe other pic: You did a nice job on this one. Everything in the picture is clear and focused. You'll get good clear pictures like that if you will push down the button on the camera just a little bit and wait long enough to say "cool beans" before you push the button all the way. BUT if its something moving, you wont have time to say "cool beans", so then you would just have to push the button.

In the first picture, with the chain saw, I told you of a couple things in that picture that would make cool pictures. I call that "a picture inside a picture". Look carefully at your second picture and see if you can find a couple "pictures inside the picture".

After you do that, we will move on to the next assignment, but I'd like to know if there is something that YOU would like to try for an assignment.

 

[elevan]

B..........

Hole pic: If you have time, would you tell me what YOU would do with this? Or, watch for a chance to take something similar.......It just may be a future assignment!

B says: I would like to catch the sun behind those trees through that hole.

Is this what you mean about cropping the bottom off the cactus pic? I like it better this way, your right the wood does have a nice feel to it.

B says: I would take off a quarter more of the bottom. The right side of pic should just be the wood.

About your pics:

The chainsaw pic: It is messy (like my truck ). You did a good job. It's hard to notice things in a messy picture because there are so many things to see. That's what makes messy look ugly. But, if you will look at just a little part at a time, you will see all sort of stuff that you can take a picture of. I would try taking a picture of the gear stick, kind of off to the side a little bit so there is still a little shiny light on the top, and I would get as close to that gear stick as my camera would let me. Another thing that I think would be cool, is to take a picture of the chain on that chain saw......looking straight down on it, and letting the picture be a little blurry.

THe other pic: You did a nice job on this one. Everything in the picture is clear and focused. You'll get good clear pictures like that if you will push down the button on the camera just a little bit and wait long enough to say "cool beans" before you push the button all the way. BUT if its something moving, you wont have time to say "cool beans", so then you would just have to push the button.

In the first picture, with the chain saw, I told you of a couple things in that picture that would make cool pictures. I call that "a picture inside a picture". Look carefully at your second picture and see if you can find a couple "pictures inside the picture".

After you do that, we will move on to the next assignment, but I'd like to know if there is something that YOU would like to try for an assignment.

B says: ANIMALS!

 

[elevan]

This is my own submission

Oh, Wishing Well

I chose this as an ugly submission because this old wooden wishing well has been beat down by so many storms. Every storm that comes through beats it up a little more. The last storm removed it's "roof", so now it is truly turned to ugly (in my eye).

 

[daisychick]

B's pictures are coming along nicely, my favorite so far is the chainsaw blade. I like how it is shiny and greasy all at the same time. Emily I see something really pretty in your "ugly picture" I LOVE PINE CONES! I have them sitting all over my house in various arrangements.

HanktheTank: I love the bottom of one of the tipped over tables. The part that looks like a bulls eye or a wood grain or maybe it is a stain, but the color against the grey of the other wood popped out to me.

RTG: I like the small square window at the bottom part of the barn where it looks like a wood pallet or something is in there. I like how dark it is in there and how the wood pallet sticks out of the dark.

I am loving all the ugly pictures, I may need to get busy and do the assignments too. I will start with assignment #1 first though.