SHOVELING THE WATER Photo

Photographer’s Note

SHOVELING THE WATER

The pond behind my house serves as a collecting pond, draining down to a number of other ponds in a golf course located about 50 meters downhill. An overflow valve in the pond opens up in order to control the depth. On an unseasonably warm December day two years ago, I came home from the university to find the unusual sight of two workman using shovels to unclog the overflow valve.

The well manicured golf course, with its rolling hills and dales is surrounded by bucolic woods. Its very proximity would be of immense appeal for avid golfers. I don't play golf, and the temptation to grab some clubs and head down the hill does not exist. But what is appealing is to take late evening walks in this placid setting, and to contemplate nature at its best.

Using a lens extended to its full 200 mm focal lens, I had to set up a tripod on my deck to take the shot — of a view neither exotic, nor elegant, but just colorful and unusual. At the very same spot two years I had spotted the Flight of the Blue Heron.

MLINES, judesta, ymrk, meltemi, jhm, snunney, belido, Wandering_Dan, jaywalker, BWJ, Buin, paura, ahmetgedikli, Cretense, Bluejeans, jafadabret, stego, JCG, Emile, berek, jwmunro has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

MLINES (10884) 2009-03-28 18:24

Hi Bulent, Good clear, well coloured composition with a strong environmental flavour. Off-set subject emphasises the scene well. Reflections especially the red shirt is benefitial. The rings of ripples is another feature. TFS. Murray.

judesta (992) 2009-03-28 23:44

Hi Bulent,

I agree with Murray re the environmental flavour. The ripples in the water showing movement and the white helmet and the red shirt very prominant both in the subject and reflection. I particularly like the reflection of the shovel handle almost looks like a cardiograph print out (if you tilt your head).
Cheers
Jude

ymrk (8829) 2009-03-29 0:33

Sevgili Bülent Hocam,
Göl'ün görüntüsü ve adamların yaptığı iş-görsel çok hoş bir etki veriyor.Netlik ve detaylarda ön planda...
Sevgilerle,

Yağmur

meltemi (9746) 2009-03-29 0:48

Hello Bulent,
you are absolutely right, this is very colorful impression against the wintery surroundings that is very worth being posted. A lovely daily life photo with great colours and plenty of interest, I think you have captured the men at work superbly well, and the overall composition is excellent, nice framing and well focused.
All the best.
Stella

jhm (82679) 2009-03-29 1:25

Hello Dear Bulent,

Lovely action picture, very well with the two people in water, this care for more dynamic.
I find your colour picture very nice, attractive and splendid presentable.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice sunday,
John.

snunney (34998) 2009-03-29 2:14

Hello Bulent,
A good daily life shot. The two men are well placed and their poses offer a good sense of dynamism. Fine sharpness and colours. The reflections are a bonus.

azaf1 (15547) 2009-03-29 2:19

Hi bulent

Those unusual scenes are certainly interesting for what they are. The title is very suggestive and the capture is quite nice perse. Nice colors nice reflections and good framing.

Have a good day and TFS
Argiris

mesutilgim (36898) 2009-03-29 4:10

Selam sevgili Bülent,
Bu kare de "görebilen bir çift göz" üm marifeti !
Sıradan bir olay nasıl fotografik bir artwork haline gelir !
Çok güzel grafizmi olan bir çalışma.
Tebrikler
Selam ve sevgiler
MESUT ILGIM

belido (16603) 2009-03-29 4:45

Hi Bulent,

very nice daily life scene. It's quite unusual to see two workers in such scenery but your note explains everthing. Very good definition (thanks to the use of a tripod) and good lighting. Well done!
Regards,
Carlos

rikko77 (6192) 2009-03-29 6:15

Hi Bulent
..is this the new America, trying to find the key for a different approach to the world, or the key to solve some of its problems?
or just two workers? hmmmm....
Have a good sunday!
Rikk

Wandering_Dan (3249) 2009-03-29 9:38

Merhaba, Bulent -

What makes this shot so appealing is the use of strong red and blue (and the white hat - and how come only one guy is wearing one?), both on the figures and in their reflections. They make an excellent contrast to the generally subdued color of the surroundings.

You've cropped this, I believe. I wonder if the full shot might show a different balance point.

By the way, golf courses in snow country can be useful in winter; I used to go cross-country skiing on one.

Best,
Dan

carper (64962) 2009-03-29 11:25

unusual shot my friend,
unusual but very nice, I like the contrast and the sharpnes, good colors, fine photo job, good note. have a good day.

regard jaap

amazon (10667) 2009-03-29 11:44

hafifi yuksekten bakis acisi ve kirmizi guzel bir etki yaratmis karenizde,
ellerinize saglik,
iffet

jaywalker (12190) 2009-03-29 15:40

Hi Bulent, I really like the great colour here of the red shirt & it's great reflection, it adds extra interest to the shot & creates a strong focal point, there is brilliant light & the overall picture offers a super working picture, kind regards Wilson.

faubry (32323) 2009-03-29 16:58

very nice colors and reflections in water, interesting note!
francine

John_F_Kennedy (31511) 2009-03-30 2:32

Fantastic work of an unusaul scenery. Very nice lighting and a beautiful framing. Well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

windosil (788) 2009-03-30 6:50

Lovely arrangement of contrasting textures - grass, ripples, pebbles - around the workiing men. Good colours too.
Best wishes,
Winifred

