Just Pictures … Varied Subjects … No Sam Nunberg nor Rex Tillerson … nor Selection Coerced by the Kremlin
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By the way, all three photos of yours need no criticism from me, they deserve only praise. Where did you photograph a tiger fish? Did you catch it or take the photo in a Seaquarium?
I find some pictures of abandon farm equipment sort of depressing especially farm equipment made before mass production. It usually meant that a farmer wasn't a farmer no more, that equipment was valuable and not left behind casually. Seeing a abandon anvil is much the same, some things are just to important to leave.
Of course, maybe they just moved farther away then they could move that heavy stuff making it easier to replace then move. But I wouldn't bet on it, life isn't that kind.
Please don't think of that as any kind of criticism, it's just what I get from those pics, not the excellent pics themselves.
Nightwalker,
The purpose of a photographic artist (and Mac is one of the best) , or any artist really, is to evoke an emotional response from the viewer. It doesn't necessarily have to be a happy response. If that were required, Guernica would have been a total failure rather than one of the great paintings of history.
It usually meant that a farmer wasn't a farmer no more, that equipment was valuable and not left behind casually.
That certainly could be possible. I've found, however, that most of that equipment was abandoned between 1945 and 1950. This was the time that the farmers had found that, because they were well paid for the food they had supplied to the Government during WWII, they could now afford to switch from horses to tractors and, due to the end of gasoline rationing, they could get the gas to fuel the tractors. Much of the old stuff simply no longer had a use. Sometimes, the farmer found that he couldn't sell the old stuff for enough to pay the cost of moving it and sometimes, if you examined the equipment carefully, you would find that parts have been removed (wheel bearings especially) to help repair the new equipment.
When I came across the rusted out, abandoned harvester in a field in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, "Farm Aid" was the first thing that came to mind. I remember taking the picture in December which meant that the plant life around the harvester was brown and lifeless … a perfect setting considering the era of "farm aid".
That reminds me of Dustbowl photos. I have a book of those ("You have Seen Their Faces")-- just found the title on Amazon , but it was a very new edition (1995). To my surprise I think the one I own is a first edition! ( Link)
OMG-- just checked-- mine was printed in 1937-- it may be a First edition.
In looking for those photos, I discovered a really impressive site. Are any of you familiar with it? (I never saw it before). Well worth a look if anyone is interested in these sorts of things:
The Famous Photographer who took that photo, and many other "dust bowl" photos was Dorothea Lange. Here is a link to the "Famous Photographers" photo-essay of her and her work that I posted 4 months ago.
You mentioned Margaret Bourke-White. I also did an essay on her works.
Sorry, A.Mac, I should have asked your permission to have posted that link.
That was quite fascinating. I have posted Famous Photographers photo-essays of 5 or 6 of the photographers on NT over the past 5 or 6 months. I have not been carrying on doing it because of the almost complete lack of interest by the NT members.
For many years, my grandfather had one of those mowers sitting on the border of one of his corn fields. It had been sitting there since before I was born since it was designed to be pulled by a horse and he switched to a tractor in the year I was born. I used to use it as a seat when I was hunting for deer in that field. Had to use a pad though. Sitting on that steel seat in November could easily give you a frost bitten butt. Those were the days. They had their great moments. The frost bitten butt part, however, was NOT one of the great moments.
Before digital photography, back in the days when I processed my films and enlarged my photos myself I preferred B&W, but not because it was easier to process, but because of the dramatic effect it has.
I choose my own CABINET. *
* To store my cameras and fishin' gear.
By the way, all three photos of yours need no criticism from me, they deserve only praise. Where did you photograph a tiger fish? Did you catch it or take the photo in a Seaquarium?
I think I photographed the Oscar many years ago in a museum in Western Massachusetts … but I honestly can't say for sure … Berkshires possibly.
I had an oscar named Oscar, but I didn't know he was an oscar until he got to big for my tank.
Very nice selection of you, Mac.
Great photographers think alike - this example is by Eugene Atget, taken over a century ago.
My kind of photo, Buzz.
I find some pictures of abandon farm equipment sort of depressing especially farm equipment made before mass production. It usually meant that a farmer wasn't a farmer no more, that equipment was valuable and not left behind casually. Seeing a abandon anvil is much the same, some things are just to important to leave.
