The New Fred Meyer on Interstate on Lombard on Flickr

bandita says:

This is so fabulous! I'm kind of a puzzle dork, and I can see this picture being cut up into a maddening puzzle. Great shot!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Koshyk says:

Really nice shot! I can almost taste the tabasc
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

javan says:

did you scale the freezers to get this shot? it's great.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

myla kent says:

WOW.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

earth2marsh says:

great shot!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Magalie L'Abbé says:

wow, that's incredible! do we really need that much stuff???
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

I didn't do anything to this photo that couldn't be done in a darkroom...but it was tricky to get the horizon right (see the back row of groceries? Kind of tilty despite careful cropping work.) because I shot it with my 17mm lens on my DSLR (of course, that makes it more like a 26mm lens).

This was one of those shots that I actually saw when visiting the store for the first time (this was last December) and RAN home to get my camera because I was in awe.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

DIgital DI says:

holy moly's, i'd say this is colourful, organized, chaos!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

EssjayNZ says:

Awesome - great POV, so that's what a foodmarkets aisles look like from above
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

aqui-ali says:

Andreas Gursky Revisited. Did the shelf on the right collapse or buckle?
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

lyzadanger says:

aqui-ali--you NAILED it. I didn't want to make the Gursky reference because I thought it would sound snooty. But the similarity is pretty uncanny.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

A-Wop-Bop-A-Loo-Bop! says:

Fabulous - a pop art consumerist triumph!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Christopher Vigliotti says:

Any attempt to praise this piece would be inadequate...but you should try anyway!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

lalyphoto says:

This is the most tought provoking picture I have seen in a long time.

Think about all the people who built those shelves.

Think about all the people who "stocked" those shelves, at night.

Think about all the people who "regularly" empty those shelves.

Think about all those people who are dying of hunger as whe praise your photograph.

My guess is that you and that dude Gursky never went missing...
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

conradh says:

Thank you for this; it's a fascinating perspective on about 25 things.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Big Mike 42 says:

Awesome! Also makes me think of the people who work in the factories that process all that stuff, and those who grow and harvest the crops that get processed. You might say there's a lot of food for thought here, heh-heh.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

ben patio says:

blatant gursky rip-off but sometimes we can learn by copying the masters.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

mikewarren says:

nice shot. i came via robotwisdom.com
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

dogwelder says:

Much more impressive than my version (which is my copy of Cardhouse's version) of the Gursky picture.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Thomas Hawk says:

Indeed, Gursky.
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Môsieur J. says:

Incredible shot! laly49 is in reality
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

Planet Pixel says:

Hey, great image. I love it!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

peter photo says:

original photo !
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

More Altitude says:

I just love this- my eyes could explore it for hours. Thank you!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

jeffer72 says:

wonderful shot!
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

fueledbycoffee says:

Nice, but have you seen Andreas Gursky's massive photos?
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

ｎａｏ☆ says:

Wow...!!nice shot!!
Posted 44 months ago. ( permalink )

Boggy says:

Immense and amazing! Great photo!
Posted 44 months ago. ( permalink )

littertreasure says:

For a moment I thought it was the "Evil Empire" aka Super Wal-Mart.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

oregonlahar says:

Our consumption is out of control! Great photo.
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

jsh347 says:

wooowwww... thats just weird
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

Chinasaur says:

Now you just need one of the farmer's market for compare and contrast. I really like this composition. It works out really well with the soda in the back; gets even busier than the other rows. Also, unlike the Gursky 99 cent, people are much less prominent in your shot.
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

45street | www.victorpuig.com says:

Fantastic perspective. Beautiful picture. Brilliant composition.
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

mark_twells says:

I guess this is some sort of shop? I imagine there may be some English people trapped permanently in the aisles there - and how long does it take to walk from the foreground of the picture to the end.

Immense! No other word for it. And eyecatching. (123)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Participant says:

Great photo! Come join the AMERICA GENERICA group!

www.flickr.com/groups/america-generica/
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

bloodcrow says:

I can't tell you how many times i've stood on that exact balcony cursing myself for not having my camera with me for that EXACT shot. I'm glad to see someone did and what a great shot it is!
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Jabin says:

lol.. yeah standing right at the starbucks I too have looked down on those rows time and time again..
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

traui says:

Would you like to join the Gursky Copy Cat group ;-)

Great shot anyway!
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

tiki_monkey says:

Yay!

That's our closest Fred Meyer, but we're night equidistant from the St. John's Fred Meyer.

Here from boingboing
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

thomasexicting says:

awesome. thanks for contributing to CC
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

r8erz says:

@javan: "did you scale the freezers to get this shot? it's great."

No. The store has two stories, this is from the upper floor near the books and Starbucks.

