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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Abandoned Coal Mine (Digital)
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 11:33 pm
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 11:33 pm
Post subject: Abandoned Coal Mine (Digital)
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Kodak Z812IS, probably set on fully automatic as I was trying to get decent compositions. No.2 was cropped to fit the subject.


Don't by skida, on Flickr


Girl by skida, on Flickr


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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:19 am
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:19 am
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Both of those, with some processing, would be great backgrounds for compositing subjects into images. As they are, the second seems a bit flat. Was it an overcast day and were you using a telephoto? Nothing wrong with that approach, but that's what it looks like to my eye. prefer the first's composition.

Because the walls, floor, and roof extend to the frame edge, I feel more as though I'm in the image. I also really like the lighting coming in from the top. That works very well. I'd be interested to see this in a monochrome conversion, desaturated, or with enhanced contrast. Right now, the lighting is bright and uniform, like a hospital room. With the variety of colors, it could make for a number of good variations in monochrome or with a slightly exaggerated color scheme. The first image is the sort of image that, to me, looks like a good backdrop for a rock band's poster or CD cover.

All that said, that 2X4 on the floor is distracting the heck out of me because it throws the scene off-balance.


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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:11 am
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:11 am
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I see no problems, both good pictures.


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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:24 am
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:24 am
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David wrote:
All that said, that 2X4 on the floor is distracting the heck out of me because it throws the scene off-balance.


Why did you have to point that out? Now I can't take my eyes off it. Shocked

How I wish I had noticed that on the day and moved it. Rolling Eyes

Thanks for the appraisal gentlemen.


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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 3:50 pm
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 3:50 pm
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I didn't intend to imply that either is not a good picture. In looking at the second this morning, I'm more partial to it now. It has a symmetry that appeals to my OCD tendencies. And on a different monitor this morning, it looks less flat and has a better color range.


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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:13 pm
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:13 pm
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I don't mind the 2x4 at all... but still the Lesson from Great Straight Photographers is a good thing to keep in mind: a 'found' scene may be usefully 'prepared' for visual effect Wink

I like the lighting in the first, gives it a claustrophobic element... and the second works for me as a flattening of distance into a cubist-futurist sort of poster.


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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:21 pm
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:21 pm
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I still think you push that camera as far as it will go and way further than I would have expected. Very Happy


patrickh


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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:27 pm
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:27 pm
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patrickh wrote:
I still think you push that camera as far as it will go and way further than I would have expected. Very Happy

patrickh


I took these shots a couple of years ago. My good lady and I had gone out to Earsdon Churchyard with the express purpose of shooting the New Hartley Pit Disaster Memorial and when we had finished there we decided to carry on up the road a bit as I knew there was a disused colliery. When walking around (trespassing) the drab and run-down buildings, I was impressed by the colourful grafitti and took many shots. The first shot was in the old shower room and was taken with the available light coming through the missing roof. There was so much debris lying around the site that I didn't notice the piece of wood in the frame. The second shot was taken with me knowing how I wanted to crop it. The elements were deliberately flattened by shooting with the long end of the zoom as I was interested by the geometric squares and rectangles, punctuated by the blast of colour in the grafitti, especially the word "GIRL" - just one noun and no verb, so no explanation. Was that the "Tag" of the tagger? Or the beginning of a message from a young man left hanging?

In my mind these are probably the only successful urban decay shots I have taken. Thanks for all the thoughts and critiques which I always take on board.
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