Abstract Cable Tensioners

**MossyRocks** · 07-13-2021, 08:51 PM

So two years ago I took a picture of one cable tensioner on the old Cedar Ave. bridge and got some feedback so this is this year's attempt. I went out hoping to shoot some egrets but they decided to not show up so I played around with a somewhat abstract somewhat minimilist shot of 3 cable tensioners. I only had my 300 with me and was standing on the other side of the bridge so this is as wide of a shot as I could get. I do like this one better but looking for others' thoughts.

**Michail_P** · 07-14-2021, 01:25 AM

I like minimalism. Your composition is nice. Love the contrast and materialistic approach. The background color works well.

vijaykishan · 07-14-2021, 02:31 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Michail_P

I like minimalism. Your composition is nice. Love the contrast and materialistic approach. The background color works well.

Agree, one more thought experiment would be to turn the camera 45Deg and try to get the cables in the diagonal

.

**MossyRocks** · 07-14-2021, 05:26 AM

Originally posted by vijaykishan

Agree, one more thought experiment would be to turn the camera 45Deg and try to get the cables in the diagonal .

I had done that with the one I took 2 years ago. If I had a different lens I could have played more but with only the 300 the bridge is only so wide limiting how far back one can get.

**Fdooch** · 07-15-2021, 04:03 AM - **1 Like**

It is interesting. I like. But ... it is very embarrassing that the top and bottom are very pressed to the edges. I want to add half the space between cables

---------- Post added 07-15-21 at 02:07 PM ----------

And it can be flip horizontally. The restriction on the right side is psychologically perceived as wrong

tncasual · 07-15-2021, 11:43 AM

Originally posted by Fdooch

It is interesting. I like. But ... it is very embarrassing that the top and bottom are very pressed to the edges. I want to add half the space between cables

---------- Post added 07-15-21 at 02:07 PM ----------

And it can be flip horizontally. The restriction on the right side is psychologically perceived as wrong

I agree. Getting the attachment points completely in the image would have been nice. Although I do realize the issue was what lens was available.

As for flipping - rules are made to be broken. I see nothing wrong with the right side being closed off.

**manishved** · 07-15-2021, 11:47 AM

Originally posted by MossyRocks

So two years ago I took a picture of one cable tensioner on the old Cedar Ave. bridge and got some feedback so this is this year's attempt. I went out hoping to shoot some egrets but they decided to not show up so I played around with a somewhat abstract somewhat minimilist shot of 3 cable tensioners. I only had my 300 with me and was standing on the other side of the bridge so this is as wide of a shot as I could get. I do like this one better but looking for others' thoughts.

Such a mundane object - yet a stunning photo.

**robgski** · 07-15-2021, 05:33 PM

I like the colors, patterns and textures. I do think the crop at top and bottom should have allowed for the brackets on the post to be fully in the frame , cutting off objects throws off the final result, IMO.

Another idea would be using a square crop, a picture like this could be an album cover.

**MossyRocks** · 07-16-2021, 12:15 PM

Originally posted by robgski

I like the colors, patterns and textures. I do think the crop at top and bottom should have allowed for the brackets on the post to be fully in the frame , cutting off objects throws off the final result, IMO.

Another idea would be using a square crop, a picture like this could be an album cover.

I had similar thoughts on the framing but due to only having my 300mm with me I couldn't get farther back unless I was falling off the bridge. It is a shot I want to go and redo in the near future using a shorter lens like my S-M-C 200/4 Takumar or D FA 100/2.8 WR Macro so that I have some more options for framing. I do like the thought of using a square crop but still would have like to have a bit more space above and below the cable tensioners.

Originally posted by Fdooch

But ... it is very embarrassing that the top and bottom are very pressed to the edges. I want to add half the space between cables

I wanted that as well but couldn't manage with what I had at the time. That is probably the biggest issue I have with the image and kind of wanted to see if others had it as well or if it was just my somewhat broken mind finding an issue where there really wasn't one.

Originally posted by Fdooch

And it can be flip horizontally. The restriction on the right side is psychologically perceived as wrong

That is something I hadn't thought about before but is something I will probably consider in the future. I am planning on reshooting it as it is only a short drive and instead of only going with gear for birds at a distance bringing all my stuff.