Of course, maybe they just moved farther away then they could move that heavy stuff making it easier to replace then move. But I wouldn't bet on it, life isn't that kind.
Please don't think of that as any kind of criticism, it's just what I get from those pics, not the excellent pics themselves.
Nightwalker,
The purpose of a photographic artist (and Mac is one of the best) , or any artist really, is to evoke an emotional response from the viewer. It doesn't necessarily have to be a happy response. If that were required, Guernica would have been a total failure rather than one of the great paintings of history.
That certainly could be possible. I've found, however, that most of that equipment was abandoned between 1945 and 1950. This was the time that the farmers had found that, because they were well paid for the food they had supplied to the Government during WWII, they could now afford to switch from horses to tractors and, due to the end of gasoline rationing, they could get the gas to fuel the tractors. Much of the old stuff simply no longer had a use. Sometimes, the farmer found that he couldn't sell the old stuff for enough to pay the cost of moving it and sometimes, if you examined the equipment carefully, you would find that parts have been removed (wheel bearings especially) to help repair the new equipment.
I took the Harvester picture in 1987. Some may recall …
Farm Aid started as a benefit concert held September 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois , to raise money for family farmers in the United States. The concert was organized by Willie Nelson , John Mellencamp and Neil Young , spurred on by Bob Dylan 's comments at Live Aid earlier in that year that he hoped some of the money would help American farmers in danger of losing their farms through mortgage debt.
When I came across the rusted out, abandoned harvester in a field in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, "Farm Aid" was the first thing that came to mind. I remember taking the picture in December which meant that the plant life around the harvester was brown and lifeless … a perfect setting considering the era of "farm aid".
That reminds me of Dustbowl photos. I have a book of those ("You have Seen Their Faces")-- just found the title on Amazon , but it was a very new edition (1995). To my surprise I think the one I own is a first edition! ( Link)
OMG-- just checked-- mine was printed in 1937-- it may be a First edition.
But in any event--the photos are phenomenal! (Margaret Bourke White).
I believe that this is the best known photo from the book:
(IIRC, some of this was in one article in Buzz' photo series he posted here).
In looking for those photos, I discovered a really impressive site. Are any of you familiar with it? (I never saw it before). Well worth a look if anyone is interested in these sorts of things:
A Timeline of Social Documentary Practice (1888 - 1941)
The Famous Photographer who took that photo, and many other "dust bowl" photos was Dorothea Lange. Here is a link to the "Famous Photographers" photo-essay of her and her work that I posted 4 months ago.
You mentioned Margaret Bourke-White. I also did an essay on her works.
Sorry, A.Mac, I should have asked your permission to have posted that link.
That was quite fascinating. I have posted Famous Photographers photo-essays of 5 or 6 of the photographers on NT over the past 5 or 6 months. I have not been carrying on doing it because of the almost complete lack of interest by the NT members.
Links are fine and good ways to increase discussion and related info.
For many years, my grandfather had one of those mowers sitting on the border of one of his corn fields. It had been sitting there since before I was born since it was designed to be pulled by a horse and he switched to a tractor in the year I was born. I used to use it as a seat when I was hunting for deer in that field. Had to use a pad though. Sitting on that steel seat in November could easily give you a frost bitten butt. Those were the days. They had their great moments. The frost bitten butt part, however, was NOT one of the great moments.
I had had some things that had been in my family for years. Unfortunately I got rid of some of those long ago
Now I would really appreciate having some of them.
These are from where my grandparents lived. One of my cousins sent them to me.
If your cousin took those photos, he's a very good photographer. They compare with some of the Famous Photographers photos I've posted.
Six,
These are my kind of pix … thanks for posting them.
Yes, professional quality!
IMO, some subjects lend themselves to being done in Black & White. (Maybe its mostly photos of older objects-- or scenes?)
Before digital photography, back in the days when I processed my films and enlarged my photos myself I preferred B&W, but not because it was easier to process, but because of the dramatic effect it has.
Oh you guys all know I can't resist posting images -
Anything "EAGLES" is a super(bowl) addition.
WOW!! What a fantastic photo!