Two of Us, a photo from Queensland, East

Photographer's Note

Two of Us

Two of us riding nowhere
Spending someone's
Hard earned pay
Two of us Sunday driving
Not arriving
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home

Two of us sending postcards
Writing letters
On my wall
You and me burning matches
Lifting latches
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home

Lennon/McCartney 1969 � Let it Be LP

I recently bought an authentically autographed Beatles album from a collector. I have always been a great fan. Many things I see remind me of particular lyrics written and sung by the Fab Four, hence the title of this photo. It is clear where they got their inspiration from sometimes, yet by the end of the 60痴 many of their songs were so wonderfully abstract that there seems to be only one possible reason for their creativity�.

The lighting this afternoon was rather bland thanks to the overcast skies, so I decided on the black and white/grayscale setting. I saw this couple sitting at the western end of Chambers Island in the Maroochy River looking over the water towards the hinterland. The distant tower is a radio/TV transmitter services the town of Nambour.

Not my most visually spectacular shot, but I liked the simple contrasts and graphics.

MLINES, vikous, bakes888, johnfreeman, denisn72, parbo, ChrisJ, Floydian, robertosalguero has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

grantlp (2113) 2008-01-14 2:34

Hi Mathew,
Always nice to have a change....although, as you say, it's not your most spectacular, it's still an excellent image utilising B&W. I like the way the curved beach area splits the water creating two bodies. The dark foliage also creates a nice border beyween water and sky. Well done.
Cheers Grant

MLINES (12516) 2008-01-14 4:34

Hi Matt. Good plan and brave to make this beach scene into a Black and White composition. It is well arranged to provide both stripes of water and land. TFS. Murray.

vikous (2217) 2008-01-14 15:20

Heya Matt,
B&W wouldn't be my favorite type of photography but i like this shout only i would have positioned the couple slightly out of the centre of the shot. It's just a little suggestion that might work next time. Appart from it splendid photo, good work!
all the best,
viktor

ps: congrats to the Beatles LP!!!

bakes888 (18499) 2008-01-14 22:57

Hi Matt. Good choice of processing, the BW treatment has emphasised the textures and forms more than colour would and removed distractions from the main subject. Nice work and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

johnfreeman (2274) 2008-01-15 9:05

Hi Matt,
What I like most about this photo is the sense of companionship and relaxed pace of life that it conveys. Like the Beatle's song, it makes me think back to a different time of my life (student days perhaps) when I might have spent a lazy afternoon sitting by the river and talking with a friend... The B/W works very well and creates a beautiful glistening effect on the water.
The only thing I'm not entirely sure about is the central placement of the figures. However, it's easy to say that and as you were there I imagine you decided it was the framing that worked best in the circumstances.
This may not be your most visually spectacular shot, but it's a very rewarding one nonetheless.
John

PS Just read your reply to Viktor's comment on the framing, sorry.

denisn72 (8314) 2008-01-15 17:13

Hello Matthew
I like the shape of the beach you gave with from this point of view. The two people are perfectly in the middle and the black and white is a success. The contrasts are excellent and I must say that the text in your note give to the picture a new meaning. Good job!
Kindest regards
Denis!

parbo (11092) 2008-01-15 17:23

Hello Matthew,

Great capture, meaningful with its header and notes, lyric. I like parts of divided water and of course your lovely models.

Friendly Regards,

Ertugrul

toto (0) 2008-01-16 0:38

Belle photo NB de ces deux personnes sur ce sable presque entour馥 d' eau, belle prise qui nous ram鈩e dans les temps anciens ou les photos 騁aient un peu comme celle ci, que de souvenir vous faite remonter a la surface. Merci.
Je vous souhaite a vous et votre famille mes meilleurs voeux pour cette ann馥 2008, j' esp鑽e que cette ann馥 sera un grand cru pour ce que vous avez d馗id� de faire ou avez esp鑽� .
Amiti駸 Thomas
Je reviens

ChrisJ (172378) 2008-01-17 0:38

Hi Matthew

A nice, layered b&w composition with the 2 people in the fg admiring the scene adding a lot to the compostion. Good tonal range, sharpness & aerial perspective. Tfs!

Floydian (30970) 2008-01-17 2:59

Hi Matthew,
A b&w, not something i would expect from you but if i look at the technical side than you did a very nice job in converting. I see you did some cropping for a better framing, but i wonder why the couple in the middle?
Moving the camera to the left would give more space on the left which you probably also gave you the bend in the shoreline (now it's cut off), but i am not sure if that would look good enough to hold this argument. These kind of images are not that easy to compose. What to show, what to leave out...for me always a dilemma. Many chances here to create something good, so on that pov it's not bad at all.
Regards, Henk

robertosalguero (292) 2008-01-21 23:29

Not your most visually spectacular as you said but is a different image from what we usually expect from you. I do like the simple view and the two people in the middle. They create a strong focal point in this black and white landscape. Peaceful and beautiful but the tower in the background spoils the natural landscape a bit. Thanks Matt.

Roberto