See For Yourself

What Do You Notice When You View This Photo?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Yes, I know you’re accustomed to the fact that I seem to train my camera lens on some unusual sights in my eternal quest to find art in seemingly mundane, everyday objects. But now you’re shaking your head and thinking – "Dave’s flipped his lid."

Come on, admit it. The thought did cross your mind, didn’t it?

But give me a few seconds of your time. Take a good look at the photograph above and tell me what you see. Now take an even closer gander at it and tell me what you notice. You reckon I’ve focused on that famous orange plastic that is commonly used on building sites?

Maybe I have. Now look at what is beyond the plastic and you’re starting to notice some interesting colours in the background, right? Some yellow? Some blue?

I took this shot in the vicinity of Chinatown in Singapore about six months ago. Yes, it was taken outside a building site and yes, I took the first shot to capture the unusual shapes caused by the orange plastic draped at the site’s perimeter.

Now take a look at the second shot. It’s taken from exactly the same spot, but with the focus reversed. This time the depth of field has reduced the thick plastic to a haze, but you can now see the bulldozer clearly. Now, with the slight change in perspective, the blue and yellow dominate the frame instead.

I guess this simple exercise in photography just sums up my view. There’s always a good shot out there – if we take the trouble to look beyond physical and mental barriers that often cloud our view.