Nothing to see here

One of the things I miss about not travelling, is the chance to get images that I can't get anywhere else. They don't have to be fancy images, or shots of landmarks, but because I remember a lot of my trips through the moment I took the photo, travel shots become my experience of the journey itself and most of them are just random clicks from walking around the streets. There isn't much to this kind of photography, it is easy to do and pretty much anyone can, but it does take a certain amount of being able to recognize what is going to capture something interesting, rather than a run and gun approach.

The following image was taken on my wife and I's first evening in Paris and I actually like it better in black and white. However, it isn't too bad to show a little of the evening glow of the sun also.

What makes it a decent shot for me is that it breaks away from my normal structure, as it is "busy" with a lot going on, but the combination of "luck" elements with the halo glow of sunshine on the rider's back as he fades to black, the chequered crossing and the long shadows come together to balance it, playing with the focus between the fore and background.

The next was taken as we walked along the Seine and what I like about this one in comparison to the first is the structure and texture. The bold shadows under the bridge arches, the framing of the background bridge repeating the process and the luck element of the woman in the top right corner, who appears to be looking at the camera as I took the photo - even if she is not.

And then, as the evening continued on our first evening walk in what was a beautiful sunset, we approached Pont des Arts, which was famous for its "love locks" that were removed a few years ago, as the weight of them was tearing the bridge down. But, since this shot was taken in 2013, you can see them there in shadow, as the sun sets behind.

Again, what I think is most interesting about this shot is the play between the light and dark and the replication of elements in the fore and background, with the three in the fore on the journey toward the "lovers" on the bridge. The other thing I like is the more subtle details, like the taillights of the scooters catching the sun, as well as the odd people having the sun highlight their hair.

And this last one was actually on the Pont des Arts, where there was a bee looking a little worse for wear, that had apparently decided that its last hurrah would be to watch one last sunset. In the image, you can almost see where the little thing dragged itself up to the edge, to take in the splendor. Bitter sweet sadness.

But, what I do like about it is, the balancing of the colors colors and the replication of color between the background blur from the sun and the bee itself, contrasting on the more soothing blue of the sky reflected off the rail. It might not be the greatest quality shot in the world, but it is one of my favorites and brings back that first night in Paris.

Once upon a time, images used to tell a thousand words, but that is not the case anymore.

Images are cheap.

The amount of photos we take now are magnitudes more than we took just a decade or two ago and, the speed at which we consume them has devalued them enormously. People seem to think there is a lot of value in a single image, but for the most part, they are mistaken, unless that image captures a moment that is meaningful. However, every moment can be meaningful to us as individuals, even if it is not of value to anyone else at all.

And this is what a lot of the images people are - largely meaningless to the masses, but meaningful to the individual. But with the onslaught of mediocre images flowing through the feeds, the 1000 words are gone, replaced by silence - nothing said of value to the audience, and no reply in return.

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]