CeciProAm · 07-18-2021, 03:55 PM

Originally posted by MossyRocks

So two years ago I took a picture of one cable tensioner on the old Cedar Ave. bridge and got some feedback so this is this year's attempt. I went out hoping to shoot some egrets but they decided to not show up so I played around with a somewhat abstract somewhat minimilist shot of 3 cable tensioners. I only had my 300 with me and was standing on the other side of the bridge so this is as wide of a shot as I could get. I do like this one better but looking for others' thoughts.

Sublime

**SelrahCharleS** · 07-18-2021, 04:03 PM

I quite like the symmetry of the composition and the background contrasts nicely against the shiny tensioners. Very nice overall!

I do think the crop is a little too tight on the top on bottom. I think it would work well if the rest of the welded anchor points (don't' know what they are actually called) were visible.

Macario · 07-19-2021, 07:58 AM

nice minimalistic picture.
I would just prefere to have the same amount of empty space at the top and bottom

**MossyRocks** · 07-19-2021, 10:23 AM

Thanks for the comments. After reading through them my thoughts were inline with others' thoughts on what to do to make it better. It should be fairly nice this evening so I may go and see about doing what I actually wanted with this image. The suggestion about diagonal was one I didn't expect but is something I will probably undertake as well since it isn't that hard to go and roll the body when shooting.

I do like to shoot otherwise mundane objects and see if I can get a good image out of them. I find it to be a good exercise in seeing and composition which is something I have been trying to get better at. Noticing odd numbers of things is one thing I have really been working on as they do make for interesting images but I do struggle to find them. Another is repetition which this image does have.

**MossyRocks** · 07-29-2021, 03:17 AM

Went back and reshot it using the D FA 100/4 WR Macro. Of all the edits I did I probably like this one the most:

However I did play a bunch of now have an album for the original shot and various methods of processing them. This was a fun image to process lots of different ways.

07-13-2021, 08:51 PM	#1
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	Cable Tensioners Lens: Sigma 300mm F/4 APO Tele Macro Camera: K-3 Photo Location: Bloomington, MN ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: 1/250s Aperture: F5.6 So two years ago I took a picture of one cable tensioner on the old Cedar Ave. bridge and got some feedback so this is this year's attempt. I went out hoping to shoot some egrets but they decided to not show up so I played around with a somewhat abstract somewhat minimilist shot of 3 cable tensioners. I only had my 300 with me and was standing on the other side of the bridge so this is as wide of a shot as I could get. I do like this one better but looking for others' thoughts.

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07-14-2021, 01:25 AM	#2
Michail_P Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Kalymnos Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,006	I like minimalism. Your composition is nice. Love the contrast and materialistic approach. The background color works well.

07-14-2021, 02:31 AM - 1 Like	#3
vijaykishan Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2021 Photos: Gallery Posts: 999	Originally posted by Michail_P I like minimalism. Your composition is nice. Love the contrast and materialistic approach. The background color works well. Agree, one more thought experiment would be to turn the camera 45Deg and try to get the cables in the diagonal .

07-14-2021, 05:26 AM	#4
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Originally posted by vijaykishan Agree, one more thought experiment would be to turn the camera 45Deg and try to get the cables in the diagonal . I had done that with the one I took 2 years ago. If I had a different lens I could have played more but with only the 300 the bridge is only so wide limiting how far back one can get.

07-15-2021, 04:03 AM - 1 Like	#5
Fdooch Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Moscow Photos: Albums Posts: 760	It is interesting. I like. But ... it is very embarrassing that the top and bottom are very pressed to the edges. I want to add half the space between cables ---------- Post added 07-15-21 at 02:07 PM ---------- And it can be flip horizontally. The restriction on the right side is psychologically perceived as wrong

07-15-2021, 11:43 AM	#6
tncasual Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Tennessee Posts: 880	Originally posted by Fdooch It is interesting. I like. But ... it is very embarrassing that the top and bottom are very pressed to the edges. I want to add half the space between cables ---------- Post added 07-15-21 at 02:07 PM ---------- And it can be flip horizontally. The restriction on the right side is psychologically perceived as wrong I agree. Getting the attachment points completely in the image would have been nice. Although I do realize the issue was what lens was available. As for flipping - rules are made to be broken. I see nothing wrong with the right side being closed off.

