bird in a cage
have you ever stumbled across a scene and immediately thought how great it would look in a photograph only to be surprised that it didn’t look good at all?
this was one such scene. i drove down this road and those shoes hanging on the power lines in this lonely area seemed like a “wow” photo in the making.
after i saw it in the frame it didn’t live up to my expectations so i thought, “hmm, i should go back and shoot it again”.
i did that and those frames didn’t capture the feel either. seems like so often the frames i expect the least from look the best and ones like this, well, they just don’t look that great.
it’s kind of like putting a bird in a cage. it looks so much better flying free.
you know?
13 Comments
Elaine-
July 11, 2012if you want to say this isn’t a ‘wow’ photo, you’re talkin’ to the wrong girl, coz that’s exactly what i said when i saw it… now you can say my tastes are odd, and you would probably be right, but if my tastes are odd, i DIG THAT ABOUT ME haha.. awesome photo, sister!!
Nick
July 11, 2012I wondered how you were going to get to a bird in a cage. Shoes are a bigger part of the story, but wide angle lens make them seem small and as such, there is no longer a story, just more power lines.
rian
July 12, 2012it’s nice to know the thought process on how this image came to be.. it has that parched, dry summer look to it which looks nice.. :)
yiannis krikis
July 14, 2012I like the lighting, the mood and the title of your image
shoreacres
July 14, 2012I first experienced that dynamic when I started sailing. There were so many sunrises, sunsets and ocean views that just were stunning. In a photograph, they turned into tepid tourist-postcard views. Sometimes they weren’t even that lively.
Now, if someone could catch the shoe-thrower in the act – that would be something. I’ve seen maybe a hundred pair of hanging shoes in my life, but never even a glimpse of the throwing arm responsible.
Frida
July 14, 2012I once saw a TV show and there they said that shoes thrown over a power-line or such is a sign for – a place were they sell drugs. At least that is what they said in that documentary. Sorry but my thoughts got stuck there, but I know what you mean.
fabrizio
July 15, 2012fascinating and really cool this photo
george
July 15, 2012It’s strange how the visualisation of an image doesn’t always match expectations.
I think that sometimes when a photographer looks at a scene, all the senses – even smell and touch – are working together to create an ambience, that is attractive. But when it’s squashed into a small two dimensional reproduction something gets lost…
....peter:)
July 17, 2012This is the perfect picture to make your point about a bird in a cage Sherri…. i do like this picture very much… i agree that the shots that you think are perfect are not always the best… i took a picture of a Tamarack to show the tiny pinecones only to find a Goldfinch sitting right in the middle of the frame… it will be posted this Thursday:)….peter:)
Christopher
July 20, 2012So been there too Sherri–cool observations and, I have to say, cool shot!
yz
July 23, 2012i’ve seen in pictures so many times that shoes are hanging from wires
and i still doesn’t understand it…
Phil Vaughn
July 27, 2012The photo that just won’t be taken? Well, I’ve been there, done that, too. However, I think your photo does capture a certain feeling–isolation, wandering, and a time gone by. Your analogy of the bird in the cage seems to illustrate your point very well.
Arjan - PlasticDaisy
August 9, 2012I like the vintage feeling of this image. It could very well be from the 30′s or something. And those shoes hanging from electrical wires have always fascinated me :)