the room was huge, with ginormously tall ceilings that simply demanded a person look up. when I initially looked at the photo I thought to myself "hmmmm, too bad that plastic palm tree is in there". next thought "oh Becky, edit that out, it ruins the photo". third thought - "no way, it is what it is".
I've gotten into this on-going battle with myself about editing/not editing photos. there's something to be said for each position, and I guess like most things in my life, I come down squarely in the middle. someone once accused me of "not believing in anything then". that gave me pause too. could it possibly be true that I don't believe in anything because I see relevance in not just one, but TWO sides of an issue? ha! it's getting a bit deep in here, isn't it? so what it comes down to is this. I'm a pragmatist. sometimes I like to edit when it's an easy peasey case, and it can be done in 3 seconds, and it doesn't alter the flavor of the shot. in this case I grew to like the top of the plastic palm tree in the shot - because I'll always know where it was taken. at the Lakefront Brewery Palm Garden. are you beginning to catch how my mind works? one of the things that I learned in a recent photography class was how to determine what's important to me in a photo. the plastic palm tree wasn't initially important to me, but it grew on me after giving so dang much consideration to it. now that I've beaten this one to death, let me just say...it is what it is. and that's the gist of my early saturday morning mental exercise. and I do believe in something. I believe in plastic palm trees.
head on over and say hello to Tracy at Hey Harriet. she's the host of Shadow Shot Sunday and that's where the shadow-chasers gather every weekend to show off their shots. happy weekend everyone.
38 comments:
We are accustomed to seeing shadows that begin from above. Here is the opposite, the Tiffany style light and shade adds an artistic shadow above on the ceiling. The palm offers a shadow too, but the light is not a mere shadow, it is dramatic!
My editing out of unwanted matter in my photos is usually limited to strato-streaks in the sky and the ocassional powerline if it can be done without too much effort. Mostly though it is the removal of dust speck blobs due to my neglect of cleaning the lens. And then there is the repeated effort to remove a speck from a photo with no success only later to find the speck is on the computer screen. The plastic palm tree? I don't think I would have noticed had you not mentioned it. Have a fun weekend.
woww I really loved this one.. brilliantly captured.
That's a lot of thinking for a Saturday morning, Ms. Becky! I just barely managed to say hello and goodbye to my husband and the dog as they left for their walk, then I had to sit at the computer with a cup of coffee to wake myself up!
However, to get back to the plastic palm tree, it doesn't look plastic in the photo. It looks real beneath the lovely-shadowy light.
And you're right, if an item serves to remind you where the picture was taken, it is important to leave it in. I have hundreds, maybe thousands, of photos my husband took on our travels. I don't know where they were taken and he can't remember.
Thanks for the benefit of your experience. I will remember that.
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
That is a nice shadow shot.
Riet
Great shadow shot for the day, Ms Becky! I love the colors and composition! Amazing where we find them sometimes once we start looking for them! Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Sylvia
Not only the shadow I love! I do love the tiffany lamp too.
What a gorgeous shot!
Happy SSS...
/chie
And, now, I believe in plastic Palms, too. Actually, the shadow was so mesmerizing, I didn't even notice the palm until you mentioned it. We see what we want to see - right?
lordy, you're in a mood today! :)
love the shot!
Wonderful shadow from that beautiful lamp.
I am a sucker for editing photos, although sometimes it's best to leave the photo "as it is".
It's a very cool ShadowShot, plastic palm and all! That you stand for plastic palm trees made me laugh. I am curious though, why do you not capitalize the first word of each sentence, but do capitalize "I"?? Another one of those wishy-washy things? hehe. Happy SSS to you.
Miss Becky you did make me laugh with your self to self discussion on the whys and where fors of this shot .. I am giggling still !
The shot is perfect whether the plastic palm is in it or not .. aren't they allowed to occupy space too ? LOL
Joy
I thoroughly enjoyed your post on the relevance of sides and plastic palm trees!
Good to see you on sss:)
I think the plastic palm tree adds to the picture so I'm glad you didn't edit it out Becky. I'm a bit of a ponderer and thinker like you. Have a great weekend xx
What an interesting photo! I enjoyed reading your thought processes on the inclusion of the palm tree. I think you've made a very sound argument for leaving it in ( & probably would have made a sound argument for it's removal!) I say, do what you want- it's your photo.
Thoroughly enjoyed all your thoughts behind the photo! I too grapple with editing and tend to leave the photo "as is" apart from maybe some cropping! Somehow I feel my feel retain a sense of immediacy when I avoid editing! For one of my blogs, I indulge in neonic versions of photos, but that blog is a fantasy one so it suits! But that's me!
