Today I had the pleasure of photographing three executives in my studio early in the morning. It was great fun and afterwards I decided to spend some time playing (i mean working) on my image catalog. I was still working through some images I had made near Mt. Rainier when I came across this one that intrigued me. I liked the way it created a mental puzzle that displaced the top and bottom of the frame. To see the tops of the trees you have to look near the bottom of the image at the reflections. The blades of grass add to the drama of the image. I think it relates to the gestalt principle of closure. I think an image that requires the viewer to solve a puzzle is more engaging than one that is completely filled in. In this case a large pond with fallen trees added to the sense of spatial relationships and draws my eye into the frame.
I had originally intended to leave this image in color but the more I played with it the more I liked it in monochrome with some warmth. I think I am gravitating back towards the look and feel of platinum prints. I will need to get back in the printmaking studio soon. It’s been at least three years since I made a portfolio of platinum images. I think this might be a good one to start with.
