mystery scene

    Early Christmas decoration in Carmarthen.

    Comments and faves

    1. Marcelo Argolo (7 months ago | reply)

      Nice.

    2. H_A_L (7 months ago | reply)

      very nice

    3. watcher330 (7 months ago | reply)

      Thank you both - I'll take the 'very'!

    4. Adam Constantine (7 months ago | reply)

      Really nice surreal feel, like black snow, and love the shifty guy on the left with the star and bauble.

    5. Larking About (7 months ago | reply)

      A lovely and unusual point of view - I especially like the polar bear looking at the scene his little black eye (nicely echoed by the curtains) is my main focus and I then follow where he is looking

    6. Pete.... (7 months ago | reply)

      I like the idea here.

    7. T Silva (7 months ago | reply)

      Very good.

    8. Robbing Peter (7 months ago | reply)

      Cool! The eye of the polar bear(?) looks like an errant dot from the curtains.

    9. Chris O-R (7 months ago | reply)

      Clever and feels covert - as in taken from a 'hide'!

    10. Monty May (7 months ago | reply)

      like the idea of black snow, the the focus on the polar bear and the reduced depth of field. Good one, John!

    11. ._Karl_. (7 months ago | reply)

      I like the character ducking the star and the polar bear l; looking to the sky for inspiration - good work

    12. BroodingSkies (7 months ago | reply)

      I like what the black dots do to this.

    13. Alison McCauley (7 months ago | reply)

      There are so many odd little things happening - like the polar bear watching the bauble head woman!

    14. SimoneFisher (catching up) (7 months ago | reply)

      interesting frame to explore

    15. shoot1ask2 (7 months ago | reply)

      Well seen.

    16. Renate's mate (7 months ago | reply)

      The clarity and haziness of the dotted curtain and all the other elements - the sniffing Polar Bear (as they do) and the conical hairy shape that looks as though it the skirt of the girl and she is on stilts etc - full of interest

    17. pictomentoes (7 months ago | reply)

      surreal

    18. watcher330 (7 months ago | reply)

      Many thanks to you all.

      It is a bit - and when you are there for real!

    19. scaletta25 (7 months ago | reply)

      I like that they seem to be walking on a pale gray cloud

    20. jopaulwallace (7 months ago | reply)

      Fantastic layers of texture and viewpoint

    21. ★

      aad_b added this photo to his favorites. (7 months ago)

    22. watcher330 (7 months ago | reply)

      Thanks...and to aad_b.

    23. Dikenen (6 months ago | reply)

      Great idea, it's a clever image !

    24. DValchev (6 months ago | reply)

      that drapery is a nice prop. I don't like that van in the background. If you can go back an take more photos I think that you should.

    25. Lerpix (6 months ago | reply)

      The beady eye is the star.
      I like the impression of someone peering from behind the curtain and the thought of black snow in wales
      (coal-black, mole-black snow . . . sorry getting carried away now)

    26. Peep O'Daze (6 months ago | reply)

      mind you the white van highlights the "black snow" which mightn't be as obvious if it weren't there?

    27. watcher330 (6 months ago | reply)

      Thanks of considered comments. My wife's reaction was to dislike the white van but I am not so sure that it shouldn't be there! Peep O'Daze's observation about background is valid, as is the channeling of the people, although a more diverse set of routes could be interesting. I hope to go back before Christmas - the coffee is good!

      Steady on! Not too far from Laugharne either!!

    28. DValchev (6 months ago | reply)

      Don't know, what's the backgorund behind the van; it could be a valid point that the spots might not stand out as much, although I think that they are solid enough to be distinguishable. In any case if you have time to go back do so, you never know.

    29. Mish Aminoff (6 months ago | reply)

      I like the use & effect of the black polka dot gauze and the idea of snow in "negative". What's the image like if you completely desaturate it (ie in B&W)?

    30. watcher330 (6 months ago | reply)

      I hadn't thought of converting it but have given it a try:

      mystery scene converted

    31. James Guppy (6 months ago | reply)

      Cool....I like the smallpox version too though (it adds abstraction and confusion - which is part of the effect).

