May 2009 Photography Assignment - Nostalgia

**Mad Aussie** · 04-26-2009, 02:31 PM

What are peoples suggestions for May?

I'm going to throw in 'Nostalgia' ... so it would have to be something from the past.

I'll throw in Action "Children at play outdoors" Good practice for fast focus and shutter speeds. :-)

I like nostalgia and I promise I wont put up my photo as something from the past. I was thinking spring but then I remembered some poor people are just entering fall and their temperatures will plunge down to our highs

Originally Posted by Greg_Nuspel

I was thinking spring but then I remembered some poor people are just entering fall and their temperatures will plunge down to our highs

There was snow down south last night.

I've always thought the word "Cast" would be interesting as it has so many possible meanings, some quite relevant to photography.

How about just the words action or movement? That way we can focus on depicting things in action or in movement whatever they may be and focus on shutter speeds, be they fast or slow.... Like Nomad stated.
I know it's something I've been trying to work on a bit lately and seeing it's snowing yet again today in Calgary and we're having white-out conditions

, I can't see Spring happening here for a bit yet...besides some people's spring are other people's Autumn depending on their relationship N or S of the equator....as Greg stated.
Just my

Personally I like both the nostalgia suggestion and the action suggestion.
I like the cast suggestion too but I always prefer 'wider' ideas because they are easier and more people post more often.
The kids suggestion is also okay but harder for people (younger members) without kids who don't want to look like pedophiles in the park

As always though - i'll choose the most popular suggestion on May 1 and exert executive control only in case of a tie.

any other suggestions?

Thanks!
marko

Big and small? You have to have two of these in the image?

I was also thinking rain shots?

And that would be it for me

I like big and small idea. And nostalgia too =)

LOL at "pedophiles in the park." Quite true though, ha.

I also like the idea of rain shots but it doesn't rain that often in May here =(

I got it! We could do Nostalgic Action shots of Big and Small Pedophiles in the park on a Rainy day! :-) Now there's an assigment! :-)

No, I'm joking, of course. Either one works for me.

Originally Posted by Gem

I also like the idea of rain shots but it doesn't rain that often in May here =(

No, it snows.

Originally Posted by nomad358

I got it! We could do Nostalgic Action shots of Big and Small Pedophiles in the park on a Rainy day! :-) Now there's an assigment! :-)

OMG, in Calgary is snowing, in Montreal 28 degrees and in Vancouver 17-19 degrees(no rain

) so rain is kind of hard to find.
Big and small (like the commercial idea small-big from... I can't remember what car was) is interesting, I like it, but I think "nostalgia" is more challenging.

So I'll vote for "nostalgia".

Groups of three
rainy days
night shots
rust and decay
shot from the hip
what it isn't (things like roots looking like dragons, etc)
what love looks like
where I go to dream
the finer things in life, or this is what makes me rich (not necessarily material or money related)
favorite vacation shot
If I hadn't seen it, I'd have never believed it
eerieness

How about seasonal colours (or animals, or plants)?
That would include everyones place – no matter if it is winter ;-), summer, spring or autumn.

I would not mind looking for some nostalgia.

Nostalgia seems to be the best idea, even though I never participate it does seem like the best one. Then again you can ignore my input lol......

I'm okay with Nostalgia, but forgive me if I seem a bit daft here, but would someone explain the meaning in terms of photography? To me it seems very broad and I'd like some guidelines if possible.
Here's the definiton....is this what we are going for?

A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.
The condition of being homesick; homesickness.

Thanks....

^^ That's what I was thinking.....Didn't occur to me it could mean something different in photography

I just keep thinking about spending the next month looking for images of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe or old cars for some reason....lol....
Yes, sometimes I am not too bright.....

Originally Posted by nomad358

I got it! We could do Nostalgic Action shots of Big and Small Pedophiles in the park on a Rainy day! :-) Now there's an assigment! :-)

hahaha....love it!

i think nostalgia is a great idea but mostly because I have a great location I've been dying to shoot at & this would light the fire under my butt to get on it...i also love rainy days but thats not really fair to those in other parts of the world...& i am not wiling to share my rainy days...they are my favourite!

lots of great ideas naturequest! i will be coming back to that list when i am feeling uninspired!

