Montreal Churches

[michabo]

I was in montreal recently and took some pictures of the churches and whatnot. I gather that it has gone from being a heavily catholic city to one of Canada's most secular in the last 50 years. I did take some straight-up reverential pictures but IMHO they were kind of boring

These three were my favorites. The first of the cabbie reminds me of what Montreal might have been. The second is becoming the all-too-frequent reality. The last is a personal favorite, only because it expresses my feeling towards churches.

Hope you like. Suggestions or comments - good or especially bad/constructive - are always welcome.

 

[diversityROXZ]

beautiful beautiful beautiful.
i love the third one the best!
..........i am sorry i do not have any advice at the moment.............
except, don't stop taking pictures! you are too good at it!!
<3

 

[Piano Player]

I was in montreal recently and took some pictures of the churches and whatnot. I gather that it has gone from being a heavily catholic city to one of Canada's most secular in the last 50 years. I did take some straight-up reverential pictures but IMHO they were kind of boring

These three were my favorites. The first of the cabbie reminds me of what Montreal might have been. The second is becoming the all-too-frequent reality. The last is a personal favorite, only because it expresses my feeling towards churches.

Hope you like. Suggestions or comments - good or especially bad/constructive - are always welcome.

I like the second one best. Good contrast between the smooth bottle, the rough door, and old snow. Too bad the door didn't have some iconography for your message.

The third one had possibilities, but suffers on two counts. First, the foreground gate is not centered in the background nave. Centering the top of the gate with the top of the nave would make a stronger graphic composition. Second, the gate is too out of focus. A tripod, slower shutter speed, and smaller aperture would help.

Too many subjects dancing around in the first one. The cab meter is distracting. Perhaps just the mirror and cross? Maybe just the cross-- although I know you wanted to show context.

 

[michabo]

Piano Player,

Thank you very much for your suggestions. I don't think that getting a tripod would be practical, given the circumstances but the comments on composition are good and telling. I was feeling rushed (though I shouldn't have been) and didn't spend the required time composing. This is always a bit of a problem for me, and I appreciate the reminder.

I have looked at all of the pictures in PhotoShop to see if there are any crops that can strengthen the picture, but I missed a few. I find that I'm often too close to the picture to see all of the possibilities. Do you have any good way to distance yourself?

 

[mamabear4]

I think the one of the rosary beads on the cabbie's mirror is perfect. If the meter weren't in the pic you'd miss the setting and that's very important. I also believe having everything out of focus except the beads is more powerful than if the meter and everything else were in focus.


The second one is also very good. I think you should enter it in our current Bottle and Can Contest in this forum.

The third pic is also good, although it doesn't speak like the first two do. Again, I tend to disagree with piano player about pulling the gate into focus and in the center of the pic. Off center is sometimes much more interesting. But I realize opinions vary and creativity varies, so this is only an opinion from a get-by photog, not advice from a pro.

 

[Piano Player]

Piano Player,

Thank you very much for your suggestions. I don't think that getting a tripod would be practical, given the circumstances but the comments on composition are good and telling. I was feeling rushed (though I shouldn't have been) and didn't spend the required time composing. This is always a bit of a problem for me, and I appreciate the reminder.

I have looked at all of the pictures in PhotoShop to see if there are any crops that can strengthen the picture, but I missed a few. I find that I'm often too close to the picture to see all of the possibilities. Do you have any good way to distance yourself?

The best way I know to distance myself is time. Many times my "pre-visualized" photo is a lot better than the actual photo. When I first look at the photo, I really see my idea rather than the photo. Looking at it days or months later lets me look objectivity at it.

A tripod is easier to carry around than most people think. In my youth, I surveyed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We carried large heavy tripods around all day, stuck them in the middle of streets, and expected everyone to go around. It worked. A camera tripod weighs less, sets up quicker, and makes you look like an "official" photographer. 95% of the time folks just get out of your way. You can carry it over your shoulder like a rifle, or you can buy a shoulder strap. Sometimes I even tie it to the bottom of my bag.

As you know, a tripod greatly expands your photography horizons. I remember once walking through a hotel lobby in Atlanta, GA at night, and wanting a photograph looking straight up. I just set up for the picture right in the middle of the floor. A hotel employee came up and told me I couldn't set up in the middle of their lobby. The shutter button was already pressed, so I just had a pleasant 20 second conversation while the camera made the exposure. I quickly took it down, and everyone was happy.

 

[michabo]

The second one is also very good. I think you should enter it in our current Bottle and Can Contest in this forum.

Thanks, but even I question whether a 750ml bottle of vodka can be called "single serving"

 

[michabo]

The best way I know to distance myself is time.

