Always looking to photograph the new and different, I went out last night to shoot this "artwork" last night. It is an "installation" made by Chris Burden and consists of his collection of 202 old-fashioned Los Angeles street lamps in varying heights and styles arranged in rows of shortest to rallest and back to shortest. He started buying lampposts a long time ago and acquiring lampposts became an obsession for him. I'm glad he finally found a use for all of them as they undoubtedly took up a lot of space in his living room. . Anyway, this artwork connects the old Los Angeles County Museum Of Art with its new (as yet unopened) expansion and, as you can see, is very striking when it's all lit up. I'll post a wider view below. Both shots were taken from the sidewalk and since street lamps alwasy border a sidewalk, I thought this would fit the WA topic.
This is a wider shot of the same installation. I liked the first one better because of the way the column of streetlamps ends in the palm tree but I'm open to changing my mind if people here think the second one represents "Sidewalk" better. By the way, this installation is less than a month old. They just turned the lights on for the first time a few weeks ago.
I like both shots. If the theme had be "symmetry" I'd pick the second one. With a theme of "sidewalk" the first, with a narrower view, is more appropriate . The framing and exposure is spot on. I love the lines and coloring, very inviting.
Thanks for your kind comments, Chad! I'm glad you like it. The whole thing is very arresting from the street and all the while I was there shooting, people would stop their cars and get out to wander around amid all the lamp posts. Consequently, because I shot with fairly long exposures, I have several shots with phantom people wandering about.
All best wishes,
Endre
Chad Schulz wrote:
I like both shots. If the theme had be "symmetry" I'd pick the second one. With a theme of "sidewalk" the first, with a narrower view, is more appropriate . The framing and exposure is spot on. I love the lines and coloring, very inviting.
What a great picture for this week’s assignment, Endre!
I’m wondering how you’ve managed to accomplish the perfect exposure of such a difficult subject.
I also prefer the first one…
Nice entry and I like first one. I am curious about the angle on the second image. Why did you not line up on the center row of posts? It seems like it would be a little more balanced and just a lower shout of the lamp posts would have been cool abstract as well. Nice tones and good find.
Thanks so much, John, my friend! As always, i really appreciate your kind comments and am so glad you like this shot. i figured it would be a difficult thing to shoot because of all the bright light so my original plan was to do an HDR. So, I took a number from each angle at different shutter speeds with the intention of putting them together. Unfortunately, no matter how fast I made the shutter, the lights remained blown out, so for each angle I just picked the best exposed one and went with that. Hope that helps.
Fond regards,
Endre
jban99 wrote:
What a great picture for this week’s assignment, Endre!
I’m wondering how you’ve managed to accomplish the perfect exposure of such a difficult subject.
I also prefer the first one…
Thanks DonT! Glad you like it. I don't know why I shot it the way I did, I don't like things to be completely symetrical. Here's a shot of the whole thing done by someone else just before it oficially opened. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/02/burdens_urban_l.php I think from this perspective the shot is rather static. i took a variety of other shots that I haven't processed out yet since they didn't work for "Sidewalk" so maybe in there is one that might be like what you described.
All best wishes,
Endre
DonT wrote:
Nice entry and I like first one. I am curious about the angle on the second image. Why did you not line up on the center row of posts? It seems like it would be a little more balanced and just a lower shout of the lamp posts would have been cool abstract as well. Nice tones and good find.
I will break with everyone else and vote for the second one. I like the variety of lights and symmetry and I like that the tree isn't in the middle, which I think makes it too much about the tree in the first one. Don't get me wrong both are fantastic. I just like the second one better. Good luck this week.
Thanks, Adam! I appreciate your kind comments. Yes, I suspect everyone and their brother will have photographed this before too long, so I'm glad to be among the first.
All best wishes,
Endre
Adam Woodyatt wrote:
I like the first one, you've made this look easy and I know it won't have been. I can see this being much photographed over the years.
Great entry Endre, wish I was in LA LA Land sometime soon.
I always apprecaiate your kind comments, Peter, my friend! Glad you like it. You're right, it does look kind of surreal.
Fond regards,
Endre
PeterBlackwood wrote:
Very eye-catching images Endre, and fitting for this WA. Very tonal and rather surreal!
Great entry........(both, actually)
Peter
. Anyway, this artwork connects the old Los Angeles County Museum Of Art with its new (as yet unopened) expansion and, as you can see, is very striking when it's all lit up. I'll post a wider view below. Both shots were taken from the sidewalk and since street lamps alwasy border a sidewalk, I thought this would fit the WA topic. 
By the way, this installation is less than a month old. They just turned the lights on for the first time a few weeks ago. 
