There's Electricity In The Air
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
I love a challenge. If you saw my recent post Nobel Peas Prize, you'll know that I simply could not resist picking up the gauntlet thrown down by Maggie May and Crazy Cath. And it's relevant to mention here that a few weeks ago, I was intrigued when I was told by a group of colleagues that power lines are the single most boring sight in the entire universe.
Boring? Excuse me? I took that as a challenge. Nuthin's boring in my book. I even discussed the issue with San Merideth, one of many bloggers whose work I admire greatly. San, who is blessed with many talents, pretty much agreed with me. We nodded our heads in unison - as much as people can nod their heads in unison when separated by half the globe. Basically, San and I agreed that nothing is boring if it is presented well and interpreted clearly.
So I made up my mind to photograph power lines. As you do when challenged. But I wanted to wait for a day when the sight was not enhanced or embellished in any way by a stunning sunrise or sunset. I wanted a muted sky. I was willing to wait. So I waited. And I waited. And I waited.
Finally, late one evening, when the sky was a monochrome, I got in the car and drove out to a deep valley to take this shot. As you can see, there are arcs, there are curves, there are parallel lines, there are angles, there are straight lines, all included in the one view. There are so many facets to capture in any sight, even one that is labelled pedestrian.
Is it a boring shot? I'd like to know what you think .....
32 comments:
No. Its not. I agree with you and San (whose painting I admire to the point of stalking, almost). I am comforted to know someone other than me is obsessed with getting 'that' shot ...
Boring? Heck no! I think it's electrifying. It has power.
And here you go again. Making the ordinary extraordinary. Well done!
Well I'm still glad that I don't have to live under one, just the same. As I said before, you really can make anything look unusual & an attractive piece of work.
IN no way is that boring. So many interesting lines to draw the eye this way and that. :)
I'm... Thunderstruck!
Lovely shot.. full of visual attractions for sure. Well done, as always.
Not only is it not boring, David, I am absolutely envious of this shot--another composition I am tempted to paint. You continue to inspire me.
Only problem is I'm afraid that what I might come up with will be lackluster in comparison. We will see...
It's not boring - not at all. They look a bit like they're falling over, all higgledy piggledy.
Boring? No. Scary? Yes.
It is rather H.G. Wells/War of the Worlds-esque. Looks like big aliens coming down to swoop up the helpless humans.
And I have a grand imagination....
Peace - D
It's nice. I like the shapes against the color of the sky.
I could easily read quite a bit into that photograph. No, ‘tain’t bring.
I don't think it's boring at all! There's a lot of activity in the shot for sure!
Not boring at all! Love this photo! Lovely light and lines. Great job! I agree with you and San on this one...anything can be beautiful is photographed well and you seem to do it well. :o)
david, i am convinced you could make the state-of-boredom itself an exciting topic.
if i had to sit and watch grass grow with you? it would be the most fantastic session ever (but we'd still have beer, right?)
i totally love what you did with wires and metal, dude.
No it is definitely not boring. It is a great shot, with fantastic symmetry. The patterns produced by the lines are like pieces of art carefully crafted.
And you had to wait so long for a mute or grey sky? It must be so hard living in a place that churns out boring old sunset after sunset and all those different colours in the sky! Poor you! I see you still struggled to get a truly grey sky. You really need to visit England for one of those...
Definitely not a boring picture and neither is your narrative! This shot reminds me of Robots who are holding the 'real' power of humans! ;o)
Nice composition - as usual!
Glad you've taken up the 'cudgels' on behalf of us weird ones that think power lines are beautiful!
"Pylonz Power" is here to stay, peeps. Live with it!
I have yet to find anything that reassures me on a LOOOOONG car drive than to observe the pylons marching across miles and miles of countryside, only matched by miles and miles of motorway tarmac ahead. Spain & France are two such countries that provide this scenery, but I'm sure there are many, many more!
Civilization rules, OK?
Nothing is mundane or boring with the right eye behind the lens, that odd angle, the unique perspective. Tehre are no boring views, only bored viewers.
to me it looks like ladies at a ball all lifting their skirts to curtsy.
Only you could make power lines look that good! I don't think they are boring but they do ruin a lot of shots.
it looks like they are all holding their arms up. funny.
Wow...striking!
I love the configuration in the right bottom corner. Looks like a windmill to my eye. Fascinating!
Your collegues seem ready to move on to the 6th Dimension ... ;-)
It's a great shot. Though I suppose under different lighting conditions it would look quite dull - what's striking to me about the snap is the sky. Take the sky away, or replace it with the billowing clouds from a chemical plant, and you have an entirely different picture.
Gary
I think Power Lines against a muted sky looks great stuff.
I think the robots are muted.
Great shot.
No, it's not. I love that sort of shot - especially the depth achieved as they recede into the distance. I've done a lot of photography over the years and some of my favourite shots are silhouettes, often of mundane things or structures which have networks, just like the pylons. I love it when usually ugly mundane things from our world can suddenly be made beautiful, albeit fleetingly. I once achieved it with a set of traffic lights hanging across a street in France as dusk fell. But I guess there will always be someone who thinks shots like this are boring. But at the end of the day ('scuse the pun!)it's subjective and it all depends on the eye / soul of the beholder.
It is very interesting. Well done with the challenge.
Not boring at all. It's very Sci-Fi-ish to me.
not at all...I take pics of the towers all the time...ha1
I think it is a wonderful shot, one of my fav's of yours. I love all the different lines, and the boldness of the structures against that gentle sky. I fully believe that you can make anything interesting, for the rest of us it is a bit more difficult!
I agree; had I not been able to see the beautiful amidst the mundane, I would have fallen into a pile of inert rust long ago. There is a beauty in everything if we care to look.
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