@aqui-ali: "Did the shelf on the right collapse or buckle?"

I don't see anything odd. I am not sure what you are seeing...

@Mark_Twells:"and how long does it take to walk from the foreground of the picture to the end."

Not long, it is only 6 aisles.

@oregonlahar:"Our consumption is out of control! Great photo."

Why do you say that? This store is not even that big. The picture is only 6 aisles. That is not even as big as many Albertsons or Safeways - and even smaller "markets" can have 6 aisles.

This particular Fred Meyer is not that big. It is a nice one though, with the two floors. There are bigger Fred Meyers - and the largest Fred Meyer is tiny compared to the big WAL-MART supercenters (spit, blech - WAL-MART sucks).

This is a great picture. Would have been better with no customers in the view. You should contact the manager - see if you can get in some time just before or after hours and get a "clean" one.

Anyway, good shot. (seen on boingboing)
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Johnia! says:

There is a shot EXACTLY (almost) like this at the MoMA in NYC. They blew it up to 12' high. The entire picture is amazing as is yours.

Anyone know the name of the piece at the MoMA?
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Lonin says:

The "collapsed" shelf is actually just an optical illusion. The front of the shelf is just curved out into the isle instead of straight like the others.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

stefan_e_jones says:

Wonderful photo. I'm glad to hear you found a balcony; I pictured you balanced on top of a shelf.

Fred Meyer is a nice chain. Big, but friendly and nicely laid out and classy looking. Walking down the aisles, you do get a "my, there's an awful lot of stuff here" feeling, but there's none of the creepy stressed-out warehouse vibe you get from Wal-Mart.

The Bohacks grocery store where my mom shopped when I was a kid would just about fit in a Fred Meyer lobby.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

burningairlinesgiveyousomuchmore says:

it's been mentioned. but here is the link finally www.moma.org/exhibitions/2001/gursky/
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

danielrluke says:

That's so funny! I go to that Fred Meyer all the time, and I've looked over the same balcony and thought that it would be a great, telling photograph. You shoudl have mentioned that you were in a Starbucks when you took the shot.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

deadflowers says:

This is awesome!
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

photoderek says:

great!
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

C. D. Ford says:

i'm sorry but i can't understand the praise for this photo when it is exactly like the very famous gursky photo linked above.

it seems like photographic plagiarism.

i guess it depends on if the photographer new about gursky.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

oybay © says:

Thanks for bringing memories to me from the Pacific Northwest! This is an amazing shot.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Josh Bancroft says:

Congrats on this photo being featured on BoingBoing! :-)

www.boingboing.net/2007/01/26/grocery_storezi lla.html
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Magic Madzik says:

Plagiarism? Rip-off? Hardly. Just because Gursky once took a photo of a store from a higher angle than most lowly consumers attain doesn't mean the theme is off-limits. Besides, the photos are significantly different, and if you ask me, this one is much better. The composition in Gursky's is off-center, which isn't bad in itself but takes away from the impact of this particular subject, I think. He got a good idea but didn't get the best result. Here, we're under full attack from the stocked shelves, lost in a sea that could well stretch beyond the sixth aisle. Pity the people are there, but it's a brilliant shot.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

speedothebrief says:

OMG, what is wrong with you people! You all sound like a bunch of d'jembe pounding hippies with your, "Oh the pity I give those poor trapped souls" and the, "Wal-Mart makes me vomit my disgusting hippie innards!" And honestly... give this chick a break on the Gursky crap. You all sound like a bunch of whoopdy-doo college professors trying to sound like you all know something the rest of us don't. As if you were something so much more important due to your vast and amazing intellect and learned-ness. Omg. Makes me sick!

It's an awesome photo, Lyza, and I think the store looks like a great place to shop. Not because of how many shelves it has, or simply because it isn't Wal-Mart. Not because I can get so many nonperishables to send to refugees in Sudan to help curb Americas so-called out-of-control consumer mentality. No... I think that the store looks great to shop in because there appears to be a total of 4 known people in the whole place, and the more people I run into the higher my chances of coming across another Wal-Mart and America bashing hippie are. That, and there's the added bonus of Starbucks coffee.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Joy Zep says:

Really, it is sublime, the colors, the angle, the consumption... I love this picture. For some strange reason I think of Wacky Packs when I see this.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

horseycraze says:

really cool.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

photo_verite says:

Look it's a fine picture and all, shows talent, good composition, ect. but at the end of the day it is Gursky. We are talking about one of his best known shots here. This isn't a similarity of a unknown work by him but the an essential photo of his work. Same lighting, color scheme, idea. What's new in the photo? What in it deserves 20,000 hits when so many other more interesting photo's are not being visited including some of Lazydanger's own. Shame on BoingBoing for causing such problems.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

dantc says:

Good lord. I had no idea there were so many twats on Flickr. I mean, I should have known because wherever there's photography, there are nitpicking, insecure twats, but still...

