jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Don't remember exactly which town. Somewhere in East Central Nebraska.

(Download)

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

This one has my mind working in high gear. I find my thoughts running the gamut and can't quite decide on a final decision. If we lose the nude, the wall has enough intricate detail and composition to stand on its own but the nude comp adds that extra splash of intrigue and ponderance. Hmmm, what to do.

Congratulations on this very out of the ordinary capture. I fear I might be all day mulling it over.

AnthonyM Loc: Pasadena, CA

I really like this image. The human form adds contrast in form and texture and anchors the image.
I wonder if this is a composite? If so that knowledge doesn't detract, I'm just curious.
I just think the composition is great, my eye goes to the nude, follows the diagonal and stops at the pipe in the upper left corner. To me this means you have some latitude with the right side of the image.

napabob Loc: Napa CA

ready to climb the non stairs to nowhere..............harken the bleakness...............

jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Thanks for the interest and comments, Peter. Much appreciated and understood. My feelings are the same. I'm still mulling over the placement of the figure.

jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Anthony, Thanks for sharing your perceptions and knowledge of form. It is composited using one of the nude men I have in my collection. It was difficult to find one with the shadows more or less on the correct part of the body. This nude was the closest I had. Plus, I do like the pose.

jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Thanks Bob, Appreciate your poetic description of the piece. Before taking up a camera I spent a lot of time roaming the Napa environs (lived in Half Moon Bay for 25 years). After beginning photography did some worj with the grape fields - none of which have survived.

dansmith Loc: Southwest Alberta Canada

like your choice of figure for this Jim, his pose says "despair" to me and the decrepit façade is a perfect match.

He looks like a tall guy so appears to be a tad too short vs the doorway which would be 7' at most. looked again, maybe not?

Good positioning with that quarter stride right of the door frame.

jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Thanks, Dan.

He's probably despairing over the disappearance of the lady in black. lol

I really sweated over the appearance of Jesse's height (actually 5' 8 1/2"). If I hadn't dropped him down into the black border surrounding the image he might have seemed taller but I thought it was a good way to indicate that he was not part of the original photographic setting. I also took a few pounds off him.

All that said, I appreciate your critical eye. Keeps me on my toes.

carlysue Loc: Columbus

I see a story of contrast here, Jim-- the human body form was originally perfect art and this nude is certainly well put together and a fine specimen! Then there is the deteriorating building and all the pipes,wires and bolts to keep it functioning. Its a thought provoking image, a conceptual challenge and I can't seem to walk away so I keep rambling....

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

HI, Jim,
Interesting composition of the evidently distraught man striding past the deeply shadowed interior beyond the open door.

His pose of seeming dejection seemed a bit awkward until I realized he had undergone some serious post-processing "surgery", the purpose of which I'm not at all sure I understand :

You altered his pelvis so that his original right leg now masquerades as his left leg, and vice versa.

There also has been disproportionate lengthening of both lower legs.,

you also switched his feet ( right for left, and vice versa)..

I have to wonder why, in your photography session with "Jesse" you didn't simply repeat the pose with his legs reversed in stride position?

It appears that the lighting and shadowing of his figure has been altered in an attempt to match the brightness and shadow patterns and direction of lighting of the scene into which he was composited. However, the dynamic range of the composited figure is noticeably less than that of the scene (his shadows lighter and softer, and his highlights not as bright as those of the scene). In sum, the gamma of the figure is noticeably less than that of the scene and the pattern of shadow casting on major muscle masses is illogical and inconsistent.

Having played and experimented quite a bit with compositing and altering postures and poses of people and other animals I'm well aware how easily one can get carried away with "reconstructing " the body. It does, however, need to be kept within reason to avoid ease of detection.

This is an interesting image hat could have been better but for Inattention to compositing details.

Best regards, Dave

jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Thanks for your thoughts Carla. Always appreciate your comments. You are correct - it's a conceptual challenge and one I am not going to have printed. I personally like the incongruities as they present a more conceptual interest. Just wanted a Critique.

He is a fine specimen of a man

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Jim,
you may have missed my earlier question. Now that you assert he is "...a fine specimen of a man" I have to ask again why you imposed such changes as:

changing the lighting and shading on "Jesse",

causing his right leg to masquerade as his left leg...

(which then necessitated putting a left foot on his actual right leg, and vice-versa,) and

lengthening the lower leg (calf) of his actual right leg?

We're these "surgeries" accomplished for some particular artistic/creative effect, or merely to see if you could do it without, perhaps, the fact being detected?

Dave

Nightski

Perhaps this was a creative choice Jim made in order to present the image he intended, Dave. Some images are meant to disturb. Jim does create images that are meant to disturb on a regular basis. It's part of his style. The other possibility here is that Jim changed his finished image up a bit to comply with the "no nudity" rule.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Actually the major alteration could have increased the need to comply with the "no nudity" rule...leaving it as was would have totally obscured the genital region.
The manipulations carried out on "Jesse's" image were really highly involved and complex, yet seem not to have been able to alter or affect one's over-all perception of the image "Somewhere in Nebraska" , so I still would like to hear Jim's take on why those changes were made...essentially turning "Jesse" into a work reminiscent of Escher's perspective twisting efforts.

But maybe he'd prefer this be discussed in a separate thread?

I'd really like to hear Jim's rationale, rather that from a well-meaning intermediary.

To use your statement, Sandra:"Jim, I'd sure like to know what you are thinking."

Thanks anyway, Sandra,

Dave