Gustav Hoiland

By: gustavHoiland

Dec 19 2010

Category: ocean travel, self portrait

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Aperture:	f/13
Focal Length:	58mm
ISO:	100
Shutter:	1/59 sec
Camera:	NIKON D80

I’m not sure if it was general creative thought or sheer madness that inspired this, but it was definitely shot near the tail end of a couple weeks at sea. How many 25 hour days and scenery-less horizons can one take before they whip out the tripod, hope to god none of the crew happens to walk by, pop some shots, and then put their recently acquired Photoshop skills to the test? Also the boat shoes are back (see yesterday’s post for more).

I won’t lie – this is one of my absolute favorites from the trip. It possesses the immediate visual hook and the complexity to keep the attention that fleets like streams of tweets. I think the first question that gets answered within a couple seconds is the “…heeeeey, that’s not real” thing. But it takes more than a glance to determine.

So that’s cute and all, but the staying power for me I think lies in the elemental simplicity of it all. I mean, it’s a very flat composition with some limbs, a railing, and a door. Yet the way they’re all thrown together… eesh, I don’t even want to talk about it. Maybe I’m just afraid I’d somehow spoil it for myself. Sorry folks!

Someone could very definitely make the case that I’m just fascinated by my arms here. I vainly concede, and continue to gaze.