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Just for once I really don’t mind if everyone turns round and tells me they hate this as I’m really pleased with the way it turned out. Normally there are at least one or two things that I don’t like about the majority of the stuff I put up, but this one I’m quite happy with. It would definitely benefit from being posted at a higher resolution – as it’s quite a complex image – but I think it turned out reasonably ok.

I was going to post this image along with this one, one in colour, and the other in black and white. But the colour versions didn’t work out and they turned out to be much too similar to put up as separate entries.

I think that what I most like about this shot is the complexity generated by shooting through two reflective surfaces. This shop was on a corner, so in addition to the reflections on the front window, and the ways in which these interact with the internal details, there’s also the rear window light source and a further set of reflections.

camera
capture date
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
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Canon G5
1.24pm on 29/3/04
f4.0
1/100
program AE
+0.0
evaluative
50
25.1mm
RAW
auto
B+W UV 010
 
 
4x3 + people
comment by gwen at 12:26 AM (GMT) on 7 April, 2004

I'd love to see bigger versions. I actually like the "reject" better because the various elements are more discernible (esp. the lamp (?) showing through the car window, the man ironing) but that may just be the format...I'm blanking on who, but they really remind me of a particular early 20th century photographer.

I've actually had a bunch of shots the past week or so that I considered useless because of all the window glare but now I'm going to go look at them again with this newfound perspective and see if there's anything useful ;)

comment by pixpop at 04:40 AM (GMT) on 7 April, 2004

Well, it is complex, but I think the complexity just amounts to a puzzle: trying to figure out what's where. Puzzles are OK, but I find myself wishing for more. Perhaps this is because the different layers don't relate to each other, or comment on each other very much.

There is a tension between the two arrows pointing in opposite directions, and a textural one between the press and the iron fence that it is about to clamp down on, but I can't seem to combine them into a story. In this respect, I think 0404040006 and 0403310057 have more to offer.

comment by djn1 at 08:13 AM (GMT) on 7 April, 2004

I think that a part of the appeal (for me) is that reflections aren't something that we're normally focally aware of, so taking shots such as these becomes fascinating - watching the interplay between the activity behind the glass and the overlaid reflections of passing traffic and people. So no, I don't suppose the layers do communicate all that effectively, nor tell an overly compelling story. I still like it though :-)

comment by kane at 04:10 PM (GMT) on 7 April, 2004

So much detail to see, I almost missed the big picture. Nicely done, as always.

comment by myla at 10:19 AM (GMT) on 8 April, 2004

This is fantastic. I love shots like this -- where one combines the elements of what's going on "in" the shop with what goes on outside of it. . . I'd be willing to wager that "the presser" would absolutely love a copy of this.

It's beautiful.

comment by Sparky at 05:24 AM (GMT) on 10 July, 2004

I concur - Its a fantastic image. I like a puzzle, but you always have to be able to figure it out. This image is complex, but if you study it for a moment you understand it. Perfect!