single women ~ ready to go / I like to watch

All pictures ~ • click to embiggen5 down, 4 to go.

Update on Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 03:26PM by gravitas et nugalis

Featured Comment: Sven W (no link provided) wrote: "More of a mixed bag this lot -- some strong images and some not so strong."

my response: Sven, as always, your comments are always appreciated .... however .... this comment is neither here nor there, re: my understanding of what you find "strong" and what you find "not so strong". I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to write just a bit about a few pictures that you find "strong", a few others that you find "not so strong" and, most appreciated, the reasoning that define your choices.

This is not a set up for me to try to convince you to change your opinions. I would just really like to know, in a bit of detail, what you (or anyone else out there) think - beyond "like" / "dislike" - about those pictures. As I have stated, it would be greatly appreciated.

civilized ku # 2247 ~ storm clouds

Storm clouds ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenYesterday evening as the sun was getting low in the sky, a swirling storm cell moved in from the NE. It got quite dramatic for a while.

old pal

Old Pal ~ Saranac Lake, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenIt has been my custom, every July 4th, to post a picture, which contains the American flag, upside down. As some may not know, an upside down flag is a signal of distress.

I signal distress inasmuch as I believe my country to be in deep shit - un-civil public discourse, ideological polarization, political obstructionism / government disfunction, unbridled greed and rampant consumerism, to name just a few examples. And now, thanks to the Supreme Court, an election for president that might just be decided on which party has the most cash. An outcome which would herald the return of a wealthy ruling class.

It's a mess and not showing any signs of getting better. It some ways, it seems like an old pal is dying.

FYI, picture made by the girl formerly known as Coma Girl. Processing by me.

decay / vestige beauty ~ another one bites the dust

All pictures ~ • click to embiggen4 down, 5 to go.

home invasion

Ron and Moondog ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenAfter 2 days in residence, they think they own the place. The dog, however, is trying to buy a bus ticket to somewhere in another state.

civilized ku # 2245-46 ~ wired or not - 2 versions of the real/truth

Rt. 86 ~ Wilmington, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
Rt. 86 # 2 ~ Wilmington, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenIt has been fashionable, especially in academic circles, to state that photographs are not "true", or, rather that all photographs "lie".

This notion is based on the undeniable fact that picture makers make a wide variety of choices in the making of their pictures. Choices involving POV, lens selection, processing techniques, and, of course, what they decide to include within or exclude beyond a picture's frame. In addition, the notion of time, as in capturing (in most cases) just a fraction of a second thereof, is often cited as another "choice" which fractures the time continuum which we all know and love.

All of the above (and more) are considered to be "distortions" of the real/true and, therefore, the conclusion is that, de facto, all photographs distort the real/true. For some, this is proof positive that photographs can not be "true", "truthful" or accurate representations of the real.

To be certain, some picture makers do employ lens which introduce optical distortion. Others process their pictures to the point of unreal-ness. Some are expert at seamlessly integrating into / removing elements from a picture. In those cases, the resultant pictures do not accurately represent what the human eye sees and could, without a doubt, be considered to be distortions of the real/true or, at the very least, "stretching" the real/true for "artistic" effect.

OK, but what about those pictures made by those who use the medium and its apparatus to capture / record exactly (inasmuch as the medium and its apparatus allow) what their eyes see?

IMO, such pictures are, indeed true and accurate representations of the real.

nota bene ... It should go without stating, that a representation of a thing is not the thing itself - it is a facsimile of that which it illustrates. However, a facsimile is not necessarily a distortion of that which it represents. Some are, some aren't. Unfortunately, in case of photographs, it's not always easy to tell which pictures are true and which are distortions.

In many cases, where distortions are not visually obvious - wide angle lens distortion, saturation well beyond the real, color / WB distortions, and cock-eyed tonal values, to name just a few - the viewer must rely on the stated intentions and known methodology of a picture maker's use of the medium and its apparatus. Again unfortunately, such information is often not available or stated and in those cases it is up to a viewer's trained eye - a through knowledge of the medium and its apparatus is very helpful - to make a judgment. Some knowledge / experience, re: the pictured referent, is also very helpful but not always necessary.

In any event, while it is apparent that photographs can lie/distort, that fact does not mean that all photographs lie or distort. To assume that all photographs lie or distort is, IMO, a bit like throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Any thoughts / opinions?

civilized ku # 2244 ~ corner of Palmer and Mcrea

Palmer and Mcrea ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenThroughout the day yesterday the threat of rain, on again-off again, kept rearing its head but it never rained.