Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Behind the Woodshed


OK, perhaps not quite the "woodshed", but it sounds so much more poetic than "garage", doesn't it? After working up a morning restaurant shoot yesterday i found myself being summoned by the early inklings of spring and the desire to do something a bit more creative with my camera than beer and burger shots. Not really feeling like venturing far, i turned to my own backyard and found myself being lured back behind, and eventually up on to, the garage.
(Be sure to click on images for an enlarged gallery view)  

©David Sorcher 2014

It was the first time i had been up on my garage roof. Though not really a great height it provided a unique perspective that i had not viewed before. I found myself thinking in polyptychs again, specifically diptychs, piecing together final images in my mind as i shot. 


©David Sorcher 2014

The spot behind the garage is a convergence of three garages with this huge tree stump at the center. We had the rest of this tree taken down after the top end of it broke off and pierced the roof during hurricane Ike in 2008. I have mused about carving its remains into a great wooden throne. 

©David Sorcher 2014

There was a feast of texture to be found in the late afternoon sun atop that stump as shadow flowed into line and line back into shadow.

©David Sorcher 2014

I am very much a fan of the single image and the decisive moment. Still, i find the exploration of polyptych presentations very exciting as an alternative way of seeing and interpreting my world. From the crown of my garage i can show multiple viewpoints of the same experience, hopefully in a manner that is compositionally cohesive as a singular entity. 

©David Sorcher 2014

Piecing together polyptychs is like connecting puzzle pieces, connecting lines and forms, paying attention to alternating colors/tones and directional flow and, of course, maintaining some kind of contextual relationship between the separate images to ensure that together they work to leave an impression of singularity.  

©David Sorcher 2014

Forgotten fences stretched and intertwined with a bulging tree trunk seemed best conveyed here in classic b&w and singular image form.  


©David Sorcher 2014

I'll leave you with this shadow-self portrait from my perch atop the stump. It's so nice to get a higher perspective on the world at times, even if it is only a small step up. Maybe i'll try my house roof on the next nice, sunny day in the neighborhood. 



3 comments:

  1. Love the stump!! HUGS miss you.

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  2. I always like how you put the words and great photos together. What a big stump !

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  3. Thanks Bill (and Linda). Yes, big stump was once a big tree. I was actually standing across the street on Josh's porch when the wind snapped the top of that tree plummeted straight through the garage roof. That was the point we decided it was probably better to watch the weather from inside the house. ;-)

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