The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
This is from last year when my friend and I spent a week paddling in Maine. Down by the cove where we stayed on Vinal Haven island, there is a barn and this summer house sort of building. Inside it’s basically a shambles, but it has a lot of character so I did a B&W treatment. It seems the little house was used for many things in the decades of its life, but it’s hard to tell now what (if anything) was its primary purpose. Probably for storage for fishing/boating stuff or possibly a workshop. In the bg is the house itself and there is another barn out of frame to the right of that. You can see the highest tide line created by the dark seaweed, probably during a storm.
Feedback Requested
Many B&W conversions go all dark and sinister, but this place doesn’t feel that way so I went with a more open and inviting approach using the Magic Mixer which is part of the TK panel suite. I’m only getting used to the tool and haven’t used it much, but it helped create the right mood and emphasized the weathering and sort of stoic quality of the building. Does that fit the subject to you? Any other ideas for processing welcome, and I have other shots of this same building from the other side and different angles.
Technical Details
Camera: Panasonic DC-G9M2
Lens: LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
Focal length: 12mm
Shutter speed: 1/250s
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 100
Processing software: Lr for RAW processing just to even out luminosity, add some sharpening, lens correction.
Major adjustments: Used TK MM panel to convert to B&W - see attached layer stack
Blending/stacking: n/a
Other notes:
Camera: Panasonic DC-G9M2
Lens: LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
Focal length: 12mm
Shutter speed: 1/250s
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 100
I haven’t done enough B&W work to be helpful on the processing, Kris, but i think the result does have a mellow mood, rather than the rather depressing dark and gritty look that so many people would probably use to interpret this scene. I’m particular fond of the slight difference in the verticals on the two foreground buildings and the obvious lack of stable foundation under the main subject. At the same time, the building look as if they were very well made and the walls and roof are holding up quite nicely. I do find myself wishing there were a hint of a boat somewhere in the image to emphasize the seashore aspect of it.
Thanks @Dennis_Plank for chiming in and for the EP. From what the guide told us, the people who own the property now don’t use is except for a couple months out of the year and so I don’t know if any of these out buildings get much love or use at all. I have a cool shot of the other side with some kayaks and the pier that gives more context, but there wasn’t a boat tied up or anywhere. They may store it at one of the marinas on the other side of the island and sail it over when they get off the ferry.
Hi Kristin, what a great find! Your black and white treatment reads well to me. I don’t see it as dark or sinister. I read it more like an acknowledgement of the impermanence of built shelters in the face of harsh natural environments. I can see the stoicism in your presentation of it. As an antique lover and architect, I love studying all of the details in this image- the curling and weathered wood shake siding and roof, the sagging gutter, the panes of glass that have been repaired, the foundation settlement. I love it all!
Aww, thanks @lynsie - it was definitely an interesting structure. Not quite abandoned, but pretty close, as is the barn behind it. The other barn on the property was more in use I believe and there was another couple of little workshops or sheds scattered around from the time it was a working farm. The little shack didn’t feel sinister at all, but sort of forlorn and if it wished it still had a purpose. Silly maybe, but buildings definitely have a feel as I’m sure you know.
