Experiment #2: What do you see?

December 14, 2009 G Dan Mitchell 25 Comments

In this experiment I invite you to view a sequence of six jpg files that include different versions of the same original photograph.

All six images seen at the link began as the same original source file – a RAW file from a high quality full frame camera.
Three versions of this file were created, with each altered in a particular way I won’t yet reveal in advance – let’s call them versions #1, #2, and #3.
Each of the three versions was then duplicated – in other words two identical copies of version #1 were created, two identical copies of version #2 were created, and two identical copies of version #3 were created.
The six files were randomly assigned slightly different file names so that in the end we have File A, File B, File C, File D, File E, and File F.
The six images were then sequenced into a “slide show” version that automatically switches between them, but which also allows the viewer to select them individually.

The Experiment

After you view the linked files in your web browser as presented at the linked page I would like you to consider three questions:

By viewing the files in your web browser as presented here are you able to perceive any visual differences between the files aside from the letters A-F indicating the different images?
If you do perceive differences among them, to what would you attribute the visual difference?
By viewing them in your web browser as presented, can you identify the pairs of identical images?

Click on this link to view the sequence of six presentations of the photograph. The sequence should open in a new window/tab when you click the link. Return here to report your results by adding a comment to this post. (Note: The link was briefly broken – apologies to those who got the missing page error. The problem should now be resolved. Direct URL: https://gdanmitchell.com/images/Experiment2/index.html )

Caveats and Warnings

I do not make any claims that this is a scientifically constructed experiment – let’s call it an informal investigation of a potentially interesting question.
If you view the comments of other participants before offering your own response you may be influenced by what they write. Therefore in the spirit of the experiment you should decide on your results before posting your response and before viewing the comment page – and resist the temptation to change your results after reading what others say.
The whole point of this exercise is to consider what you see when you look at these image in your web browser. If you want to participate, please limit your consideration of the images to viewing them in your browser on the linked page.
Feel free to look at the images as many times as you want or to switch among them manually. (You might want to mention the extent of your careful viewing in your comment.)
I’ll stipulate that if you download the files and carefully investigate them that you will possibly find differences whether you can see them or not. But don’t – this isn’t the point here. If you can’t resist doing this please keep your discoveries to yourself until the end. (I’ll also point out that I could do things in the files that might mislead you… ;-)
You are welcome to hold positive or negative opinions about the aesthetic quality of the photograph, but please keep those out of your response to this experiment.
I am not saying in advance what the difference are nor am I making any assumptions ahead of time about what the results will be. It is best if you do the same and keep an open mind.
I plan to reveal everything about the experiment in a day or two.

(This is the second in a series of visual experiments that I invite you to try. You can see the previous Experiment #1 and the followup post about the results.)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Architectural Forms, San Francisco

December 14, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Black and white photography of juxtaposed architectural forms in downtown San Francisco, California.

This is another “urban landscape” – this one obviously focusing on the juxtapositions of dark and light (both light/shadow and white/black), vertical and horizontal, the inclusion of a single curved shape at the upper right, and the effect of converging perspective lines. Although this looks like a photograph that more likely would have been shot from the tripod, this was actually done handheld while walking up Market Street not too far from the San Francisco Bay on a morning when Bay fog was just clearing away near the waterfront.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: san francisco, california, usa, travel, tourist, scenic, city, urban, downtown, building, architecture, window, column, wall, railing, cement, concrete, stone, angle, converge, perspective, sky, black, white, monochrome, light, shadow, form, texture, morning, stock

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Steps and Landing, The Embarcadero

December 13, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

With west end of the Bay Bridge above, steps lead down to a bayside landing along the Embarcadero on a foggy morning in San Francisco, California.

I think this will be the first in short string of urban landscapes coming up over the next few days. During the last few weeks of the year I go back through all of my (many thousands of!) RAW files, rediscovering images that I somehow forgotten about and finding some that I had not really paid attention to at the time. This one falls into the former category.

For some reason this spot along the Embarcadero always intrigues me. On one hand it seems like it should provide access to the water for people strolling along the Embarcadero on the San Francisco Bay waterfront since it opens directly from the sidewalk. But on the other hand something seems just a bit dangerous about it. I’m not sure if it is the ominous warning signs along the steps, the wet and slippery concrete, or something else. In any case, I’ve photographed it a few times. This black and white version was photographed on a foggy morning near the end of summer as the overcast was just barely beginning to thin.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: san francisco, california, usa, travel, tourist, scenic, city, urban, downtown, landing, steps, stairs, railing, water, waterfront, bay, oakland, bridge, fog, clouds, pier, dock, building, palm, tree, concrete, cement, cable, suspension, black and white, monochrome, fence, sign, street, sidewalk, urban, west, grafitti, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Forest Trail

December 12, 2009 G Dan Mitchell 3 Comments

A path winds through a grove of large trees along Tioga Pass Road, Yosemite National Park, California.

I was on my way home from a backpacking trip in the Tuolumne Meadows region in September when it started to become cloudy – conditions I like for shooting during the day in the forest. I found a place to pull over along Tioga Pass Road – I think it was near a trail that might run between White Wolf and Lukens Lake, but I’m not certain – and I found this quiet section of forest full of large trees and open ground.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: tree, forest, grove, trunk, evergreen, tall, vertical, needles, green, trail, path, walk, hike, branch, dark, cloudy, hill, dense, yosemite, national, park, california, usa, tioga, pass, road, highway, sierra, nevada, mountain, range, wilderness, scenic, travel, nature, landscape, quiet, stock, hill

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.