Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Another Time, Another Place


It takes a large latch to bolt a heavy door. Las Palmas, Grand Canary Island Posted by Picasa

“Knowledge of 'what' is does not open the door directly to what should be.” ~ Albert Einstein
I love the look of heavy doors and in the Grand Canary Islands with architecture styles that show a blend of Islamic, Portuguese, Spanish and Flemish influences, there are a wide variety of doors and latches. Many show the curved arches and ornate decorative bolts through the heavy wood. I will probably never get to see these sights in person, but fortunately I can experience the beauty of the area through my brother and his pictures. He laughs and tells me he isn't any good at photography and I try to give him hints and direction before his next adventure. He did pretty good with those from the Canary Islands although I have to chuckle just a bit at his angles. A lot of his pictures are at odd angles..... his take on that is that it makes the picture look more "artsy". For some things this is fine, but for others, it simply strains the neck to look at them. He has a small point and shoot type of digital camera that is quite good and the more pictures he takes, the better they look. I am in charge of the post-production and in this particular case I thought this lock and latch were so elegant and interesting... not something seen on doors anywhere in this country.

By the way, has anyone else noted that the sepia pictures reveal even more of the metal texture and more of the wood grain than the colored versions? Perhaps color distracts the eye from the tiny details of the picture. At any rate, I loved this picture in its sepia tone for Sepia Scenes.

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Sepia Scenes

14 comments:

Beverly said...

Now here I thought maybe you had been to the Canary Islands.  That lock is quite elegant, and I agree that the sepia tones to bring out more of the "character" of the object in the photo.

kenju said...

I like the sepia tone too. Sometimes taking the color away allows more true nature to shine through. I know another photographer who takes shots at odd angles - and it is artsy - but sometimes too much so. I'd love to see more of his photos.

Jidhu Jose said...

nice shot

Carmi said...

I'm a big fan of sepia...and in fact am cooking up an upcoming Thematic on this very theme. You're absolutely right that it somehow strengthens the impact of certain textures. I, too, often wonder if it's the absence of a broader spectrum of color - the color-as-distraction thesis - or something else, but then I give up and just drink it in for what it is.

I like your brother's use of angles. Why shoot from the same spot everyone else is using? You two have a cool collaboration vibe going on!

Carmi said...

Oops, forgot one more thing - beyond my brain-dead propensity to forget to log in before commenting - and that's to please let your brother know he's inspired me to spend more time exploring the small details I come across in my own travels. I had drifted away from them for a bit, but this scene brings me right back.

sandra said...

he did a spectacualr job on this photo. I love it. and you are right about the sepia detail. this one is frameable and would be beautiful on a wall.

@nemonen said...

Wow that´s a great sephia photo. I love it. What an amazing door.

Patti V. said...

What a cool antique-looking latch.
Sepia does indeed show us details on things. Love the sepia tone here.

Your brother did a fine job! ;)

kim, usa said...

Amazing shot. Looks like behind this door a secret would be reveal. ^_^
Sepia Scene

Ginny Hartzler said...

This really shows the beauty of the wood and that pretty edging around the lock. Who would ever think that someone would take the time to make a utilitarian lock so pretty, I think most people wouldn't even notuce.

annie said...

I love the satin softness of the image.

colleen said...

It peaks my curiousity.   http://looseleafnotes.com

RamblingWoods said...

I agree about sepia.....it does make for some very nice textures.....I like the door....

Lisa said...

Wonderful sepia picture! Me like!!

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