Nuts! I was afraid you were going to give me that answer. I'm finding exactly the same thing. A couple of weeks ago, I showed people a photo I was happy with, only to realize that there was a brilliant white sign in a corner which really distracts from the subject but I didn't even notice it

The shutter button was already pressed, so I just had a pleasant 20 second conversation while the camera made the exposure. I quickly took it down, and everyone was happy.

Heh, nice! I was taking some pictures at a local amusement park and got accosted by some security because I looked too "professional" with my tripod. Our conversation was a little less friendly.

But I definately agree with you and I generally have a tripod with me unless I'm shooting 'street'. I find there are times when it pays to be inconspicuous.

 

[Piano Player]

[/color][/size][/font]Thanks, but even I question whether a 750ml bottle of vodka can be called "single serving"

I suppose if a 750ml wine bottle can't be a "single serving" then your vodka bottle can't qualify either. However, I am virtually certain from the context of your picture that the bottle was, indeed, a single serving.

 

[Piano Player]

I tend to disagree with piano player about pulling the gate into focus and in the center of the pic. Off center is sometimes much more interesting.

I agree off center compostions tend to give a stronger compostion. However, in this particular photograph, I consider the subject to be the lock positioned in the lower third. (excellent positioning) The message clearly is about how some churches lock out when they should welcome in. (and by the way, the clearness of this photo's message is wonderful) Squaring the locked gate against the nave makes it graphically more an obsticle. More focus on the lock enhances its status as subject. It doesn't have to be completly in focus, just a little bit more focused.

Michabo (one of the best photographers in this forum) did not have a tripod. He could also try hyperfocus. Change the lens to manual focus, and have it focus at a point between the nave and gate. Pick a distance that leaves something in sharp focus (closer to the nave or closer to the gate). The higher the f-stop, the further that point can be from the sharp focus area. SLR lenses have a depth-of-field gauge written on the lens itself to help with this technique.

I love the concept of the picture and its clear message, but with a little more care, it could have been a publishable (saleable) image.

But I realize opinions vary and creativity varies, so this is only an opinion from a get-by photog, not advice from a pro.

All opinions are valuable. Here is another pro tip. Don't denegrate your own opinion. I've seen some of your work here, and it is pretty good.

 

[bluetoo]

pretty

 

[heron]

Church photo...a black shape in the center of a photo usually pushes the viewer away and feels like an obstacle. In this case, it seemed very symbolic, a sort of "now we see dimly" or a locked access. You said the photo was how you felt about churches...did I read it correctly? I found this in Europe as well--I expected to visit a lot of churches, and found most of them were locked unless they were tourist sites.

If you get into Photoshop some day (or Open Office, CorelPhotopaint), there are tools that allow you to change the sharpness, saturation, contrast etc. by brushing over an area, as well as selecting a small area with a feathered mask. You might have fun with this--expensive program, though.

The red one is my favorite..nice contrasts, very symbolic (maybe too much), keeps the eye moving.

I mentioned this to someone else this morning...check out lulu.com for selling photos to people who need book covers.

 

[jclovesall]

Very Nice

 

[michabo]

You said the photo was how you felt about churches...did I read it correctly? I found this in Europe as well--I expected to visit a lot of churches, and found most of them were locked unless they were tourist sites.

Weeeelll... It's more personal than that. I'm the token atheist in this part of the board and so my reaction to religion and churches may be different than many others here. I basically feel locked out of religion entirely. I am doing my best to educate myself about christianity and theology in general because my family cares so much about it, but the more I look into it, the farther away I go. Talking to them, they build religion into something larger than life and very beautiful, but for me there's a barrier which keeps me locked out. But this may be a conversation best held elsewhere.

Anyway, it's just a picture. No doubt I take different things from it than others will, which is as it should be.

The red one is my favorite..nice contrasts, very symbolic (maybe too much), keeps the eye moving.

Thanks. As with the other picture, I'm glad you found symbols in it.

 

[heron]

Michabo,

I sympathize.

because my family cares so much about it,

I've watched friends of mine approach the topic in the same way with their families, and they seem not satisfied unless they "fix" things, and all the ducks are in place.

I also see family members and friends compete spiritually...there's always something they claim to do better than you. It's tough to talk religion with family. All the personality quirks come through full force, and the old competitions from years ago take a strong hold.

Intentions are good... but you coming over to "their side" can appear from both foxholes like you're admitting they were righter than you, or you finally got it. Not pleasant. Just take your time to explore things under your own control.

But you're right, this is the photo forum. I could justify my post by saying art imitates life, or the photographer is the eyeglass for the soul, or the artist is the prophet, or something equally ethereal.