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Julian Ray's picture

Too Soft? An Ode To Alan

My endless need to play with line and form.

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8 Comments

Great angle and clouds. However, the clouds asymmetry bothers me a bit compared to the perfect symmetry of the building. But if your intent was to create a bit of tension caused by the disparity between the two, well then, it's very successful, at least in my view.

Thanks Charles for taking the time to comment.
It is always great fun to hear peoples reactions to my work and to have them collaborate in the story.
Thanks.

Fine image, Julian! Your usual meticulous execution of this formal kind of image.

Regarding Charles' point about the asymmetry, for me it is the asymmetries in a symmetrically composed image, almost inevitably of a building or other human structure, that makes these images interesting. TOTAL symmetry would be utterly boring for me.

I find my eye going from side to side, looking at the differing subtle weathering patterns in the building, as well as the sky. And then the curves have my eye bouncing a bit as I do so, creating motion out of stillness.

Interesting comments on this fine image Julian. I'm on the fence regarding the symmetry of the clouds, and wonder if the image might be a little more balanced (not symmetrical) if there were some cloud in the upper right.
I have to say I'm unclear as to what that result might be, but would be interested to see how it might affect the feel.

The image for me is great as-is, had others not brought up the symmetry subject I likely wouldn't have noticed.

Otherwise, the leading lines and contrasting shape and textures work well for me, well done sir!

Thanks Alan for your input.
Not sure why but I cannot reply to or up-thumb Chris' comment above so....
(Thanks Chris for your thoughts. Your insight -sorry- is as always very welcome and I am so glad that this image engaged with you in some way!)
Alan, your reaction is a great example of how we can be so easily influenced by our environment. The comments of someone standing next to us as we craft the image, the input when we edit, the reaction of a viewer all flavor an image.
In a way your comment is a perfect study of how social media pushes and pulls our creativity.
Should it?
How do we keep our "vision" true to our selves?
What can we do to help absorb the positive creative input and not be torn down by the negativity?
Thanks in great part to your gently guiding hand Alan this group is a fun, positive, inspiring, and refreshing forum for us to play, explore, experiment, and feel safe in doing so.
Keep up the great work.

Thanks for your kind words, as ever, Julian. Yes, lately on FS some comments can't be replied to, edited or even deleted.

I found Charles' initial comment interesting, and it made me look afresh at the image. Personally, my general preference for asymmetry held sway, but I note many others like symmetry. No idea why we differ so - but those things make art all the more intriguing for me.

Ah... the spice of life!

Maybe balanced would have been the proper word. Maybe it doesn't need to be said but I wasn't really asking for perfect cloud symmetry but more clouds on the right side (or less on the left). But I know that clouds don't always cooperate either.