MSA March/April 2016: "Follow The Path"

russljames · Mar 3, 2016

It is truly an honor to have had my image selected for the January/February edition of MSA. The theme that I would like us to have for March/April 2016 is: “Follow the Path”.

Try to capture images which almost “pull” a viewer into a scene and then lead the eye toward some destination in the background. For example, create the feeling of having the viewer want to walk down that trail, go down that staircase, or canoe that lazy river.

I hope that your creativity can be challenged by this theme and I look forward to seeing what is forthcoming! I offer you here a few examples to better help visualize the concept that I have tried to describe.

Monthly Shooting Assignment Guidelines

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Russ

sly · Mar 3, 2016

I like it Russ! I took a picture on my lunch break today that might qualify. If it's decent can I enter it? I anticipated your topic by 5 hours.

NedL · Mar 3, 2016

Excellent topic, thanks!

jeffreythree · Mar 3, 2016

Great topic and a great excuse to find some new paths to follow. I have about worn out my favorites.

peter k. · Mar 3, 2016

Hmmmm... already got some ideas... where the path leads...

Ha... these darn Monthly Shooting Assignments.. can get you really enthusiastically devoted, with an idea, and then the effort of trying to find something that fits it.
It changes, flowing, following, and filling.

Sometimes, it just plops in place, right in front of you, other times, like the last one, the original concept never comes into fruition.
Making it a blessing that they are longer than 29 ~ 30, even 31 days... as you look, seek and try to find, a solution to the path your on! Camera in hand, and creativity and imagination trying to find an inventiveness that you can focus on and develop.

Thanks Russ for another good one...

MattKing · Mar 3, 2016

Great idea Russ.

I've edited the thread title slightly, to make it show better on smaller screens.

It is also now a "Sticky" thread.

TheToadMen · Mar 4, 2016

MattKing said:
Great idea Russ.

I've edited the thread title slightly, to make it show better on smaller screens.

It is also now a "Sticky" thread.

You mean a "sticky theme" ?

mooseontheloose · Mar 4, 2016

Nice theme Russ! I shot a few images this afternoon that might qualify, hopefully they'll make it into this round.

barbara ann · Mar 4, 2016

"Follow the path"... Sweet!

MattKing · Mar 4, 2016

Are allegorical entries permitted?

Not eligible, because it was my entry for the 2007 MSA titled: "Portals"

For more details, subscribers may wish to read the notes attached to this in my APUG gallery upload found here: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

russljames · Mar 4, 2016

sly said:
I like it Russ! I took a picture on my lunch break today that might qualify. If it's decent can I enter it? I anticipated your topic by 5 hours.

Hi Sly! You bet- March had already arrived. Looking forward to seeing your entry.

russljames · Mar 4, 2016

MattKing said:
Great idea Russ.

I've edited the thread title slightly, to make it show better on smaller screens.

It is also now a "Sticky" thread.

Thanks, Matt!

russljames · Mar 4, 2016

MattKing said:
Are allegorical entries permitted?

Not eligible, because it was my entry for the 2007 MSA titled: "Portals"

View attachment 151856

For more details, subscribers may wish to read the notes attached to this in my APUG gallery upload found here: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)View attachment 151856

russljames · Mar 4, 2016

Thanks everyone for your feedback so far. I am just now getting to the end of what has been a very long work week and I should now have some time over this weekend to add a little more to the initial description that I made for the theme. Hopefully this forthcoming addendum will give you more possible ideas and directions to take and help you more clearly grasp the interpretation that I have intended for the theme.

Thanks again!

Russ

sly · Mar 5, 2016

Here's a couple from my walk on Thursday in the old city quarter of Nanaimo. I don't have access to a scanner until Monday, so here's i-thingy snaps until then.

NedL · Mar 5, 2016

I really like the second one. I love when photographs do this: if I was there, I'd want to walk up that smaller path. The clouds hidden behind the trees and house are beckoning!

sly · Mar 5, 2016

NedL said:
I really like the second one. I love when photographs do this: if I was there, I'd want to walk up that smaller path. The clouds hidden behind the trees and house are beckoning!

Thanks Ned. That's the one I immediately thought of when I saw Russ's topic. When I printed the contact sheet, the fire escape waved and said "me too!"

russljames · Mar 6, 2016

russljames said:
Thanks everyone for your feedback so far. I am just now getting to the end of what has been a very long work week and I should now have some time over this weekend to add a little more to the initial description that I made for the theme. Hopefully this forthcoming addendum will give you more possible ideas and directions to take and help you more clearly grasp the interpretation that I have intended for the theme.

Thanks again!

Russ

I had promised to add a little more about possible interpretations for the theme, “Follow the Path”.

In my initial description I asked you to conceive of images which pull or draw a viewer into a scene and then lead the eye toward some destination in the background. That visual journey is “the path”.

