Photography

Picture of The Month Winner: November 2010 – Steve Pugliese

October 29, 2010



November 2010’s Picture of the Month was shot by Steve Pugliese (2009-3PT). As Photography Director Rob Van Petten points out, Ansel Adams once wrote “There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” You may begin to understand what he meant by that when you compare Steve’s description of how he made the picture with Rob’s reaction to seeing it.

First Steve: This photograph was taken in Massachusetts during the fall season. The sunset was so amazing that evening and I happened to have my camera and tripod with me so I laid down in the field and starting shooting away.  As the sun got lower the sky became more intense and the colors became more and more vivid.  I had recently started to experiment with HDR photography so I was bracketing five exposures for each shot.  The image was created by merging the shots together in Photomatix Pro and then brought into Photoshop for the final touches. To this day this still remains to be one of my favorite sunsets.

Rob’s response to the picture is more psychological than technological:

This photograph has a two phase appeal.

First it  has drama and a stark sense of place.   The enhanced colors contribute a surreal mood to the drama and instantly drive it from the conventional, into the land of the chemically induced.  Initially, it lacks subject.   But it deliberately lacks subject  - a stark use of non-subject - leading the reader to a confrontation of deliberate self-awareness - “Why  am I here, what am I supposed to be looking at, and why does this look a little electric?”   Finally the viewer arrives at that self-conscious realization "Maybe I’m the subject after all”.

We first focus on the close up detail of this hyper-green grass and then taxi down the field to the center of this convergence. Finally, it leaves us off  ducking the wide angle assault from the sky.  This para-normal effect on the clouds and low point of view create a radical rush of motion in an otherwise serenely empty natural landscape.  There is a tension created here. That’s what makes it strong, and the Picture of the Month.

Congratulations, Steve!

Shot Details: HDR Photograph - 5 Bracket Shot @ .7 E/V Camera: Nikon D300 Lens: 18mm - 200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR II Nikkor Lens Focal Length: 18mm First Exposure: f5.6 @ 1/8 ISO: 100