Portland Photowalking - One yard art and a few sidewalk shots

[olivermoss]

Library for dogs!



I am still trying to get sidewalk shots I am full happy with. None of those are A-list shots, but thy are at least fumbling towards it:

Rosebush spilling over onto sidewalk:



Sidewalk cement just gives way for a bit:



I've shot the above spot a few times in day and night. It's really cool feeling to walk through it, but it just doesn't read well in 2-d. Without additional info like a title, it's hard to read what's going on in the shot.

A few attempts at a rose shot:





The first stab I took at this picture, I had my camera angled so the fence was the background. Straight lines, man made, out of focus against organic and in focus. Easy contrast, but it also looked like a photo you'd see in a dentist office so I tossed it.

I like the feeling of just 'rose just hanging out in the walking space'. My 'keeper' shot is the top one. Some of the boke is poorly placed, but the sidewalk reads clearer. It's got that 'just walk along and rose in my way' feel. The second shot has better subject separation and that background blur is something photographers strive for. That is some serious lens flex in the second shot. It's better in some technical aspects, but it lacks that narrative element of the first.

Still don't have any sidewalk shots I'm excited about, but I am working on it.

I did more sidewalk shooting than is shown here, but tunnels of greenery at night just do not shoot well. I try anyway, poke at them in LR room, and then don't export.

Comments

[mistressofmuses]

The library for dogs is super cute!

I like the "where the sidewalk ends" picture, but I don't know if I'd find it as clear if I hadn't read the caption, like you said. But I really love the sort of... idk, fairy tale feel that it has going for it.

I am not a photographer, so I appreciate getting to read your thoughts on how those shots of the rose compare! I agree that the first one is the one I like the best, but I don't know that I could have explained why.

[olivermoss]

A lot goes into to picking out the good image from the set, or at least it feels that way to me. Part of it is that I've got information about the scene that the viewer doesn't. Writing has a similar problem: I know what I meant when I wrote that, but how is it hitting for other people?

[mistressofmuses]

It's true! Knowing how something looked "IRL", and comparing that to the photo definitely is a different perspective. Even if objectively the photo is a nice one, sometimes you still know it doesn't do justice to what you were looking at or what you were hoping it would show.

And definitely a fair comparison to writing! Hoping a certain bit of dialogue or a given scene has the right impact on the audience...

[shipperslist]

The dog library! What! Adorable! !!

[olivermoss]

It's really cute!

So fetch 💁‍♀️

[foreverdawning]

Lucky dog library...so cute! I'm imagining dogs as stick-critics. "This one was good, but this one has a bit of give to it which makes it easier on the jaw."

Re: So fetch 💁‍♀️

[olivermoss]

That's adorable!

[sperrywink]

The dog library is the best idea ever.

I love both the rose pictures!

[olivermoss]

Thanks! I am trying to do a gallery on Portland sidewalks because I love them, but it's hard to make good compositions w/o a model. SO I just keep wacking at it. That's part of the project