Recovery Area

[Bearface]

When you see the image below, the title might seem odd. However this is the landing area to the loading bay and the stairwell up to my studio, which occupies the third floor of a large, old textile mill. Three floors might not seem a lot, but we're usually saddled with heavy gear and there's no lift (except for the hoist for the loading door, which I'd NEVER attach any of my photo gear to... ), plus the stairs themselves are particularly steep. Even the fittest visitors are usually out of breath, usually by the time they're two-thirds of the way up, so when I refer to our landing as the recovery area, I ain't kidding

Anyway, while we're currently having loads of work done in the studio itself (we only moved in recently from a much smaller place) to make it all clean and corporate-looking, we've decided to leave the landing area looking a bit old and flaky, as this will contrast starkly with the studio itself and confound those who've assumed they were about to enter a dump

Took this shot earlier in the week, just using ambient light (one tungsten bulb, two flourescents) because I like the colours and the intersecting lines from this perspective. I've played with the individual channels in Curves (red and blue, not green) to enhance the colours and get the "feel" I was after, but the shot is mainly unmolested. Tell me what you think, if you have the time

Thanks.

[Stephen]

What none of you see in this picture is the resusitation kit attached to the wall. Not to mention the fact that the electrician is in this week (I kid you not) to put in new cabling to cope with the power drain when the crash cart charges as they try to bring you round.

Actually, the nearest you will get to the above is a strong brew to aid your recovery

Joking apart, this is another quality picture Tim. Nothing more than we have come to expect. There is great detail and texture, with lovely light and shade. I like the colour and feel of decay which as I know is inherant in the scene but which you have emphasised. There are lots of lines to follow and which lead the eye, and in an architechtural sort of way you have managed to get them all corrected with no apparent distortion, there would have been nothing worse than wonky angles on thos verticles

Now I know you said it was largely unmolested, so I decided to molest it for you Its these lines you see, I can't help but see a series of converging lines in the image that lead my eye pretty much to the centre, but then.......... nothing!! Perhaps thats where you need to fasten that resusitation kit

[Pol]

I don't have enough time to say much but ............. worra cracking good shot and worra superb location for a series! Very evocative, very 'Barbara Taylor-Bradford 'Emma Harte Trilogy' early years sort of setting. (ok, ok - I spend too much time in another world).

There's so much there - texture, atmosphere, colour, lighting, shapes (as described by Stephen) and 1001 imaginery stories --- stories throughout the entire building no doubt (as shown in 'the assistant's chair).

I hope you're doing a detailed photo project of all the renovations, before/ongoing/after, though I suspect you are.

Pol

[Tom]

It has the look of decay about to set in but that is exactly what gives it some beauty. I assume Tim that you cannot have been too far back to have taken this yet all the lines seem devoid of "wide angle" distortion (perhaps you were able to hit it square on). It's so attractive.
The modernish light switch and the glare from the two lights are the only nit pics I can come up with.

OK so you can't please all of the people all of the time. Whilst I agree this is a very good image and the composition etc etc is spot on, I do feel the atmosphere of the scene is lost due to over lighting. Just ambient light you say, but still looks to bright to me for the type of image. I have adjusted to what I personally would have aimed for. Note just my personal impression of what it should look like. As I said you can't please everyone.

[Bearface]

Originally Posted by lumix

OK so you can't please all of the people all of the time. Whilst I agree this is a very good image and the composition etc etc is spot on, I do feel the atmosphere of the scene is lost due to over lighting. Just ambient light you say, but still looks to bright to me for the type of image. I have adjusted to what I personally would have aimed for. Note just my personal impression of what it should look like. As I said you can't please everyone.

There are three lights here, Ron. One flourescent bar at the centre top of the image (out of frame here), one tungsten bulb to the upper left of shot (again out of the frame - it's above the door to my studio which is directly to the left of the wooden steps) and finally the flourescent bulb you can see through the stairs. They all operate from the same switch and as it was dark, I had not choice but to leave them on. I did shoot a version with all the lights off, but it lacked punch, as the only light source is the window (behind me) and most of the ambient light though it is polluted by the sulphur lamps in the yard outside. Plus, the multiple sources cast angular shadows which themselves add to the abstract quality of the overall shot, so I felt it needed to be left fairly bright, if not dazzling

If I could please everyone, I'd be a very rich man indeed

[Bearface]

Originally Posted by Stephen

What none of you see in this picture is the resusitation kit attached to the wall. Not to mention the fact that the electrician is in this week (I kid you not) to put in new cabling to cope with the power drain when the crash cart charges as they try to bring you round.

Actually, the nearest you will get to the above is a strong brew to aid your recovery

Joking apart, this is another quality picture Tim. Nothing more than we have come to expect. There is great detail and texture, with lovely light and shade. I like the colour and feel of decay which as I know is inherant in the scene but which you have emphasised. There are lots of lines to follow and which lead the eye, and in an architechtural sort of way you have managed to get them all corrected with no apparent distortion, there would have been nothing worse than wonky angles on thos verticles

Now I know you said it was largely unmolested, so I decided to molest it for you Its these lines you see, I can't help but see a series of converging lines in the image that lead my eye pretty much to the centre, but then.......... nothing!! Perhaps thats where you need to fasten that resusitation kit

Now I'll show you MY converging lines, as I didn't see the same ones as you



I felt that the flow of the image was always going to be limited, as this shot has more ups and downs than foreground and distant interest, so I figured that you'd come in from lower right, follow the lines (subconsciously of course...) to the foot of the wooden steps where they converge, and then up the unseen steps via the line back out to the upper right......which took you through a clockwise motion around the image. Genius, eh..? Eh..?

