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Door
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Door

by Barbara Graham

Gallery: POP PhotosPosted June 2, 2012162 views5 comments
I'm not a photographer in the sense that most of you are, but I've learned so much about nature photography through NPN. If it is at all possible, if anybody who posts and comments in this POP Photo section has the bandwidth to help, I'd love to at least try to learn something about non-nature photography. To the moderators: Is this okay for this section, or should people know what they're doing before posting in here?

I'll post the techs if you think it would be helpful, but I think first I need to learn more non-technical things like framing images, but I can't even explain what I mean by that.

I was waiting to go into the St. Augustine Alligator Farm this morning at 8 a.m., and I was looking around and saw this door. I really liked the wood with the stucco with the wrought iron with the plant with the lines and shadows with the red, so I took this picture. I also have frames with more in them and less in them than this one.

So, like I said, if anybody has mental space, comments, opinions, suggestions, direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Comments

5 comments
Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on June 2, 2012 at 8:34 PM
The only thing I see here to get picky about is the blue stain on the white and red side of the stoop. Easily cloned out. I think you put this together remarkably well. Sometimes the only trick is to take a picture of what catches your eye in a manner that it looks like what you saw. The strong lines and diagonals are what takes this out of the mundane, and ties everything together. You did well! :toast:
Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments
Comment posted by Merle Cook on June 3, 2012 at 11:54 AM
Good Morning Barbara, I can't put myself out there as an expert in photography, but I shoot what I like and that means a lot of non-nature subjects. Doors are a favorite subject and I look for unique ones wherever we go. (Also, they sell very well as note cards). Most of the doors I shoot are in tourist areas where no one questions someone taking a shot of the front of their residence. The pixel peepers would go nuts over my doors as most of them are centered in deference to the "Rule of Thirds", unless there is something to add interest that would cause me to use another alignment. This is mostly due to their use as note cards. I don't want to hi-jack your post - but I added a shot that hangs in my office. It is Old Town Quebec and I was drawn by the unique shape as well as the leaded glass in the transom. Also, the window reflects the brick wall and wrought iron fence across the path from it. The electrical conduit for the two yellow lights imitate the arch of the doorway and add another item of interest.

If you go to any number of beach towns in your area and simply look for items with lines/colors/shapes/patterns or anything else that catches your interest and start shooting. As you well know, digital makes shooting cheap and the delete button in just a finger stretch away. Shoot with abandon and delete without a conscience. I shot several hundred doors before I got a feel for what I liked in a shot and how to achieve it. It's a whole different ball game from nature shots.

Enough of my rambling. Good shooting.
Registered on July 15, 2007, 27 Posts, 140 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Diffley on June 8, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Thanks for sharing your image and asking for feedback. While there may be a couple areas for feedback, I'll just speak to one or two.

Question: What is your dominate subject for you and a viewer?

With your image, for me, there are more than one possible subjects. It is hard to find or focus on one item.

Registered on April 8, 2012, 52 Posts, 279 Comments
Comment posted by Barbara Graham on June 10, 2012 at 11:36 AM
Thank you very much Phil, Merle and Rick, for the feedback. :)
Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments
Comment posted by Anil Rao on June 12, 2012 at 4:18 AM
This is working quite well for me. I find myself drawn to the lovely juxtaposition of strong vertical and diagonal lines.

I might suggest cropping off the partial segment on top of the door.
Registered on November 15, 2003, 234 Posts, 4923 Comments