Graffiti art

schmoo

These are from my trip out west. I have always known that the graffiti in SF is practically legendary and it certainly blew the pathetic scrawl from the east right outta the water.

However, trying to find a new way to capture it was, umm... challenging. I squeezed off a couple of dozen shots but realized that my angles were all mushing together into the same ol' same ol'.

At least processing these was much easier than almost anything else I've ever done. The colors speak for themselves! I wish some of it was even partially legible. :bluduh















Previous to seeing this stuff, the fanciest graffiti I've seen in my home state was this:



Which I guess isn't too bad. It's better than I could do... if I was a vandal.

DavidTO

Schmoo,

All cool, but I love that 2nd shot. The person in it is just so unbelievably cool, IMO.

hamster

Schmoo, love them - especially #1 and 3.

schmoo

DavidTO wrote:

All cool, but I love that 2nd shot. The person in it is just so unbelievably cool, IMO.

David, you have very good eyes!

pathfinder

I find graffiti fascinating too, Schmoo. Nice set of images.

I just wish I could read and/or understand half of it also.

Richard

schmooo wrote:

However, trying to find a new way to capture it was, umm... challenging. I squeezed off a couple of dozen shots but realized that my angles were all mushing together into the same ol' same ol'.

While graffiti can be dazzling--you found some great examples here--by itself it doesn't usually make a very compelling photograph. There needs to be something else in the frame to give it context or contrast. I like 1, 2 and 3 more than the others because each one has an additional element, even though the actual graffiti are certainly better in the latter shots.

Nice work.

Cheers,

schmoo

rsinmadrid wrote:

While graffiti can be dazzling--you found some great examples here--by itself it doesn't usually make a very compelling photograph. There needs to be something else in the frame to give it context or contrast. I like 1, 2 and 3 more than the others because each one has an additional element, even though the actual graffiti are certainly better in the latter shots.

Nice work.

Cheers,

Richard, you're absolutely right and I never thought about that before. I wish this realization had come to me sooner! Thank you for giving me something new to think about.

Jim I'm thinking that graffiti artists are kind of like doctors - you're not supposed to be able to read what they write!

Skippy

schmooo wrote:

These are from my trip out west. I have always known that the graffiti in SF is practically legendary and it certainly blew the pathetic scrawl from the east right outta the water.

However, trying to find a new way to capture it was, umm... challenging. I squeezed off a couple of dozen shots but realized that my angles were all mushing together into the same ol' same ol'.

At least processing these was much easier than almost anything else I've ever done. The colors speak for themselves! I wish some of it was even partially legible. :bluduh

Previous to seeing this stuff, the fanciest graffiti I've seen in my home state was this:

Which I guess isn't too bad. It's better than I could do... if I was a vandal.

Wow Schmooo, these are really cool
Some Graffiti Artist really are worthy of being called ARTISTS in their own right, but some Graffiti Artists work is just garbage.

I love this stuff, the colours and the designs.
You've done a wonderful job with this lot as you always do

Thanks for sharing..... Skippy --- > 12 more sleeps to gooo!! :ivar
.

Awais Yaqub

Beautiful photography !
and great place n art

schmoo

Skippy wrote:

Thanks for sharing..... Skippy --- > 12 more sleeps to gooo!! :ivar
.

Thanks for the reminder! Of course you're getting there a bit earlier than I, but I look forward to your cheeriness keeping my energy levels up during the long days of shooting. :giggle

And... You are very right! Ever since I got back I have been keeping my eyes peeled for nice graffiti but no matter what state I'm in on the east coast nothing really compares. I am surprisingly sad about that. I have also noticed that the sentiment behind much of the tagging I see out here is completely different - what I can read is clearly the product of angry, angsty, usually very racist minds. Very very different from graffiti Art, which is lovely and the embodiment of urban expression (IMO).

Hmm, soapbox... how did I get up here??

DaddyO

However, trying to find a new way to capture it was, umm... challenging. I squeezed off a couple of dozen shots but realized that my angles were all mushing together into the same ol' same ol'.

I think you did really good with your shots. Not like its easy to work out excellent shots in an enviroment like this.
Looks like you got some thoughtful angles. Getting interesting stuff was on your mind. I also think that in order to get the well done graffiti
one is pretty much going to have to shoot it straight on. Like you have.

No Michaelangelo's working the ceiling? Looks like as high as one can reach is the place to stop.
Look at the time they have to do this kind of "art" where it is actually art. They don't seem to mind rolling paint over other pieces to put up their own. Speaking of paint, are these people bankrolling themselves or do they have sponsors?

I have always known that the graffiti in SF is practically legendary and it certainly blew the pathetic scrawl from the east right outta the water.

Ouch, thats gotta hurt. Might consider that some of these folks move
around. City to city et.... So maybe the good eastern talent is out west and inbetween. I ran into some pretty intersting pieces in the middle of nowhere, so's to speak, about 2 months ago. Unexpected. I fussed over angles too.

I wish some of it was even partially legible. :bluduh

I've concluded, for myself, theres nothing to read better than half time. So, I give up trying to read words and just look at the various pieces for what ever I can enjoy about it.

Heck, I better quit this wordy thing.

a110p0

Cool shots and location
Really terrific photos. I also enjoyed your SF post in the Journeys forum.

Where is this amazing location? I'd love to check it out.

I especially like #3 with the added foreground element.

Alvin