New Orleans Cities of the dead.

[DocHorror]

Here are a few that I took at one of our local cemeteries in New Orleans.

http://www.members.cox.net/saintsfan68/angelw.jpg

http://www.members.cox.net/saintsfan68/angel2w.jpg

http://www.members.cox.net/saintsfan68/cmescapew.jpg

http://www.members.cox.net/saintsfan68/rooftop2w.jpg

http://www.members.cox.net/saintsfan68/pyramid2w.jpg

http://www.members.cox.net/saintsfan68/shpynxw.jpg

http://www.members.cox.net/saintsfan68/shadowwoman3w.jpg

http://www.members.cox.net/saintsfan68/roseladyw.jpg

[bear]

Nice photos, you got some very strong compositions. Interesting to see people spend so much money on making fancy graves - don't have many of those around here.

[rambhat]

I like the 2nd one a lot. You're getting an excellent crispness to your photos, perhaps you could play with the manual focus and create stronger foreground elements that act simply as visual guides into a more important focus in the back. Just a thought. Great stuff though.

[DocHorror]

Rambhat, I am really interested in your suggestion and I hate to sound dense, but I am not quite getting the gist of it. Could you please try to explain it again.

Also, I see you are in Savannah, any chance you go to SCAD? I am looking to go there for animation. I have a strange question for you if you do go there.


Thanks Bear, these are some of the more ornamental tombs. I guess they figured if they have to bury their dead above ground to keep them from floating away during a flood they might as well look nice.

[rambhat]

You don't sound dense at all! I know it sounded a little vague when I described it. Well, all of your subject matter is in complete focus, rather than doing that, try getting really close to a gravestone (that might be a little hard) and use a part of it as a silhouette on one of the sides of your photo (whichever serves it best compositionally) and leave it out of focus. At the same time, have your subject of interest be in focus past this foreground element. I hope that helped a little more. You can also do the reverse, where the abstract foreground element is the focus and the background is out of focus.

And yes, I go to SCAD, what's your strange question? :)

[DocHorror]

Ahhh ok I see know.

I would be going for a post baccalaureate. I tried getting into Expressions and Fullsail but they cannot accept the federal financial aid allotted for a second bachelor. Would you have any idea if SCAD can is allowed by the feds to accept those monies? I emailed them and so far they are sending me a catalog and some info.


Also does the fall semester start in Sept.?

[rambhat]

Are you asking if SCAD accepts financial aid? If so, then yes, because that's the main way I'm paying for school as well. Yep, SCAD's fall term does start in mid-september because we are on the quarter system, but that is nice because for X-mas break we get from around Nov 21st-Jan 6th all off.

Post more questions or PM or e-mail me at sri@rambhat.com. I'll be glad to answer anything else that's on your mind. I am not a computer art major but have crossed paths with many of the professors and worked with a lot of friends from our computer arts majors.

[PhilHolland]

So that seems like a place I need to visit! Good stuff.

Phil

[digitalgannon]

heh- i saw SCAD and thought i'd chime in. Im a fellow SCAD grad (2003) w/ a 3d major (on the Old track)- now offically unemployed (heheh). SCAD's a pretty cool place- and i cant speak for the photography major- but in 3d i didnt learn a whole lot- and im sure u can do tons more on your own w/ the programs tuts if you go in that direction. I lived w/ 3 illustration majors and they felt the same way- all of which are also unemployed :( . So if you do end up going to SCAD milk it for all its worth and try to get every penny your can out of the education.

[Mateem]

*damns all the lucky dogs who got to go to SCAD*

I absolutely love the second one. The placement of the statue and the flow of the clouds make a very delicate composition. And the shots of the pyramid vaults made me laugh my ass off. :rofl: People take themselves way too seriously.

[pandawhipped]

I remember driving by these grave yards when we would go visit my grandparents, and it would just freak me out. Apparently, theres some legend that if you drive by at night, the lighting causes one of the angel statues to look like its head is turning toward you as you drive by. Creepy. Maybe that was just my parents trying to scare me.

[kmscottmoore]

DocHorror,

What rambhat is referring to is a photographic side-effect known as depth-of-field. There is a lenghty technical explanation, but basically it means some things in the picture are in-focus and some are out of focus. Telephoto lenses show more of this than wide angle. Experienced photographers will use the effect to selectively highlight certain elements in the compostion.

Depth-of-field exists in the human eye, but unlike a camera, your eyes are constantly moving and refocusing, so you generally don't notice it. Prior to the invention of photography, this effect was never seen in art (with one exception, Vermeer.) So, 300 years ago, if someone saw a picture with a DOF effect, they would think it looked odd. Now, we are so surronded by photography, that we expect to see the effect. It is part of how we gauge if something is 'real'.

In this example, I did some subtle faking of the effect. Notice how the one on the right 'pops' a bit more than the one on the left?

http://www.kmscottmoore.com/conceptart/shpynx_dof.jpg

[Payback]

So, 300 years ago, if someone saw a picture with a DOF effect, they would think it looked odd. Now, we are so surronded by photography, that we expect to see the effect. It is part of how we gauge if something is 'real'.

That is very interesting what you said kmscottmore.

Cause I felt that because of their extreme focus and crispness it made the pictures almost unreal and it was an earie feeling. Because of the topic I thought this to be very suitable actually. You know, graves and such.

Those first two pics are excellent in my opinion. Cause they're not as busy as the last one.

[DocHorror]

That is an interesting take on the sharpness of the image. I like your interpretation, it makes sense. I never thought about the unnerving aspects of a photo that is too sharp. I think I will add that to my decision making in the future.

I realized he was talking about shortening the DOF after his second message, but thanks for fleshing out why I might want to keep that in mind for future pics. I think that will help me produce some good photos.

Thanks ya'll.

[amateurateverything]

dochorror....
this is beautiful work...i've been obssessed with new orleans for a long time; being an artist, however, i don't think i'm going to afford a trip there anytime soon....thanks for showing us this; it's something i've wanted to see there specifically for a while...
as to the photo qualities; i like k...s retake on that sphinx; it does seem brighter; more suited to your purpose, it seems...
i like the last one a lot; the kneeling lady; but, perhaps, you could retake this at a different angle and use the sphinx retake as a suggestion...i'd like to see this...if you get around to it....
a note as too the highly ornamental nature of these headstones...i, personally, think it's so neat that someone (well, someone's entire family, from the guestimated cost of some of these)...was so loved that someone would bless their passing with such gorgeous artwork...just a thought
please, take more!!! :^^:

[jprowland]

DocHorror:

I'm starting at SCAD this fall for my second bachelor's. I have a bachelor's in electrical engineering and now I'll be studying animation. I had no problem getting financial aid in the form of SCAD scholarship and Federal Direct Loans.