As far as the photo goes, I like it. And I'll link to it from blog, so maybe a dozen or more hits can be added to that 20K number.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

no3rdw says:

Incredible detail in this shot! And don't listen to these other posters, just because it's a similar subject matter doesn't make it a ripoff. I like your shot better, anyway.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Magic Madzik says:

Look it's a fine picture and all, shows talent, good composition, ect. but at the end of the day it is Gursky. We are talking about one of his best known shots here. This isn't a similarity of a unknown work by him but the an essential photo of his work. Same lighting, color scheme, idea.

Have you even looked at the Gursky photo? The composition is completely different. The idea is very similar, but it is still not at all the same photograph. Colour scheme, lighting- for heaven's sakes, it's a supermarket. You try taking a shot of one and see how extremely different it will look from photos already taken in supermarkets by people more famous than you.

Do you guys look at a really good photo of, say, fireworks, and think it's a rip-off another really good photo of fireworks? Or a field? Or a flower? Of course there are a million different ways to photograph any given subject, but there will always be a way of composing the shot that will have universal appeal, and thus will be attempted most often. It doesn't mean everyone is copying each other.

And I'll say it again, this is not at all like Gursky's photo. The only thing they have in common is that there are supermarket shelves on both of them, viewed from a slightly higher angle than we normally see them. If that alone is enough to constitute plagiarism, then I think we had all best stop taking photos, because we're all big fat copycats.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Larry Forney says:

The part thats frustrating (this is a great picture in my useless opinion) is that these internet communities are such insular, self obsessed places that they are more interested in crowning their own local celebrities than they are into art history, or really photography at all!
The photo that this is reminding so many people of, is a freaking masterpiece, that's why it's a 6 foot tall backlit transparancy hanging in The Met.
lol, you took a great photograph, little did you know it was very similar to another, pretty famous piece, and now a debate erupts!
(i am trying to compliment your work, and bitch about flickr at the same time, sorry if i sound like i am dissing your picture)
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

dalasv says:

sad and gross (but a good photograph)
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

DCvision2006 says:

how much high fructose corn syrup do you think is in this picture ?

--
Seen on the Web. (?)
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

ario_ says:

duplicate posting of this photo here.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

heyotwell says:

This looks very similar to the cover of Barry Schwartz' "The Paradox of Choice".
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

jbelkin800 says:

Yes, Gursky was first but just because Ansel Adams took some definitive photos of Yosemite, no one else can? If anything, this is not even a $.99 store so don't be too quick to dismiss this - it's a great photo. It may not be the most absolute original but that's a pretty high criteria - are most Monet's crap since many are similiar? It's a great photo ... as for the shelf "distortion" - there are curved shelves that purposely extended out onto the aisle that both catches your eye and also allows the store to stock more of that item. So, from this angle, it looks like an optical illusion.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Mason Hastie says:

Could have done with better white balance. But it's still pretty damn good.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Propaganda Sifter says:

Great photo. I shop here all the time. I've even named the two columns in the back (Mofo is on the left and Biznatch is on the right). There are actually 4 columns in that aisle and they make shopping very difficult, especially when there's a family with a shopping cart making their way down that soda aisle.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Becky says Woot! says:

I really like this. You can tell it was taken in December (or November) because the sugar section is looking pretty sparse, and the only people inthe aisle are looking at disposable baking pans.

(but I still hate shopping at Freddies!)
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

The Kleins says:

I was just here!

Yeah, Gursky has a copyright on reality. I guess I should send some money since I just shopped at a store.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

: Damien says:

My 1st month here, and young man, I think your onto something.

Nice pic btw ; )
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

jesstech says:

That's ironic.... we have a grocery chain called 'Meijer' (pronounced 'meyer') up here in Michigan and our tri-state area. Who owns it? Why, none other than Fred Meijer.

I should know, my family has worked in the corporate offices here in Grand Rapids for years.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

danflurry says:

the sad thing is that if you crush up the contents of all of those little boxes, you might be able to fill a 5 gallon bucket.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

frasermoo says:

I've never heard of Gursky. I can see alot of Gherkins on the shelves though.

Cool photo.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

MVJSH says:

You've out-Gurskied Gurksy.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

tuckandsqueeze says:

The photo is ok...you found a grocery store. Congrats!