Originally Posted by casil403

I'm okay with Nostalgia, but forgive me if I seem a bit daft here, but would someone explain the meaning in terms of photography? To me it seems very broad and I'd like some guidelines if possible.
Here's the definiton....is this what we are going for?

A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.
The condition of being homesick; homesickness.

Thanks....

Well IF Nostalgia gets the nod then my thinking was simple ... Nostalgia, as I described above, refers to a longing for the past. I think it refers to something with age, history, a past, and I think something with meaning.

How you apply that to photography and create a photo is entirely up to you. It might be your mothers wedding ring that now sits on your finger. It might be an old steam train and you compose the photo to show us the glory days of steam now gone. It might be something much more simple than that.

I'm okay with Nostalgia, but forgive me if I seem a bit daft here, but would someone explain the meaning in terms of photography? To me it seems very broad and I'd like some guidelines if possible.
Here's the definiton....is this what we are going for?

A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.
The condition of being homesick; homesickness.

I guess that's part of the attraction to this suggestion - it's so wide.
Nostalgia has the most support so nostalgia it is.
Merging suggestion posts now.

**Marko** · 05-01-2009, 10:02 AM

Ok Everyone - posts are merged and the theme is on. Even though the theme is nostalgia, images posted should be fresh ones and not past ones.

Ok then - who is posting first?

**Mad Aussie** · 05-01-2009, 07:23 PM

Seeing as it was my idea I guess I should jump in first. A quick walk around the house wondering what I'd gotten myself into found this old camera on the shelf.

This was a 21st birthday present to my father ... in 1958. At the time a respected camera I believe. I've tried to make the photo look old, in a modern way.
Lighting is a combination of a bright LED torch from the right of frame and Venetian Blinds from the left/front.

**Mad Aussie** · 05-01-2009, 09:27 PM

This was my grandmothers clock. She passed many years ago.

**kat** · 05-01-2009, 10:05 PM

Ohhh, nice! I love the second one. My grandmother just passed away recently and my mother made sure to get the clock she owned for me. I loved that clock! I won't get it until this summer, it will be nice to have it in my home!

I'm still thinking on this theme.

**casil403** · 05-02-2009, 10:37 AM

These are probably the most sentimental and nostalgic things I have. The first is my Mother's white gold watch. She won it in a writing contest (3rd prize) when she was 18 years old. When I was little I thought it was the most beautiful thing on the face of the earth and I used to sneak into her jewelry box and marvel at it. It is 18 carat white gold with 24 mini diamonds on it. I like the discolouration on the face as it gives it age. It works great too...

#2 is my Great Grandmothers gold watch. I found it in the corner of my Grandpa's bedroom when we cleaned out his house after he passed. It's about 90 years old and when I found it I had it cleaned and restored...the jeweler said he bet it hadn't moved from that tiny corner in about 70 years.
It was like it was waiting for me the entire time....

**nomad358** · 05-03-2009, 01:25 AM

Mad Aussie, I like your camera shot alot, but it would have been great to see more detail on the front of the camera eg: The numbers on the aperture ring and text on the edge of the lens This would help in showing the camera's vintage in the photo. Perhaps a lighter background too. Nice idea with LED lighting! :-)

**Mad Aussie** · 05-03-2009, 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by nomad358

Mad Aussie, I like your camera shot alot, but it would have been great to see more detail on the front of the camera eg: The numbers on the aperture ring and text on the edge of the lens This would help in showing the camera's vintage in the photo. Perhaps a lighter background too. Nice idea with LED lighting! :-)

I did get some lighter shots but favoured this dark, mystery look. When I get a chance I'll put up another shot that's a bit lighter.

**JAS_Photo** · 05-03-2009, 03:42 AM

Kalamata Grocery has been on this corner at least since the sixties. Although I have lived in the neighbourhood a long time this is not my corner grocery from childhood. But it is similar.

I remember running over to the little store and opening up the pop cooler; bright red and you lifted the lid from the top. The bottles of pop sat in icy cold water. I would select my favorite pop and carefully wipe the glass bottle with a towel hung on the side of the cooler, then open it with the built in bottle opener. I would have a big drink of the refreshing beverage, that would slake my thirst from the hot, dry prairie summer day. I would then go over to the counter and give the clerk my 15 cents, that had been earned from chores.