This is truely and amazing photograph. I was wondering what others had to say about it.
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Technological society has succeeded in multiplying the opportunities for pleasure, but it has great difficulty in generating joy. Pope Paul VI
So, I think the "greats" were true to their visions, once their visions no longer sucked. Ralph Barker 12/2004
Reminds me of the simplicity of a grandma moses painting. Uncluttered yet plenty to look at and explore. The more you look at tie more you pick up the complexity of the image. I went through the link David gave us about the man. I was amazed to discover that almost every photo he had in that series of 20 photos had a person somewhere in it. He was very good at incorporating the human element in everyday scenes to enhance the warmth of it. Just my opinion.
Yes, it's a reasonably well-composed photograph, I'd say. It's got an OKAY to pretty good overall composition - but it keeps the eye busy. There's interest all over.
I find it very graceful, and not busy at all. It keeps all the elements well-separated, and the curves complement each other. It's very nice to see a true winter picture after so many weeks of heat wave. The perspective is somewhat odd, very stretched vertically. Reminds me of a scroll painting; people walking on top of trees. The effect is that the picture depth looks very shallow, as if everything was on the surface of the paper.
__________________ Using film since before it was hip.
Kertesz is one of the greatest. (IMHO). His images always seem to be a bit lyrical and while often very simple on the surface the compositions and framing of the scene are pretty complex. Most of his best work always seems to contain a human element or the feeling tha someone is present, just outside of the frame of the image.
In this image I always liked how there is a line of trees that make a nice diagonal across the image with that diagonal being supported by the gracefully curving fence at the bottom and the lighter curving path above that line of trees.
It very much keeps in step with modern ideas of painting at the time, flattening the scene, eliminating the impression of depth and distance.
The two people walking seperate paths, maybe oblivious to each other adds the final touch.
Nothing really deeper to it then a beautifully recognized composition of toanlity and form.
__________________ "Fundamentally I think we need to rediscover a non-ironic world"
Robert Adams