Expired - Limited

This goes for the entire series posted . . . Lest we forget, a photograph can be worth a thousand words. It shouldn't take a thousand words to explain the photograph. Even a simple portrait can speak volumes, but these images don't. They require too much effort on my part, and that frustrates me.

DannL - do you mean the text is meaningless? The images make one think and question what you see. The whole debate about text and images is an interesting one but I like to know a little about why and what the photographer is trying to convey. "Too much effort" is a sad comment - for an image to have meaning and substance it may take the viewer sometime to take it in and digest it - after all the concept that the photographer had may have taken a long time to get to and a great deal of thought put into the image - why should gratification be instant?

CarlRadford said:

DannL - do you mean the text is meaningless? The images make one think and question what you see. The whole debate about text and images is an interesting one but I like to know a little about why and what the photographer is trying to convey. "Too much effort" is a sad comment - for an image to have meaning and substance it may take the viewer sometime to take it in and digest it - after all the concept that the photographer had may have taken a long time to get to and a great deal of thought put into the image - why should gratification be instant?

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I did rework my comment to remove the "meaningless imagery" remark. That was a rash and inappropriate comment of the moment. Of course the photograph has meaning . . . to the photographer. Excluding the lengthy explanation attached to the photograph, it would be a complete mystery to me as to the purpose for the image. Just an unqualified opinion. This may be a fine subject for debate in a thread of it's very own.

DannL said:

CarlRadford said:

DannL - do you mean the text is meaningless? The images make one think and question what you see. The whole debate about text and images is an interesting one but I like to know a little about why and what the photographer is trying to convey. "Too much effort" is a sad comment - for an image to have meaning and substance it may take the viewer sometime to take it in and digest it - after all the concept that the photographer had may have taken a long time to get to and a great deal of thought put into the image - why should gratification be instant?

Click to expand...

I did rework my comment to remove the "meaningless imagery" remark. That was a rash and inappropriate comment of the moment. Of course the photograph has meaning . . . to the photographer. Excluding the lengthy explanation attached to the photograph, it would be a complete mystery to me as to the purpose for the image. Just an unqualified opinion. This may be a fine subject for debate in a thread of it's very own.

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Feedback is good - constructive feedback is difficult to get right without be harsh but it is good to see feedback that isn't just superlatives too - hopefully we can grow with others giving insight and direction!?

DannL, thank you for your honest comment. From the critiques I did receive yours is quite the opposite; some have mentioned it could have done without the words in the photos as the series explained the concept and meaning on itself so the words were seen as unnecessary. You're the first one who doesn't get it when looking at the photos in total, at least, who was so honest to tell me. That's okay, it's impossible to get it right for everyone, and honestly, I'm perfectly fine with that. I do this for me in the first place.

I also think it's boring if you "get it" at first glance, not always, but I do most of the time. To see through the deeper meaning it could mean that you have to investigate a photographer to find out what's occupying his/her mind and what has brought him/her to the things they did. Of course you have to be intrigued by it in the first place, and probably that wasn't the case now for you (or maybe it was because you responded quite "vigorously" but that's mere guessing) and that happens. I do appreciate your comments though

I added the text in the description part as I know some people liked to hear more about it and I made a small book where I put a little background to each photo for those interested. It's not meant as a part of the series. I thought over here people would be interested in the backgrounds as that could provide them with a bit more insight as to what the photographer's thoughts were when working on this. To each his own I guess.
It's not like this is an exhibition where you can walk around and expect to be surprised and wondered by what you just saw. I see this more as a place where you can show what you did and why and receive feedback accordingly.

Contrastique said:

DannL, thank you for your honest comment. From the critiques I did receive yours is quite the opposite; . . .

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My respect for the fellow photographer runs deep, in spite of the photographic works in question. Thank you for allowing me to participate.

DannL said:

Of course the photograph has meaning . . . to the photographer. Excluding the lengthy explanation attached to the photograph, it would be a complete mystery to me as to the purpose for the image.

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If this image were viewed alone and without the accompanying text I might agree. But it is not alone. Within the context of the rest of the work the meaning, at least directionally, comes through loud and clear for me.