DSS#19 - My 1st competition

BobbyMarshall

This is my 1st competition. I wanted to start competing to expand my ideas, and get me out taking photographs. This competition seemed kind of broad in subject, almost like it was defeating the purpose of why I wanted to start entering competitions. Until yesterday I did not have any idea at all what I was going to do about this shootout.

But, yesterday I was out shooting and came across this photograph opportunity. Although I was hesitant at first to post this, because I thought it may be disturbing to some. I think it sparked an emotion in myself, something about it made me think.


Contrived? possibly
Natural? possibly

Am I way off here?

divamum

BobbyMarshall wrote:

This is my 1st competition. I wanted to start competing to expand my ideas, and get me out taking photographs. This competition seemed kind of broad in subject, almost like it was defeating the purpose of why I wanted to start entering competitions. Until yesterday I did not have any idea at all what I was going to do about this shootout.

But, yesterday I was out shooting and came across this photograph opportunity. Although I was hesitant at first to post this, because I thought it may be disturbing to some. I think it sparked an emotion in myself, something about it made me think.


Contrived? possibly
Natural? possibly

Am I way off here?

Welcome to the madhouse!!!

Unfortunately, your image isn't showing (if you're a smugmug user, do you have "external links" switched on?)

Look forward to seeing your pictures.

BobbyMarshall

I didnt even think of linking the photo..
here is it.


title- I Was Wrong

pyroPrints.com

I'd love to know the context of this photo as well as your interpretation (we have the title, but i'm not sure how to take it).
It could be construed as contrived I suppose.

BobbyMarshall

I had a hard time with the title.. If I told you what I think of the photo wouldn't that take away from the involvement of the viewer to interpret it for themselves?

Like I was saying, this is my first time trying to compete. I am trying to expand my skillset, and I am not sure how much of my thoughts to include with the photograph, other than the photograph itself.

Sam

Bobby,

I think this is a very interesting, and thought provoking image.

I would like to know more about the location, and how the photo came about.

That said it seems to emote a feeling of the past, and the dark thoughts of those who held these beliefs.

It will be interesting to learn what others think.

Sam

BillyTom

BobbyMarshall wrote:

I didnt even think of linking the photo..
here is it.

I've taken time to mull this one over. Somehow it makes me uncomfortable. Technically, it seems a great shot, although I'm in little or no position to judge on the technicality....and it certainly is thought provoking. For me personally, I come here (to this forum) to escape the stress and craziness of the times we live, I come for the light hearted conversation and to fill my empty skull with knowledge of photography....there are only a few threads that dip into the waters of controversy, and frankly this seems beyond a dip. I won't judge...it's only a personal opinion.

Teal

troublesome.
I agree--it troubles me.

justME

BillyTom wrote:

I've taken time to mull this one over. Somehow it makes me uncomfortable. Technically, it seems a great shot, although I'm in little or no position to judge on the technicality....and it certainly is thought provoking. For me personally, I come here (to this forum) to escape the stress and craziness of the times we live, I come for the light hearted conversation and to fill my empty skull with knowledge of photography....there are only a few threads that dip into the waters of controversy, and frankly this seems beyond a dip. I won't judge...it's only a personal opinion.

Couldn't of said it better myself. Well done BillyTom

JAG

whether this evokes emotion or not. I am not seeing the relation to this image and the theme of the challenge....contrived or natural.

Contrived this is not...as it is an ugly truth of reality we all wish to not acknowlege in this world today. Neither do I see anything 'natural' about the statement being said in the photo. But these are my interpretations and since you are new to these challenges, I would be remise if I didn't point out the obvious.

Welcome to the challenges!

BobbyMarshall

Wow, well most of the responses seem to be going down the direction of where I was hoping it wouldn't, So I will explain my reasoning a little.

Let me start by posting the definitions of the words. Since I wasn't exactly sure of what contrived meant.

http://www.answers.com/contrived
Contrived

adj. Obviously planned or calculated; not spontaneous or natural; labored: a novel with a contrived ending.

http://www.answers.com/natural
Natural

adj.

1. Present in or produced by nature: a natural pearl.
2. Of, relating to, or concerning nature: a natural environment.
3. Conforming to the usual or ordinary course of nature: a natural death.
4. 1. Not acquired; inherent: Love of power is natural to some people.
   2. Having a particular character by nature: a natural leader.
   3. Biology. Not produced or changed artificially; not conditioned: natural immunity; a natural reflex.
5. Characterized by spontaneity and freedom from artificiality, affectation, or inhibitions. See synonyms at naive.
6. Not altered, treated, or disguised: natural coloring; natural produce.
7. Faithfully representing nature or life.
8. Expected and accepted: “In Willie's mind marriage remained the natural and logical sequence to love” (Duff Cooper).
9. Established by moral certainty or conviction: natural rights.
10. Being in a state regarded as primitive, uncivilized, or unregenerate.
11. 1. Related by blood: the natural parents of the child.
    2. Born of unwed parents: a natural child.
12. Mathematics. Of or relating to positive integers, sometimes including zero.
13. Music.
    1. Not sharped or flatted.
    2. Having no sharps or flats.

n.

1. 1. One having all the qualifications necessary for success: You are a natural for this job.
   2. One suited by nature for a certain purpose or function: She is a natural at mathematics.
2. Music.
   1. The sign (♮) placed before a note to cancel a preceding sharp or flat.
   2. A note so affected.
3. A yellowish gray to pale orange yellow.
4. Games. A combination in certain card and dice games that wins immediately.
5. An Afro hairstyle

As far as not fitting in with the theme of contrived or natural, I 100% disagree with that comment. As I see it, after thinking about the definitions of the words, this photo fits into both categories; and that was my intent.

My main idea as how this shot will fit into the topics contrived or natural, is how those words relate to TIME. I intentionally gave this a look which I felt could simulate that it may have actually came from the time where this ugly truth took place.

I gave this the title "I was wrong", I was thinking We Were Wrong, but that has too many W's and its almost like a tongue twister.

Right now we live in a great time of history in the United States. in a half decade we have overcome scenes like the photograph, to having a president whom is black. (who I also voted for).

When I first thought of entering this photo to the contest here, I was going to use it as part of a triptych, but I did not end up with a good composure of the third shot. Maybe I will put it together though and put it in this thread so you can see my origional intent with the photograph.

richtersl

It's a thought-provoking and disturbing image. And, extremely powerful. I like it and I like the way you executed it.

I see it as "contrived" rather than "natural" though:

contrive - to devise; to plan; to invent or build in an artistic or ingenious manner

From this perspective, you've reconstructed a controversial era in an artistic or ingenious manner.

divamum

To try and be concise: as an image it is striking, emotional, confusing and very powerful.

Do I "like" it? No. It makes me deeply uncomfortable at so many levels, most particularly because the viewpoint it poses is highly ambiguous (even with the title). Is it only pointing the finger at history? Is it suggesting that we haven't changed much? And on and on. It poses more questions than it answers, and few of the implied answers are pleasant ones.

Is it a "good photograph"? Absolutely and without question, YES. And, in fact, it's the ambiguity of it which makes it even more so, because it *does* prompt one to think about some very, very ugly truths past, present, and possibly future.

But art is not necessarily here to make us comfortable. In fact I'd go so far as to argue that its prime directive is often to do the opposite, and force us to think about things OUTSIDE our comfort zone (all art, not just photographic or visual).

In short, while I think it's a photograph which will make many people (most people?) very uneasy at some level, and which pushes WAY outside the usual boundaries of a generally non-contentious, non-political forum such as dgrin (as several previous posters have eloquently expressed), it's an extremely powerful image.

Just my 2c.