07-15-2021, 11:47 AM	#7
manishved Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: N. Calif Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,651	Originally posted by MossyRocks So two years ago I took a picture of one cable tensioner on the old Cedar Ave. bridge and got some feedback so this is this year's attempt. I went out hoping to shoot some egrets but they decided to not show up so I played around with a somewhat abstract somewhat minimilist shot of 3 cable tensioners. I only had my 300 with me and was standing on the other side of the bridge so this is as wide of a shot as I could get. I do like this one better but looking for others' thoughts. Such a mundane object - yet a stunning photo.

07-15-2021, 05:33 PM	#8
robgski Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,796	I like the colors, patterns and textures. I do think the crop at top and bottom should have allowed for the brackets on the post to be fully in the frame , cutting off objects throws off the final result, IMO. Another idea would be using a square crop, a picture like this could be an album cover.

07-16-2021, 12:15 PM	#9
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Originally posted by robgski I like the colors, patterns and textures. I do think the crop at top and bottom should have allowed for the brackets on the post to be fully in the frame , cutting off objects throws off the final result, IMO. Another idea would be using a square crop, a picture like this could be an album cover. I had similar thoughts on the framing but due to only having my 300mm with me I couldn't get farther back unless I was falling off the bridge. It is a shot I want to go and redo in the near future using a shorter lens like my S-M-C 200/4 Takumar or D FA 100/2.8 WR Macro so that I have some more options for framing. I do like the thought of using a square crop but still would have like to have a bit more space above and below the cable tensioners. Originally posted by Fdooch But ... it is very embarrassing that the top and bottom are very pressed to the edges. I want to add half the space between cables I wanted that as well but couldn't manage with what I had at the time. That is probably the biggest issue I have with the image and kind of wanted to see if others had it as well or if it was just my somewhat broken mind finding an issue where there really wasn't one. Originally posted by Fdooch And it can be flip horizontally. The restriction on the right side is psychologically perceived as wrong That is something I hadn't thought about before but is something I will probably consider in the future. I am planning on reshooting it as it is only a short drive and instead of only going with gear for birds at a distance bringing all my stuff.

07-18-2021, 03:55 PM	#10
CeciProAm Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 698	Originally posted by MossyRocks So two years ago I took a picture of one cable tensioner on the old Cedar Ave. bridge and got some feedback so this is this year's attempt. I went out hoping to shoot some egrets but they decided to not show up so I played around with a somewhat abstract somewhat minimilist shot of 3 cable tensioners. I only had my 300 with me and was standing on the other side of the bridge so this is as wide of a shot as I could get. I do like this one better but looking for others' thoughts. Sublime

07-18-2021, 04:03 PM	#11
SelrahCharleS Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 935	I quite like the symmetry of the composition and the background contrasts nicely against the shiny tensioners. Very nice overall! I do think the crop is a little too tight on the top on bottom. I think it would work well if the rest of the welded anchor points (don't' know what they are actually called) were visible.

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07-19-2021, 07:58 AM	#12
Macario Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Hoek van Holland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,393	nice minimalistic picture. I would just prefere to have the same amount of empty space at the top and bottom

07-19-2021, 10:23 AM	#13
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Thanks for the comments. After reading through them my thoughts were inline with others' thoughts on what to do to make it better. It should be fairly nice this evening so I may go and see about doing what I actually wanted with this image. The suggestion about diagonal was one I didn't expect but is something I will probably undertake as well since it isn't that hard to go and roll the body when shooting. I do like to shoot otherwise mundane objects and see if I can get a good image out of them. I find it to be a good exercise in seeing and composition which is something I have been trying to get better at. Noticing odd numbers of things is one thing I have really been working on as they do make for interesting images but I do struggle to find them. Another is repetition which this image does have.

07-29-2021, 03:17 AM	#14
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Went back and reshot it using the D FA 100/4 WR Macro. Of all the edits I did I probably like this one the most: However I did play a bunch of now have an album for the original shot and various methods of processing them. This was a fun image to process lots of different ways.