Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by eschelar:
I came back to check on this.

Funny thing: I first saw this as an abstract study on shape and light. I started thinking an 8, then went with 7 as a 'benefit of the doubt' since I was wavering between 6 and 7.

Then I kept looking and I didn't find anything else compelling about it, so voted it down as an entry of that style.

I came back to this a final time during voting and looked closer. The depth that is shown on what appears to be a bench made me wonder if this was actually a kitchen table setting masquerading as a picture of something spiritual.

I decided that I was overanalyzing (because it wouldn't matter if it was a kitchen table or even a couple of pieces of paper and a light bulb) and took a step back and viewed it again as an abstract study on shape and light and I decided that I had given it a score simply because it "looked like something artistically presented as more than it is".

I decided that I was looking for an emotional impact to bring meaning to the effort of going through the exercise of making an abstract like this. Since I could not find anything, I voted this a 1.

I very seldom vote 1 and even more seldom on an image of this complexity. I chose the vote to indicate the picture's impact on me as an individual rather than a picture in a field of 1133 other pictures vying for first place, so I hope you understand that just as the pic itself is not trying to compete, my vote was not intended to indicate its value within a competition.

I can see quite a few areas of skill in the pic, but for this type of pic (for me), the content outweighs that.

:)

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by beamsclan:
Congrats on a great image. Wonderful composition, color and focus. This proves that DPC voters don't know a thing about art or photography.

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by tph1:
Risky, ballsy entry. I had to put my glasses on to get the full effect. Just kidding about that. Seriously though, this is one I would print large and put on the wall.

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by kteach:
Wow, I knew this wouldn't be a popular shot when I saw it in voting, but I never imagined it would be one away from the brown! From all the posthumous threads and side challenges where people seem to appreciate the more oob entries, I thought those voters would pull this one through. Anyone can manage to take an out of focus shot (and some people just do it without trying), but you've captured something very pleasing here in this scene. Thanks for putting this one in the challenge!

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by oscarthepig:
When I saw this one, I expected it to finish at the low end...but not this low. What a shame. Any fool can point a camera at a scene and record it, but it takes a special knack to be able to distill its essence into an abstract.

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by krnodil:
Unbelievable, that score. For what it's worth, I gave you a 10. More people should know that defocusing can be a deliberate artistic choice, and your photo, and more importantly your inclusion of the photo in a "gem" challenge, teaches us this.

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by Gordon:

Originally posted by Bear_Music: Great work, Gordon. I had suspected this might be yours. It finished about as bad as one wo0uld expect, I guess, and it's a pity, but heck y'all knew that going in, right? Lovely image regardless. I'm one of your 9's.

Yup - I'm not too surprised. Lots of positive comments. Lots of interesting comments too. The vote spread is quite different to the company it is keeping down here at the end.

Message edited by author 2009-03-18 11:01:21.

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by Bear_Music:
Great work, Gordon. I had suspected this might be yours. It finished about as bad as one wo0uld expect, I guess, and it's a pity, but heck y'all knew that going in, right? Lovely image regardless. I'm one of your 9's.

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by Gordon:

Originally posted by deadbrain: I wonder... you were kidding, right? I just checked your profile and you are a multi-ribboned! This one cannot be in any way your best photo. I think you were aiming at the brown ribbon, isnt'it?

No, not kidding. I think it is one of the more interesting and more successful pictures I've ever taken. Just look at the comments... Some people even have this hanging on their wall. An interesting spread of comments :) Thanks to everyone who left one, positive or negative.

This is all in camera, no post processing, pretty much as seen/ shot.

Message edited by author 2009-03-18 09:40:06.

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
by Gordon

Comment by jeger:
Most people just can't think outside the box. Out of focus = bad photo to many people. If it is done for a purpose, it can still be a great image.