BWJ (1773) 2009-03-30 18:57

Hello Bulent,
This original shot of daily life is sharp, clear, and very well composed. Particularly beautiful are reflections and the blue circular ripples of water around the workmen. The vivid colors of the men's uniforms contrast nicely the rest of the picture. Another interesting contrast is that one man is wearing a jacket and a helmet while the other is wearing only a short sleeve shirt. The picture is well done and an TE excellent presentation. Kind regards, Betty

asajernigan (14182) 2009-03-31 4:06

Bulent,
This is a great humorous shot. Your composition is great using the reflection to create depth and balance. The lighting and colors are great with excellent sharpness and detail.
TFS,
Asa

HondeR (692) 2009-04-02 8:26

Merhaba Hocam,

Kirmizinin etkisi, yansima ve netligi cok begendim...

ellerinize saglik
hasan

Buin (37782) 2009-04-02 9:16

Hallo Bulent!
A really intriguing and interesting photo -and a not everyday one! I like the whole composition here. Somehow an eyecatcher ... I like it!
Greetings from at last springlike Germany!
Frank

paura (38540) 2009-04-02 16:28

Bulent,
Very beautiful photo job here, friend. The composition is a is excellent as the technical setting. Colors and great and men atention to the water the image soul.

Abraço

Paulo

ahmetgedikli (21928) 2009-04-02 22:38

Sudaki halkalar ve çalışanların katkısıyla günlük hayattan güzel bir an.
Ellerinize sağlık, selamlar Hocam.
Ahmet

Cretense (56298) 2009-04-03 5:32

Hello, dear Bulent!

Unusual and interesting daily life scene, before reading your note, I couldn't understand what this men are doing. Simple but effective composition, excellent light managment and beautiful colours!

Warm regards,
Hercules

toto (18715) 2009-04-03 6:03

Bonjour,
belle photo de ces deux hommes qui travaillent les pieds dans l' eau, muni de cuissardes.
Jolies couleurs et bonne netteté de cette photo et reflets superbes dans cette eau chargée de feuilles.

Amitiés Thomas

Bluejeans (32473) 2009-04-04 1:55

Hello my friend,
Que interessante cena estes dois homens a mexer no fundo deste lago , a foto ficou com umas cores magnificas , boa nitidez , gostei muito dos reflexos coloridos , parabéns !!
Um abraço Gonçalo

jafadabret (39757) 2009-04-06 2:13

Hi Bulent.
Ces deux travailleurs en action sous une bonne lumière au milieu de l'étang font une excellente photo. Les couleurs et les reflets sont très agréables.
Beau travail avec cette photo reportage.
Salutations,
Jacques

delkoo (34370) 2009-04-06 2:54

hi bulent
interesting scene, red and blue are bright and stand out well , the round around the two workers adds some action.

best regards
didier

stego (22360) 2009-04-06 8:34

Hello Bülent,
Many of us miss much photo opportunities near home or less obviously catchy, probably because we need distance, if not something "exotic" to get inspiration. You don't! You seem to be always attentive to the opportunity of catching beauty in the simplest views. This is a good example of that. It may not be your most catchy post, but it's surely very attractive and very well composed. There is the pattern on the water, that one can't understand if it's dead leaves or stones on the bottom, maybe both, there is the circle of waves that does a nice frame to the men, the reflections, the colours well rendered... Really wonderful!
Warm regards, José.

JCG (25409) 2009-04-08 11:06

Hi Bülent,

Necessary maintenance of these types of ponds to avoid the inconvenience... Indeed a beautiful picture where the sharpness of the image is quite appreciable, the usefulness of the tripod. These two men stand out well on the background. Good light gives beautiful natural colors. Well done Bülent.

With all my friendships and soon

Jean-Charles

emjleclercq (14330) 2009-04-09 13:18

An unusual use of a shovel which makes a good everyday life scene.

All the best,

Emmanuel

KemaLMerT (11164) 2009-04-12 18:38

kırmızı leke, yeri, renkler.tümü çok güzel.Kutlarım.

Angshu (33737) 2009-04-14 2:15

Hello Professor'A'
Unusual is the word & colourful as well! Like the circular ripples and the distorted reflections they create. Good bright colours as well, especially the red. Technically this is top notch with fine sharpness and clarity
With Warmest regards
Angshu

omerozden (1241) 2009-04-22 7:05

merhaba bulent,
bilmiyorum nasıl yaptınız ama bu fotoğrafnızdaki kompozisyon olağanüstü dengeli duruyor. derin geometri bilginizin açık bir örneği.
selamlar, saygılar,
ömer

Emile (20001) 2009-04-30 15:09

Hola Bulent.
A pity that you do not play golf, having your house next to this collecting pond will surely be full of golf balls all year around.
Very nice picture taken with your 200mm focal lens, good color, lighting and sharpness. Great view from your house and very good POV.
Best regards.

berek (28933) 2009-05-10 20:00

Merhaba Bulent bey,
buda entersan bir kare. sudaki yansımlar ve merakla işiniyapan modeller . kırmızı super görünüyor. Elinize sağlık.
İyi Haftalar.
Burak

jwmunro (6595) 2009-06-29 15:51

Hello Bulent -

Not one of those elegant scenes or a sunset to die for, but a good look of daily life for most people. The bright color of the red shirt really makes this scene work in my book. Well done!

Thank you for sharing.

John