Tuesday Photo Challenge – Human Impact

Welcome to episode 23 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!  Last week’s theme of Path invited some beautiful images and wonderful outlook on the road ahead (or less taken).  As you can well imagine, I had a bit of a challenge to follow up this theme, as a lot of the images that I examined had to do with making progress, climbing and the like.

Then I came upon the image here, which reminded me of something completely different, and, possibly, something that may stir up some emotions one way or another.  The theme that I’d like you to use in this week’s challenge is Human Impact.  I’m going to leave a lot of the interpretation up to you, as this impact can be either positive or negative (or neutral).

What I’d like you to do in addressing this challenge, is to elicit an emotion from the viewer.  When you look through your viewfinder or at your LCD panel, while composing the shot, think about how what you see will be perceived by others; what can you change in your composition to heighten the impact?

I came upon this former railroad bridge while walking down a rail trail with my wife and one of our dogs.  The graffiti struck me, because of its clash with the environment, but also because of what it did to this very rusty, out of place bridge.  It really asks the question whether it made the scene better or worse…

Now, I’m a fan of really good urban art, which graffiti can truly be.  Some of my friends are graffiti artists, who create fantastic work.  It’s not for everyone, which most art isn’t, but has a definite aesthetic that can stimulate the mind.  What do you think?

For those who’d like to participate in this weekly challenge, the rules are the following:

• Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
• Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
• Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
• Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

Let’s find out what human impact strikes us and how it can stimulate our minds!  Have fun!

Technical Details

This image was captured with a Canon EOS 5D MkIII using an EF 24-105mm f/4 lens.  The exposure settings were bracketed around 1/60 second, at f/9 and 400 ISO.  I then used Photomatix Pro to create this rather grungy look for this bridge.

Author: jansenphoto

A Fresh Perspective Photography is more than just a vehicle for capturing the world around me; it provides me with a palette and a set of brushes, with which I paint not only what I see, but also look to express the emotions that are evoked by the scene in front of me in that moment. Growing up in the Netherlands exposed me to a wide cross-section of visual arts that laid the foundation of my photographic view of all that surrounds me. Early influences were the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, to whom I was introduced by my grandfather during museum explorations; favorites among them are the scenes of quotidian life depicted by Jan Steen and Frans Hals and the vivid landscapes of Jacob van Ruisdael. My classical high school education was supplemented by the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, where I spent many a lunch hour exploring its great collection. Here I was introduced to surrealism with a particular love for the approach taken by Salvador Dali; Dali also rekindled my appreciation for the work of Hieronymus Bosch, who often showed the folly of us mortals. Universal Connections My approach to any photographic subject is to look for understanding first; in this I look to establish either a connection between the viewer and the subject or capture the connection of the subject with its surroundings. The captured image then aims to portray this connection from a perspective that is part of my personal interpretation. This interpretation is often a form of externalized introspection, which may alternately display the connection of isolated beings and items with their environment or highlight the whimsy of the profound world, in which we find ourselves. The universe is full of connections, many of which are waiting to be discovered; part of my journey as a photographer is to document these connections. Any assignment, be it an event, a product shoot or a portrait session is always approached through communication with the client; this is where the first connection is established. Ideas are exchanged and a collaborative plan of action forms, ultimately resulting in a set of images that aim to exceed the expectations of each client. And, lest we forget, it is important to have fun while practicing the serious business of photography! View all posts by jansenphoto