Love the sense of moody atmosphere in your photo! And the palm top adds a balance and a touch of the exotic!
Let's hear it for "mental exercise"! I like that concept. I am thrilled that you are a person that believes in something. This is the first step. Maybe that is why you also believe in plastic palm trees!. Your blogs crack me up all of the time. I am so glad you are still posting. Remember that situation I told you about? Well still you are the only one that got it. Can you believe it? I cannot. I don't believe it. So I guess that means I believe in something too!
Brilliantly captured.
Oh the conundrums we face with photos. I remember years ago watching an artist paint, yet not include an "intrusive" tree. I was affronted, and declared that it wasn't real. The ensuing conversation, about reality, harmony and poetic license has stuck with me. Sometimes I edit, sometimes not.
I haven't participated in ShShSu for ages, but still photograph shadows!
Have a wonderful weekend Becky. Sue
What a fabulous shot. Loved the little bit of mystery and richness of the picture. It is also alluring for the fact that its taken from below, something we dont see in shadow shots...
Good to see you back Becky, I really love your posts:)
Have a nice Sunday:)
So glad you did not edit it out! I actually get upset with that approach-editing things out and editing things in. I am more of the WYSIWYG kind of girl (what you see is what you get). Generally speaking, I do very little editing to my images.
I love the shot the way you took it, palm tree and all. Leaves more for the curious, you see...
The deeper philosophical question is this: Do the plastic palm trees believe in you? And if they don't, are you? :-)
SHADOW, SHADOW
Shadow, shadow drawing near,
You are all alone, I fear;
Let me be your new-found friend—
I’ll stick with you to the end!
© 2011 by Magical Mystical Teacher
Shadowy Sunflower
First of all, thanks for sharing all of that. I guess now I might know you a little better. But like any photograph, the lens picks up every detail, everything it sees. We do too, but don't pay attention to everything, only what we were looking at to photograph. It IS indeed what it is, and I like the shot. (I can't make out that it's a palm tree and never paid it no mind as I focused on the shadows of the light and the fixture itself).
I put in a new link to my blog at Hey Harriet's. I screwed up the first one. Hope you have time to take a look.
Peace
Good to see you around here again!
What a truly interesting shadow! I love the color and the softness it gets by passing through the stained glass. As for editing, and "not believing in anything", isn't the world too black and white already? Too many things in life sit squarely in the middle. So sometimes you should edit, sometimes not. Your choice, and you choose very well as far as I can see!
I didn't even see the palm tree until you wrote about it! ;-) Great shadow!
i too struggle with editting. i tend to not want to edit. but then too, i am usually taking photos close up and just getting my subject in the shot or off center in the shot. i see alot of the textures people add to their shots and i really like them...it's a struggle...i like my straight out of the camera shots. it's a toughy!! this crazy photograpy world. excellent post!! great shot!!
Wow, that ceiling! Great shot.
I go back and forth too with editing. Some days I like what I have done, and other days I revert, and edit again. LOL
oh wow that's beautiful
Confession - if SSS wants a shadow, that's what I produce - everything else is eliminated!!
and then save the other interesting features for
another meme....
Very clever and creative. What a great idea!!
Simply beautiful!
Late visiting from Shadow Shot Sunday, please come and see some shadows at my page. Have a great week ahead!
Too be honest, I hardly noticed the palm as I was so busy looking at the lovely lamp and its shadow.
What a neat effect...cool!
Welcome back!
I didn't notice the palm...hah, what does that tell about us who didn't - we focused on the shadow! :)
Have a good week!
Oooooh kinda spoooooky. I have some good shadwow shots but forgot to post them so I'll wait for next week. http://looseleafnotes.com
Excellent photo and food for thought here!
You make me laugh....it is ALL about the plastic palm trees now, isn't it?
Please know that you're not the only one who can see both sides of a coin. I am constantly thinking well, they have a point...and well they have a point too. I can't make up my mind. I thought it was just me. We're a group of two I guess, and that's fine with me.
Hello Ms Becky! Nice to see you back! Your thoughts could prompt an essay from me, but I will spare you. LOL! I will say, though, that seeing different points of view (and I do) does not prevent me from taking a stand or make a decision, ultimately basing them on my core set of values. That's for the important stuff. As for editing photos, it's a personal call, isn't it. I crop, contrast, adjust the levels, when needed, but little else. Yeah, I can edit out a temporary pimple on a face or an offending power line. But my aim is to tell a story, not to make (or post) perfect photos (I don't have the skill/talent for that anyway, even if I do aspire to learn). With or without the palm tree, your keen eye spotted a lovely lamp making a glowing ceiling shadow. Perfect for SS!
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