This week Cee has given us ‘carte blanche’ to post black and white images of our choice. So I thought I’d show you my everyday world, but with just a touch of ‘noir’.
Welcome, then, to Much Wenlock
where all looks tranquil. Or does it?
Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge
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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
These shots are fabulous Tish. Great choices to focus on the slightly off-kilter and sinister, and of course the b&w editing really gives them that noir-ish feel. Hightlights the way we can construct images to be ‘read’ in particular ways, because the language of imagery is quite well defined.
Glad you liked them, Su. As you can see I had a happy afternoon playing. There’s a theme running through my mind at the moment of seeing the familiar with fresh eyes. Having done it digitally, I’m now find the images are fusing with the conscious world – which is interesting, but a bit weird.
That is interesting! Unconsciously, our interactions with people and places are shaped by the memories we have and stories we tell ourselves, so it’s fascinating to think more consciously about that. There is a perfectly nice beach in Auckland that creeps me out because it is the site of one of the most vivid — and terrifying — dreams I ever had. It was the first time I became conscious that I dreamed in film language (complete with close-ups, pans, zooms, etc). I wrote the dream up as a sort of short film screenplay for a film class I was taking (of course), and that process gave the dream extra weight. So much so that almost 30 years later, I visit that beach only very reluctantly.
Now that is fascinating, Su. I don’t think we as yet have an inkling of the full power of the human mind. It would be an interesting experiment to see if you can ‘shoot’ the beach with the creeps finally resolved, and then see what happens. E.g. if you believe the bad dream more or less. Of course to make something of perfect niceness doesn’t give you a lot to go at, dramatically speaking.
The last time I went to that beach was on a sunny day with my boys and I did take some photos. They were pretty boring — certainly compared to the cinematography of my dream. Art or feeling safe? I guess that’s the essence of the thriller genre (which was what I was studying at the time of the dream). You’re right; the mind is powerful and complex. Thanks Tish.
I still love that coil of barbed wire!
Yep, I got ‘hooked’ too. I kept taking pix of it every time I went up to the allotment. I still go and look at it. I think you should do a bit of flash fiction to go with it 🙂
These are wonderful.
Thanks, Janet. I hope you’re having a good weekend.
I have had a really lovely and weekend..thank you. Some painting, writing and relaxing oh and a Skype with my wonderful daughter. Doesn’t get much better than that:) janet.
Yep, the barbed wire is still my favourite too.
It comes in many versions as I was telling Thom. In fact I think I need just a few more; not got it yet in a wintery landscape 🙂
You really had fun with this project, Tish. It’s a toss up between the barbed wire and the old privy , or is it a shed?
Ah-ha, Sylvia! It’s my old allotment shed. Listing somewhat despite OH’s attempt at resuscitate. It’s now pretty much a snail roost.
Exactly what I was thinking!
Lovely
🙂 How are you? Are you out cycling today, although I guess it may be getting a bit hot out there?
No no. I had travelled to visit my girlfriend’s family. It’s raining a lot here. No cycling till mid Dec I think
Happy visiting.
Noir does exactly what it says on the box, but I still believe that tranquil is the reality! Mind you on the last photo the sign and statue? of the child is pretty creepy 🙂
Yep, I was pleased with the nod to David Lynch (Twin Peaks-ish I thought). Actually it’s a figure of a child put out by our thoughtful sweet shop owner to stop motorists from mowing down pedestrians on our narrow street. But I’m not so sure about the tranquility – there have long been intriguing undercurrents of greedy opportunism running through the place, and going way, way back. Oops. Now I’ve raised a bad spirit or three 🙂
There are always some selfish people who try to spoil things.
Smashing.
🙂
I love them all, Tish.
janet
You are so nice, Janet 🙂
Tish, these are wonderful photos for this week’s open topic challenge. Thanks for playing. 😀
Thank you, Cee, our most generous WP hostess
All the photos are fabulous , but my fave is the one with the coil of barbed wire !
Got you hooked too, eh 🙂
I’m a fan of B&W, but I’ve never edited any. These are all just marvelous, love the harsh quality of the stone building!!. What do you use for B&W editing?
I think the first photo of the Linden Walk, and also the allotment shed were taken with the ‘dramatic monochrome effect’ on my Lumix ‘point and shoot’. I use it a lot. Otherwise I just play around in Windows Photo Gallery which I assume is on all PCs with microsoft windows(?) This also includes a blogging facility which automatically downloads whatever WP theme you have so you can do posts without getting ratty in the WP editing box, and then just post them to draft or publish direct. I have to say, though, I don’t understand much of what I do with either my cameras or my computer. So thank you, Badfish, for your appreciative comments.
I can download WP to Windows?
If you have Windows you should have Photo Gallery somewhere in your programmes menu. When you open it, it will allow you to edit your photos. But also across the top menu bar is a ‘create’ button which then takes you to another menu which includes a ‘blog’ button. If you open this, it seems to automatically download your WP theme into photo gallery so you can work on your drafts without being on line. Then you can send it to WP either as a straightaway ‘publish’ or a draft on your WP desktop. Is that what you wanted to know?
Thanks, but you know I’m a dinosaur with tech. I think I’ll just pay someone to make my photos good in Lightroom or whatever!!!
But I’m a dinosaur too. And photo gallery really is easy, though I do waste too much time playing in there 🙂
Where did you stand for the last shot? That one and the famous barb wires are winner for me. This place looks attractive in colour and stripped of it. (I loved Twin Peeks too). I’ve heard some rumors that they are going to film new episodes.
Ah-ha, Paula. Our lovely Wenlock Books has second hand books upstairs, and while I was waiting for other half who was having a browse, I happened to notice what a good/unusual view one got from the open window. It’s otherwise v. difficult to take photos in this narrow street. Getting run over by cars being the main hazard. Glad you liked thise shots.
🙂 wonderful
Just love them, Tish. Merry Christmas. =)
Xx
D.