19 February 2015

With the car or without?


Joseph Manigault House, Charleston, S.C.
I am torn about cars and people in my pictures. I usually wiggle around trying to get a shot without vehicles in it and yet I love to see them in old pictures. The vehicle style and period clothing help date photos. In my pictures people usually seem to be wearing baggy shorts and t-shirts and the cars don't seem to add any charm. Maybe they will matter years from now. What do y'all think?

This is the Joseph Manigault House which is one of the Charleston Museum tour homes. The web site gives a great pictoral tour of the mansion.
Charleston's Huguenot House: One of Charleston's most exquisite antebellum structures, the Joseph Manigault House, built in 1803, reflects the urban lifestyle of a wealthy, rice-planting family and the enslaved African Americans who lived there. An exceptional example of Federal period architecture, this elegant townhouse, a National Historic Landmark, was designed for Joseph Manigault by his brother Gabriel, who is also credited with designing Charleston’s current City Hall. A striking spiral staircase accents the impressive central hall, and many of the rooms are restored to their original color schemes.
G'night kids. It has been a busy day. I have my electric blanket turned on high for our coldest night of the year.


10 comments:

  1. Yikes! Thanks for the reminder Joan. I just bundled up to go and turn the outside faucet to drip, drip, drip.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you did okay. Lots of frozen pipes around. We don't have to deal with this very often.

      Delete
  2. Cars can be quite annoying for a photographer (people are easier to avoid or "fit" into a scene). Many a times I have wished to be a painter, so easy peasy to leave a car out of a painting! ;-)
    I have been literally stalking certain buildings, hoping to come upon a moment without a car in front. Very hard to avoid getting a car into the picture in Vienna's narrower streets.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stay warm and safe!

      Delete
    2. Merisi, I do the same stalking! I get downright annoyed when the light is perfect for the shot but there is a car parked right in front of my subject. I'd like a few areas blocked that are beautiful views and regular photo ops but I guess parking is so treasured we can't mess with it.

      Delete
  3. The gatehouse is unusual. The building's beautiful. I try to avoid cars in shots when possible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do as well William. The only time I like cars in pictures is in old photos and they are vintage cars which are part of the story. So, time will tell and we will find out if today's cars stand the test of time.

      Delete
  4. I hate getting cars in my photos, but I made it a goal of mine to include more people. I especially like shots of tiny people in a vast landscape, and I like taking photos of people who don't know I am photographing them - but not in a creepy way. I'm no fan of posed photos unless its for camp factor.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I too try to avoid cars when possible. It does change the picture so much. It seems that without cars it is a more serious photo. The cars make it look more like life going on so it is not a bad thing - just a different feel. No matter whether there are cars or not, your photos are always fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cars can work well in a photo if there aren't too many of them and there positioned just right. Unfortunately, in a city like Charleston, trying to get photos of downtown buildings often means the lower front of structures are completely blocked by cars, which, in my opinion, takes away from the image. I do love old photos with cars, though, but then again, I love old cars.

    ReplyDelete

Leave me a comment. They make me strong.