Burnt Car, Simons Wood, Crowthorne

This photo was taken last summer in Simon's Wood in Crowthorne. I submitted it for the last projected competition and was a little disappointed with the feedback. In my opinion it's one of my most striking pictures.

There's a larger version of the photo here: Large version on Flickr

(Admittedly it has been rather photoshopped (obviously!), but all the elements of the photo were actually there, it's only the colour and contrast that I've changed)

15 Nov 2008 17:40:49 AndrewFindlay:

I really like it - wonderful patterns and colours in the bodywork.

15 Nov 2008 19:23:41 RodBird:

Terrific handling of the colours, clever desaturation of the woods and well-judged vignetting (darkening of the edges) make this scene impressively spooky.

There's an obvious story that we can read into it - how the vehicle got there, etc, but perhaps it would be strengthened by including some other object, probably in the distance, ideally on the RHS, so that we could have made a link between the van and it. This would have given it another level of intrigue. Actually it takes very little to set off the viewer's imagination. "Only connect" as, er, someone once said.

Had you got that, then I'd have framed the van a little closer to the LHS. It's often a good idea to put slightly more space in front of an object than behind it.

But even as it is, it's a memorable photo. I hope you didn't have to drive home in it.

15 Nov 2008 21:38:00 MikeKiely:

Quite like the central positioning. Often suggested more space in front than behind so that the object/animal etc. has room to move into. This vehicle isn't going anywhere! Michael

17 Nov 2008 08:20:51 GlynnGrylls:

A wonderful picture. I agree with much of the comment above - but not Mike I'm afraid! I feel the vehicle would be beter moved down and to the left as it is too central. When we first saw it projected I couldn't determine whether the blue/rust patterns on the van were original or had been added from elsewhere as they were so pronounced, so had doubts about its authenticity, perhaps slightly less colour there may look more real. Also shame about the stump in front of the van.

17 Nov 2008 15:05:18 TomPizzey:

I do really like this picture and thought it very striking when it was shown at the competition. I would agree it needs to be lower in the frame and perhaps a little more to the left, this would have made the tree on the right hand side stand-out as it seems like the car has crashed into it. Good photo though, I do like the saturation levels, makes the burnt / rusting pattern really stand out.

17 Nov 2008 19:29:50 JohnAshford:

This isn't the sort of picture I take, so this is a weak comment. No argument, though, that it was a bit under-appreciated on the night. That happens to all of us from time to time.

However, if it were mine I would have adjusted the luminance from left to right across the car so that the back of the car was no brighter than the front. Then it would have looked less as if it was lighted by some unlikely source just behind the photographer's left shoulder.

The sky through the trees is very uniform from left to right and it feels slightly uncomfortable that the car has acquired some sort of slanted highlight.

17 Nov 2008 19:57:31 JackRuss:

This is not a picture I would have taken or even given a 2nd look at but I have looked long and hard and it has something but I am not sure thou. Thats about as much as I can say about the picture. The only other thing I would like to say is that this critique page stuff does make one think more and look deeper than I would normally I hope this is the same for everyone else?

10 Dec 2008 21:41:49 MashaErshova:

I was very impressed with this picture when I first saw it during the PI Comp, and the more I look at it the more I like the spooky feel of it. This image is like a vivid nightmare, the out-of-place-ment of the disfigured coloured vehicle in the black forest is pretty scary. But what I like most about it is its boldness - not the audacity of desaturating for effect, of course, but the cohesion of the whole, the vision behind it, because I'd be very surprised if it was a result of random playing with PS features. I love the way the car is "anchored" by the stump and leaves. Ben, did you do anything to the trees in the background or were they like that in the original? I think part of the effect is to do with the trunks thinning/disappearing in the middle. And the vignietting works well too. I wish I could do something like that smile

Topic revision: r9 - 10 Dec 2008 - 21:41:49 - MashaErshova

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