As I was looking through Flickr’s Smithstonian Gallery, debating what I could use to tell a story, I found this folder entitled ‘Loran’. The word was so similar to my name that I was heavily intrigued and clicked on it. the picture to the left is one of the ones that popped up. It is taken from a bird’s eye perspective, looking down at the ground.
It seems these towers are everywhere around the world transmitting radio signals for ships and aircraft. I never once thought to learn their names because for all of their hard work and talents, they never stood out. And yet their job is one of the most important jobs: to give data to towers so people can fly across our world, to visit their loved ones or to take a trip.
When I went to crop it, I realized how important the shoes were in this picture. The dirty converses tell a story of their own as the toes of them peek at the bottom of the original photo. Without them, the photo turns into this bridge with a mountain at the other side. The bridge looks to be held up by wires, almost as if it were over water or a huge valley.
So often I feel myself walking this tightrope of being a college kid and an adult. While this may seem normal, I often wonder if I will be caught if I fall. I get so caught up in all of my adult responsibilities that often when I go to FSU events, I take a deep breath and remember that I am just a college student. Everything will be okay and my friends and family are there to lift me up whenever I need a reminder of who I am.
Hello Lora,
I absolutely love this photograph! It reminds me of the Lunch atop a Skyscraper taken in 1932; the photographer is on the records officially unknown, but off the record it is believed that Charles C. Ebbetts was the photographer.
Anyways, just like the Loran picture, Lunch atop a Skyscraper was taken as a perspective shot; 11 men eating their lunch on a suspended girder in the sky while the entirety of New York City is shown to be seemingly smaller than an ant farm below them.
I do agree that the cropping of the converse out of the photo does change the perspective and the story. I also see the new version of the photo as a bridge but for some reason, my mind still sees it as looking down on a bridge instead of across; just like someone walking a tightrope. I loved hearing your story that you attached to it. I certainly agree that sometimes we have to take a step back and breathe. Sometimes letting ourselves breathe is the only way to remind ourselves to have compassion and grace with ourselves.
Currently, Lunch atop a Skyscraper is in the public domain since it is past the 50 year mark since it was taken. I think that this photo portrays a similar story to your photo; these men worked very hard all day, working on one of the most iconic buildings in history, the Rockefeller center. They literally walked on ‘tightropes’ all day, and any misstep would be dangerous. But this picture depicts them taking time away from their important and dangerous work to breathe; reminding themselves that they were human (no matter how superhuman they may seem) and that they needed to eat.
Hi Lora, I enjoy the story you’ve given to the photo that you’ve chosen! I also think that this subject matter is something I wouldn’t have thought to look for in this assignment, so props for the unique choice!
The forced perspective of the original content does make it an interesting choice for cropping. I agree with your thoughts regarding how the shoes change the tone and size of the subjects in the image. Originally the shoes being so close and so large compared to the other subjects in the photo really highlight the forced perspective element. The fact that they are just some scuffed up shoes also humanizes the photo.
This crop really highlights the wires on the tower, and it makes the second paragraph in your post seems all the more poignant, as it draws attention to the object of the tower itself in contrast with the subjects below. The crop also puts the wires off-center, following some of the rules of thirds that we discussed in class. Well done!
Hi Lora. When I see your cropped composition, I can see a suspended bridge leading to what appears to be a white access door in the side of mountain. Removing the shoes, removing the landscape to the right, and cropping in closer to the antenna change the perspective drastically for me, fooling my mind’s eye. I feel like your image is a horizontal shot instead of the original vertical shot taken towards the ground. The story I get out of your picture is that this is a bridge I need to try and cross to get to the other side similar to something I’d watch on Survivor. I don’t have much for constructive criticism, but if I were to drop the same photo, I’d possibly go with a square crop to give emphasis on the need to cross the bridge to get to the white access door. It would provide a tighter feel as opposed to using a wider landscape crop. Thank you for sharing this story and reminding that friends and family are there to help lift you up in times of need.