Exit

Exit zone, originally uploaded by heiko_w.

Just like the guy making his way through this temporary walkway, I'm going through some stuff. The frequency of posts have been wavering as of late and I'm afraid the infrequency will likely continue. I wish it were easier to write about the photos that I love, but the truth is that at times writing is like pulling teeth. Years of leaving concise yet unspecific comments around flickr and elsewhere have left my writing sensibilities dull and decrepit.

I've tricked myself into thinking I could do a handful of things in my life all at once, but I sadly cannot. So while I look forward to continuing to share my thoughts on my favorite photography at clickclickclick, and while recognizing that continuing to write here regularly is one of the only ways I can hope to improve my writing, I confess that it's too much for me to attempt five, or even four, posts a week. Overexcited by this new project, and passionate about it to a fault, I have neglected to prioritize my life properly.

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Though his features are not visible to us,the man in the photo still appears to be sure-footed and certain of his destination. While darkness surrounds him on all four sides, his path is lit and he is about to turn the corner with a resolve that I contrastingly do not have. I know the pathway is a temporary one and that it serves to cover you between here and there but I still hesitate. So again I apologize. I will be posting much more infrequently from now on -- at least until I get myself from here to there.

Covered

pier 2, originally uploaded by Tetsuya Blues.

Purposely obscuring part of a picture is one way artists sometimes force us to fill in the blanks. On two levels, that comes into play in Tetsuya Blues' photo above. The "2" is partially hidden behind the subject's head, while the head itself is turned away, obscuring the face. The number is easy to fill in, but the face isn't. We are left to wonder who this person is, unable to give this person an identity.

I like how my focus keeps shifting between the wall and the figure. I start with the circled numeral, then the enclosed head within. The sharpness of the subject draws me down through the contrasting textures of hair, fur, and creased fabric. And then I look to the Japanese text in soft focus behind.

With the gaze of the subject directed away from us, it's almost as if the focal point of the photo is that wall. I especially like how centered both foreground and background are. There's a tricky balance here that I think Tetsuya Blues has really nailed beautifully. I can't stop staring at this photo.