    32. Joanna_Casey (6 months ago | reply)

      Liking the spotty net, and yes I think it works better in black and white, but I like it in colour too. The gap adds something to it all, a slice of the real, amongst the somewhat surreal. Excellent!

    33. johnpaddler (6 months ago | reply)

      Scrouge notwithstanding, Xmas has had a bad case of the commercial rose blight since many a year. Poor polar bears, poor Aids sufferers, poor Hiroshima.

      Looking forward to what else you can make in this rather odd setting!

    34. watcher330 (6 months ago | reply)

      Thanks.

      Good comments on Christmas and commerce! I shall have to take up your challenge!

    35. H_A_L (6 months ago | reply)


      Thats so true, I do think the real spirit is lost amongst all the causes.
      It's quite trendy to be charitable nowadays, and you even got a band to proof and show off to the world how charitable one is.
      Gone are the days of hidden charity, done for the sake of it, and nothing else!

    36. James Guppy (6 months ago | reply)

      I'm not sure that's totally true...hidden charity will always be hidden by its very nature, no? I agree "corporate" ostentatious charity has got a lot worse though...there is almost pushing at the front to be "the saviour"...thankfully there are no shortage of "good causes". It's almost as if the world is made unfair JUST so good old big business/Bono can enjoy the vanity of playing the saviour...they need to make beggars of us all to provide the platform for their showy philanthropy (sorry for the mini-essay watcher!)

    37. H_A_L (6 months ago | reply)

      This photograph is quite unique, John had captured so much in it, and I meant those rubber trendy bands that do gooders wear, sold to them by banks etc.
      Very fashionable charity nowadays.

    38. James Guppy (6 months ago | reply)

      Ah..sorry different "bands"!

    39. watcher330 (6 months ago | reply)

      Bands nonetheless!!

    40. H_A_L (6 months ago | reply)

      yeah, bono probably wants a sainthood, preferably before death!

    41. ★

      sobrenivel added this photo to her favorites. (6 months ago)

    42. tobias.ve (6 months ago | reply)

      cool shot, pictures like this are always very intriguing ... and to be honest i like it even more in b/w!!

    43. sobrenivel (6 months ago | reply)

      I like both versions, the black snow gives the image a very surreal sense, I also like the ball head woman, very funny and beautiful pic!!

    44. johnpaddler (6 months ago | reply)

      Fallout in Hiroshima came in the form of black rain. Aids patients typically exhibit the red, brown, purple or black raised blotches of Kaposi's sarcoma.

      By the omen of soot gobs hanging in the air, next week billing at this venue is Tiny Tim's bare knuckle fight against two chimney sweepes half his age - don't disappoint me watcher.

    45. H_A_L (6 months ago | reply)

      aaah (hangs head in shame!)

    46. johnpaddler (6 months ago | reply)

      - unnecessary, my dear!
      Just wanted to make the visual associations clear, in John's interesting photo.

      We can have sympathy with the victims, the survivours, the good causes, but at the same time should be aware that charity these days is big business, with all the abuses, trickery and cynisism that can entail.

    47. watcher330 (6 months ago | reply)

      Awful things mutate from one form into another - the soot was so easy to see: now the dangers are more insidious...

      On a lighter note, I hope that Christmas won't be too apocalyptic!

    48. ★

      johnpaddler added this photo to his favorites. (6 months ago)

    49. watcher330 (6 months ago | reply)

      Many thanks - and for liking both versions, which was not the original intent (thanks Mish!).

    50. Izabella Nowak (6 months ago | reply)

      so surreal and magic street

    51. Mish Aminoff (6 months ago | reply)

      I'm glad you tried it in b&w... (but I see Monty disapproves!)

    52. ★

      StreetShooter45 added this photo to his favorites. (6 months ago)

    53. StreetShooter45 (6 months ago | reply)

      Full of metaphor...I love the layers. Good work John ! Better in color imho

    54. mandz36 (6 months ago | reply)

      I definitely prefer the colour - the patches of muted tones coming through all that grey is part of its loveliness. Wonderful.

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