[Pops]

Originally Posted by Bearface

Now I'll show you MY converging lines, as I didn't see the same ones as you



I felt that the flow of the image was always going to be limited, as this shot has more ups and downs than foreground and distant interest, so I figured that you'd come in from lower right, follow the lines (subconsciously of course...) to the foot of the wooden steps where they converge, and then up the unseen steps via the line back out to the upper right......which took you through a clockwise motion around the image. Genius, eh..? Eh..?

Your lines are so much neater than Stephen's

Wondeful shot of old age but I can't help but wonder what your first time visitors think while negotiating those steps.

[Bearface]

Originally Posted by Pops

Your lines are so much neater than Stephen's

Wondeful shot of old age but I can't help but wonder what your first time visitors think while negotiating those steps.

They're probably thinking "this guy better be damn good, coz I'm absolutely knackered and this place looks like a dump..."

To be honest I usually meet clients at their offices, but recently my very best client visited from Malaysia (literally when I'd just moved into this place) and was surprised at how erm...........industrial it all looked. They're still my clients though

[Tinka]

Hi, terriffic image, very detailed, looks old and about to fall down, yet strong at the same time.
I dont know re the converging lines theory, just that to me the stairs comeing up and around lead me to want to know where the stairs at the left will lead me. a strong and interesting image, leaving me wanting to know more.

[Blithe]

Hope it doesn't smell the way I imagine it would looking at your photograph (not bad, just musty and old) - I'm sure it doesn't - but it does convey the feeling of age. I love those shades of blue and mustard together. The whole scene just oozes history, as others have said, and there is so much to attract the eye, which in my case keeps being drawn back to the light either side of the railing.
If I were there I couldn't but help taking a nosey up those wooden steps.

[ddigit]

Really like photos of old areas like this. How would it be in B&W ?. By the way I agree with Lumix - probably too much light especially coming up the right hand stair wall.

Trevor

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by Bearface

When you see the image below, the title might seem odd. However this is the landing area to the loading bay and the stairwell up to my studio, which occupies the third floor of a large, old textile mill. Three floors might not seem a lot, but we're usually saddled with heavy gear and there's no lift (except for the hoist for the loading door, which I'd NEVER attach any of my photo gear to... ), plus the stairs themselves are particularly steep. Even the fittest visitors are usually out of breath, usually by the time they're two-thirds of the way up, so when I refer to our landing as the recovery area, I ain't kidding

Anyway, while we're currently having loads of work done in the studio itself (we only moved in recently from a much smaller place) to make it all clean and corporate-looking, we've decided to leave the landing area looking a bit old and flaky, as this will contrast starkly with the studio itself and confound those who've assumed they were about to enter a dump

Took this shot earlier in the week, just using ambient light (one tungsten bulb, two flourescents) because I like the colours and the intersecting lines from this perspective. I've played with the individual channels in Curves (red and blue, not green) to enhance the colours and get the "feel" I was after, but the shot is mainly unmolested. Tell me what you think, if you have the time

Thanks.

Interesting photo Tim. Nice color, very good detail. I think it passes the feeling you were intending to capture.

That light though behind the metal bars didn't do much good on the photo. I read, that all lights operate under a single switch though. So I guess it was unavoidable, unless if you had temporarily covered it with something to cut the intense lighting, or shoot the bulb fist and then the photo

I also don't know how possible it was to cut more from the top, let's say just above the pipe on the top left, which is anyway enough to understand what is going up there and include more part of the stairs on the right.


George

[Bearface]

Originally Posted by ddigit

Really like photos of old areas like this. How would it be in B&W ?. By the way I agree with Lumix - probably too much light especially coming up the right hand stair wall.

Trevor

The same, but without colour?

Sorry, that was terrrible. I try so hard to be funny and it never works

[Bearface]

Originally Posted by Archangel

Interesting photo Tim. Nice color, very good detail. I think it passes the feeling you were intending to capture.

That light though behind the metal bars didn't do much good on the photo. I read, that all lights operate under a single switch though. So I guess it was unavoidable, unless if you had temporarily covered it with something to cut the intense lighting, or shoot the bulb fist and then the photo

I also don't know how possible it was to cut more from the top, let's say just above the pipe on the top left, which is anyway enough to understand what is going up there and include more part of the stairs on the right.


George

Thanks George.

You know, I figured the lights would bug some people, but I actually took some shots without the lights too, and reached the conclusion that I preferred it this way. For a start there were additional geometric shadows from the multiple sources and also I actually like that bright glow from the lower stair area light, because it confirms to the viewer that despite the age and delapidated condition of the place, it's very much alive and in use. I think that's important, although I acknowledge that some will disagree