Your path could be an empirical one, such as a sidewalk, trail, road, staircase, garden walkway, creek, or train tracks.
Your path could be suggested by capturing movement, such as birds flocking, people moving together in a line, or a pack of dogs on the chase.
Your path could be made of variations of color, such as the new spring leaves and flowers or autumn gold and red that many of us will be seeing during these next two months.
Your path could be made of contrasts in light and shadow.
Your path could be made of things in focus and out of focus.
Your path could be set at a macro level
Your path can be a combination of all of these things.

The second element in my initial description suggested for your image to entice the viewer to want to follow the path. So if your photograph is saying, “It is just over that hill”, the viewer should wish to make the climb. If the message is, “We’re going this way”, the viewer should desire to get in line. Or if your photograph implies, “It is right through this door”, the viewer will want to step into the room.

A historic image which illustrates the theme I have selected is the composition entitled “Mt. Williamson”, by Ansel Adams. In the foreground your eye is immediately drawn to enormous round rocks; not just a few of them, but a sea of them. Then your eye travels to the background toward what Adams described as “a glorious storm going on in the mountains”. No matter how many times I look at this photograph, each and every time I find myself reaching for my hiking boots, wishing I had the chance to struggle through that ocean of rocks and get to that mountain, up-close, before the sun sets, and the storm ends.

I hope this added description helps inspire ideas for you, and I look forward to visually traveling on your paths.

Russ

russljames · Mar 6, 2016

sly said:
Here's a couple from my walk on Thursday in the old city quarter of Nanaimo. I don't have access to a scanner until Monday, so here's i-thingy snaps until then.

View attachment 151913 View attachment 151914

Sly,

Thanks for the images! They most certainly fit the theme.
Russ

michaelorr · Mar 6, 2016

Sly, I am glad the fire escape waved and said "me too!" I like that one.

Bertus · Mar 6, 2016

russljames said:
I had promised to add a little more about possible interpretations for the theme, “Follow the Path”.

In my initial description I asked you to conceive of images which pull or draw a viewer into a scene and then lead the eye toward some destination in the background. That visual journey is “the path”.

Your path could be an empirical one, such as a sidewalk, trail, road, staircase, garden walkway, creek, or train tracks.

Your path could be suggested by capturing movement, such as birds flocking, people moving together in a line, or a pack of dogs on the chase.

Your path could be made of variations of color, such as the new spring leaves and flowers or autumn gold and red that many of us will be seeing during these next two months.

Your path could be made of contrasts in light and shadow.

Your path could be made of things in focus and out of focus.

Your path could be set at a macro level

Your path can be a combination of all of these things.

The second element in my initial description suggested for your image to entice the viewer to want to follow the path. So if your photograph is saying, “It is just over that hill”, the viewer should wish to make the climb. If the message is, “We’re going this way”, the viewer should desire to get in line. Or if your photograph implies, “It is right through this door”, the viewer will want to step into the room.

A historic image which illustrates the theme I have selected is the composition entitled “Mt. Williamson”, by Ansel Adams. In the foreground your eye is immediately drawn to enormous round rocks; not just a few of them, but a sea of them. Then your eye travels to the background toward what Adams described as “a glorious storm going on in the mountains”. No matter how many times I look at this photograph, each and every time I find myself reaching for my hiking boots, wishing I had the chance to struggle through that ocean of rocks and get to that mountain, up-close, before the sun sets, and the storm ends.

I hope this added description helps inspire ideas for you, and I look forward to visually traveling on your paths.

Russ

Ok,ok Russ! Thank you for the examples and I try to make some Path pictures.

TheToadMen · Mar 7, 2016

russljames said:
I had promised to add a little more about possible interpretations for the theme, “Follow the Path”.
(...)
I hope this added description helps inspire ideas for you, and I look forward to visually traveling on your paths.

Russ

Excellent assignment! I'll make an effort to participate! Should be interesting and challenging.

jeffreythree · Mar 7, 2016

Not the path picture I was thinking of trying for at the time, but a chance shot before we headed out. I see this one as both a physical and symbolic path.

The Path

jeffreythree
Mar 7, 2016
1

A little something I thought appropriate for this month's MSA. A little path through the...

TheToadMen · Mar 8, 2016

jeffreythree said:
Not the path picture I was thinking of trying for at the time, but a chance shot before we headed out. I see this one as both a physical and symbolic path.

The Path

jeffreythree

Mar 7, 2016

1

A little something I thought appropriate for this month's MSA. A little path through the...

Nice, you found Alice just before the rabbit hole

peter k. · Mar 8, 2016

Testing a new for me 2x3 Baby Speed...

Coffee Pot, Secona Az. USA

MSA March/April 2016: "Follow The Path"

russljames

sly

NedL

jeffreythree

peter k.

MattKing

Moderator

TheToadMen

mooseontheloose

barbara ann

MattKing

Moderator

russljames

russljames

russljames

russljames

sly

NedL

sly

russljames

russljames

michaelorr

Bertus

TheToadMen

jeffreythree

The Path

TheToadMen

The Path

peter k.

MSA March/April 2016: "Follow The Path"

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