Need help for solving family discussion

jorisbens · 04-30-2005

I'm having a discussion with some of my family members. I like the photoshopped photo (the first one) the most. But all my family members seem to prefer the original (second photo).

Please give your opinion

akalai · 04-30-2005

Charles Bridge, Prague?....

akalai · 04-30-2005

...maybe not, not sure why I thought it was.... anyway I prefer the first one over the second....

Roman · 04-30-2005

Yep, that's very likely Charles bridge in Prague - the masses of people crowding there at every time of day and night give it away...
So, the original photo is closer to the truth, while the photoshopped one is aesthetically more pleasing - tough call...

Roman

PS: If you go there again, you might try mounting the camera on a tripod, use slow (25ASA) film, and a strong ND filter, so that you get very looooong exposure times, which might make the moving people disappear (though with the crowds constantly queing and pressing along there, you WILL see some artifacts, not an empty bridge).

CleverName · 04-30-2005

I think the second one looks like a snapshot anyone could have taken. The people on the right are blown out and it doesn't seem to have any real subject. I really like the first one. Everything seems black and white except the lamp which is a cool effect. I usually don't like photos that have been obviously photoshoped, but this one works. My only suggestion would be to make the guy in the white shirt darker.
I like Roman's idea of really long exposures. Perhaps long blurs of people would look cool.

Nick R. · 04-30-2005

Humans have an innate fascination for faces. It's wired into our brains. People who are not tuned in to the aesthetic sensibilities of the photographic process will instinctively prefer the second photo. it's a pavlovian response. If you included a face in the first photo, it would win hands down.

rbiemer · 05-01-2005

Roman's suggestion is a good one. In my pinhole obssesion I found photos taken by one of the early Egyptologist of his finds. Not particularly exciting but--he shot using a pinhole lens and the exposures were very long.Long enough that the work crew could come and go walking in front of the lens and not be in one spot long enough to image on the film(well, plates probably).
My vote is for the 1st shot.
Rob

jorisbens · 05-01-2005

Thanx for all the responses, now i feel like i have real aesthetic sensibilities of the photographic process

And if I ever return to Prague, i will take my tripod with me (I almost never do) and redo the shot with a very long exposure. And post it here.

Joris

Nick R. · 05-01-2005

"aesthetic sensibilities of the photographic process"

The kind of turn-of-phrase that got me through college