Riverspan

I built a new camera this weekend and this was my first try. I was supposed to remove the front lens element for it to be in focus, but I forgot. So it was focused at about 3 or 4 feet. To me the negative seemed better for this place than the photo I was trying to get, so I made this contact print.

I like this........images of this nature and style evoke masses for me.............and its somewhat akin as I am just thinking of the difference between the movies and reading. Reading is a far more creative act as an interaction between myself and let just say words, because the words could be read with my own eyes or listened to by way of story telling. There is room for me to bring a measure of myself, my imagination to the text. In a movie, and especially modern CGI movies where nothing no matter how fantasical is able to be made very real.........there is no room for any of myself and my imagination to be brought to the story......its all there, all the cards played.....................
My point.
Images that are not necessarily clear, are like a book........they leave room for me...............to bring myself and wonder to this image.

The people who go on about clarity.............dont get this perhaps. The power of lack of detail, the power of light and shadow........to tell the story, to create a picture. just random thoughts...........

Sometimes we get those letters where everything is spelled incorrectly............but somehow the brain works out exactly what the meaning is..............blurry, or soft images are like this...........we know what they are, without needing clarity.

I love this image Ned.

Graham, thank you so much for those thoughts. I read constantly, and rarely watch television or movies. ( You'd laugh if you could see the room I'm sitting in, it is piled from floor to ceiling with stacks of books of all kinds. ) I understand why it is so special for the reader to fill in with their own imagination, and why that makes reading wonderful, personal even. Good authors know that very well, and some of the best carefully leave room for it, make the reader an active partner!

I never thought of that connection to photography before-- that rings so true. In the past few years I've been aware that sometimes photos are the most evocative when they make you use your imagination. For me, it felt like I made a step forward when I looked at this negative and realized that there was something here worth the effort of printing ( I also had a very strong feeling about how to print it, this was full blast with the high contrast filter to emphasize the form and paper texture ). It would have been easy to throw it away since it wasn't in focus and wasn't what I was trying to do. This picture evokes a strong feeling in me too, which I can't really name or express but it's not entirely positive. I imagine the river will still be there after those concrete towers have crumbled and fallen. I love what Jacki wrote too... it comes closer than anything I've thought of: A picture of imagining...

Thank you for taking the time to write, now I'll be thinking about that!

Just wanted to echo what Falling Thru the Lens and Graham said -- this image truly does seem to speak more deeply as a result of its "imperfection." And "memories older than us" and "room for the viewer's imagination" are both beautiful, useful thoughts. Congrats on inspiring such insight, and on capturing a great instance of the effect.