The people who see some deep meaning in this, get off your pretentious high horse. Its a bunch of food. American consumption is a beautiful thing. You do not enjoy the benefits of a our society go live in Africa. Hope you get AIDS.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

murrayeddie2002 says:

this photo was mentioned on the overnightscape.com episode 578 :)
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

seawallrunner says:

good lord. such excess. excellent capture. I saw this photo on getrichslowly.com this morning.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

nailuj.., says:

Exelent!! :P
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

howcheng says:

Thanks for your generosity in licensing this CC-BY-SA. It has been uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and an edit of it is scheduled to be Picture of the Day on the English Wikipedia on March 29, 2007. You can see it at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:POTD/2007-03-2 9.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

J Chris A says:

Just found you from picture of the day. Good work.
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

Josh Thompson says:

Cool pic. Yes, reminded me immediately of the Gursky pic. Which is just fine -- he took a great pic and so did you.

--
Seen on the Web. (?)
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

.michael.newman. says:

Love this picture.

--
Seen on the Web. (?)
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

dorn says:

Seen on Digg.com
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

Maccise says:

Wow!
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

BB_Mke says:

I personally think yours is more beautiful than Gursky's, but he was doing something different anyway, so it doesn't matter. The thing is - I didn't even know Gursky existed and his stuff is fab, so you've made me happy twice. Thank you. :)
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

classictvman81 says:

The original version of this store opened on November 17, 1953 with a size of just 45K of square feet. Then in 1965 a home improvement and garden center building was added but on the other side of the road.

This store, as it appears currently, opened in late 2004, with planning for it dating back to 2003.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Sam Vanallemeersch says:

i'm using this as the background of my desktop, only frustrating thing: my files are lost in between this consumerist madness!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

crunchygods says:

Wonderful pic, Lyza.

Since you never claimed to be the first person to have taken a picture like this, you're not stealing anything from those who have come before. Yours is as unique and as personal as any picture capturing a particular set of waves hitting a beach. Brava!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

ja cour says:

Seeing so much at once tends to boggle one's mind. Cool shot.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

no3rdw says:

I didn't know this before, but that Gursky photo everyone compared this photo to recently sold for 3.3 million dollars!! Insanity.

Since your photo is cooler than his (in my opinion), you should print it out really huge and auction it off to the highest bidder. Maybe you'll find someone with a few million to burn! ;)
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

hailey_shannon says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Pics on Wikipedia, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

MindSweep says:

Hey ,

I see very similar picture by other photographer as well. It really makes me wonder who's photo is this.

Flickr WordPress Plugin
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

MindSweep says:

Just Found it .. Following is the link of the same photo from the guy who claims to be the creditor.

Super market photo

Cheers
WordPress Guru
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

dogwelder says:

www.flickr.com/photos/dogwelder/1795269986/

--
Seen in my recent comments. (?)
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Letincelle says:

overwhelming to say the least.
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

Blue Plastic Straw says:

@MindSweep, the photos aren't the same but they look remarkably similar because they're taken from the exact same spot in the store. I do appreciate that lyzadanger licensed hers under Creative Commons.
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

goldfischegirl says:

Just so you know, my Stats teacher used this photo in her power poitn presentation at Seattle University! Lovely photos. Amazing work.
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

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The New Fred Meyer on Interstate on Lombard

Comments

bandita says:

Koshyk says:

javan says:

myla kent says:

earth2marsh says:

Magalie L'Abbé says:

lyzadanger says:

DIgital DI says:

EssjayNZ says:

aqui-ali says:

lyzadanger says:

A-Wop-Bop-A-Loo-Bop! says:

Christopher Vigliotti says:

lalyphoto says:

conradh says:

Big Mike 42 says:

ben patio says:

mikewarren says:

dogwelder says:

Thomas Hawk says:

Môsieur J. says:

Planet Pixel says:

peter photo says:

More Altitude says:

jeffer72 says:

fueledbycoffee says:

ｎａｏ☆ says:

Boggy says:

littertreasure says:

oregonlahar says:

jsh347 says:

Chinasaur says:

45street | www.victorpuig.com says:

mark_twells says:

Participant says:

bloodcrow says:

Jabin says:

traui says:

tiki_monkey says:

thomasexicting says:

r8erz says:

Johnia! says:

Lonin says:

stefan_e_jones says:

burningairlinesgiveyousomuchmore says:

danielrluke says:

deadflowers says:

photoderek says:

C. D. Ford says:

oybay © says:

Josh Bancroft says:

Magic Madzik says:

speedothebrief says:

Joy Zep says:

horseycraze says:

photo_verite says:

dantc says:

no3rdw says:

Magic Madzik says:

Larry Forney says:

dalasv says:

DCvision2006 says:

ario_ says:

heyotwell says:

jbelkin800 says:

Mason Hastie says:

Propaganda Sifter says:

Becky says Woot! says:

The Kleins says:

: Damien says:

jesstech says:

danflurry says:

frasermoo says:

MVJSH says:

tuckandsqueeze says:

murrayeddie2002 says:

seawallrunner says:

nailuj.., says: