Martin's back.

I am back. I've returned. Sorry I was missing everyone. I hope you enjoyed One by One. I really liked that concept, Jason. I thought you did a good job of it. I didn't know what would happen, but you became a square for that episode.

I was very square. Hopefully not boring, but just square.

No, not at all. No, not that meaning. I meant purely geometric aspect ratio stuff. You're a very interesting man.

Thank you. Well, we're back for December three by two. So we'll go back to our normal format, three each times two. And I will kick it off this week with, I guess, coincidentally, a square photo. So there you go. But I promise there will be five more after this. So this first one is from Arthur. It is titled the Train Window, which on the surface you would think, okay, probably a window of a train, but there is quite a bit more going on here. So let me paint this picture. We have. We have Arthur taking this photo. There are many, many layers as we kind of go through the Z index of this. So at the very first, in the center is a round window with a frame and a little green piece of tape on top that has a target on it for some reason. Not sure what that's about, but we see Arthur's reflection in this small window. So already we have that as a layer. Then we step through the window and we have this perfect pose of this lady walking with a suitcase, like a roller suitcase. And it looks like she's going left to right in this perfect walking pose. Got the legs sticking out the back. Then we go further back and we have the actual train that was alluded to in the title. And then within the train, we have the actual train window now, so window within a window. And then we have people on the train. And then you can even see through the train further back, beyond the train. So again, so many layers to this. I cannot for the life of me understand where we are, because the train is through this weird circular window of which we are on the outside. So it gives the appearance that I assume the train is in some kind of indoor scenario or underground. And then we have this window looking into it. So it's a very interesting, just architectural decision here of this window looking through into the train station. And I just love that it's this kind of layer upon layer upon layer of people, both from all the way from Arthur's reflection all the way into the train photo itself. And then we have this sort of window upon window upon window situation, which is just really cool. So I came across this. And it was one of those photos that just makes you pause and question what exactly is going on here? And I really love it for that reason. It's just a really cool photo, and I like that it is square around a round window. Just really cool composition.

Yeah, you've summed it up beautifully. And looking at the wall or whatever this, you know, this photo is taken through, I assume Arthur's standing behind a construction wall or something. I don't know. It's almost like it's temporary or it looks kind of harsh with those lines or whatever that grid is around the outer edges, outside the circle. But, yeah, I mean, I love the intention of this photo because, sure, Arthur might have just walked past, noticed this, and snapped it quickly, but I can imagine that maybe Arthur was standing there waiting for that perfect moment. And it did align perfectly. This woman's walked in with her luggage. The train window is framing her through the circular frame that you've already identified. I think it's fantastic. And I. I can admire the creation and maybe the patience in this photo. So, yeah, I'm not sure what else I can add. It's just beautifully done, and it's many photos within one photo. Well done, Arthur.

The kind of photo that makes you want to go and look at this location to learn more.

Yeah. And probably find that it's not as interesting as Arthur's photo could be. All righty. Mine. This is totally different. This one. This photo is called 50 years ago train, and it's taken by Odd and was uploaded to his. I think it's his microdot blog or microdot blog site. I just thought this was a really beautiful and endearing photo. I'm assuming that from the caption, this is a photo of Odd and a sibling or a cousin when they were kids. And the train to which he refers is like cardboard boxes in a row. And you've got this older kid at the front and this younger kid at the back. And I can't quite tell. It's like a. Is that like a kitchen in the background? K cabinets and some sort of oven or stove. And it's like this carpeted rug thing heading into it. It's this kind of one by one square format within a white frame. That was an accident. Thank you, Jason. Yeah, it's just these two kids sitting in this box. Train. And it just. It doesn't need to say anything else. It's just beautiful and nostalgic. I appreciate that Odd shared this moment. The grain in it, the way they're kind of off center. And it leads you into the room that's behind them. It just feels like a family moment that was grabbed on something that definitely wasn't digital and it's been preserved. And it gives us this insight into his life. So, yeah, it just stood out to me and I. I had to put it in the show.

Yeah. This is just. It's just fun. I remember back to being a kid and boxes were like, just. They could be anything. They could be a spaceship, and then they could be a train, and then they could be a house. They could be anything. And it was just such a simpler time to be able to use.

Better than the contents, Jason. Yeah, better than the contents.

Absolutely. Yeah, for sure. And I like that it is in this white frame. I assume this is a scan of an actual photo. I mean, it must be, given that it was from.

You can see august 74. 74, the right hand side.

Yeah. And it has this appearance of 70s where you see that kitchen in the background and the carpet. And the other thing that I noticed, too, was that the. It's titled Train, and they're in this kind of train car setup with the boxes, but the back box actually has a train on it as well.

Yeah.

Which is super fun. So it says if there was this kind of. I can imagine this thought of like, ooh, a train. What if we made our own train out of these boxes? And again, it just. Like you said, it's a. It feels like the kind of photo that is just a quick family snapshot because the kids are doing something fun. And yet it just feels so powerful in the sense of what's coming through in this image. Even though I'm sure this was not. Well, I'm not sure, but I assume this wasn't. You know, let's stage the children so they're in this specific location. And put the tripod. It was just like, hey, look, the kids are doing something. Snap. And that was it. And the. I also really appreciate the younger child here has the hugest smile. So much fun. And the older one is almost feeling a little bit like we were having fun. And now you're kind of turning this into a picture thing. And I don't want to smile because I'm going to be the kid that doesn't want to smile necessarily. And I like that there's like a little bit of a smile, but a little bit of a. Like, hey, this is our thing. Stop trying to take a picture of it.

Brilliant. Yeah, it's just. It's very. How do I put this? It's very relatable and it could like, we know this is odds photo, but it could kind of be anyone. You could see lots of families and people relating to this. So yeah, I hope listeners appreciate it as well. Just the joy, as you put it, particularly on the kid at the back.

And the little bit of. The little bit of chaos behind the train of maybe some parts of the boxes that they didn't really want to use for their project or some.

It's derailing. It's derailing.

Yes.

They're in the process of going right off the tracks.

Yep, for sure. That's great. Number two for me is this is a really interesting one. This is. So this looks like it's part of a365,366 project. It's called Billiard Night and it has a subcaption of the camera sees what our eyes can't see. And I love it. Winky emoticon. And this is of a billiard table and there are. It looks like the, the billiard balls were set up and they're being effectively broken apart by the opening shot. And it's this. It's not a slow shutter speed. I think it's just the fact that this is such a quick action that no matter what, you know, even at, well, I guess it is 1/15 of a second, but it gives this sense of they just got hit by the cue ball and now they are spreading apart. And the ones on the outside are more elongated in the, you know, they're not round anymore, they're being stretched out versus the middle ones that are still not quite hit yet. So they're still pretty round. And it's just this cool play on motion. And I think we always talk about photos capturing, you know, a moment in time. And this is one of those moments in time that you'll quite literally never see again because they'll never bounce in the same possible way ever. And it's just cool to be able to see something like this and freeze a moment that again, like the title said, your eye is never going to see this exact moment, but the camera can. And that's just really appealing to me. And I think that's one of the things I really like about photography is that you can capture moments that you quite literally will never see with the naked eye. And I think the perspective here is really interesting because you could have done it potentially from maybe the person on the far right, but it's actually from this kind of. Is it like a three quarter angle? I think it is in terms of angle, and it just gives, like, a neat perspective to this event that's taking place. And I just really like that.

Yeah, I agree completely with you. When it comes to the decisiveness of the photo and, as you say, capturing that specific moment in time, adding to what you say about the perspective. I like the fact that it frames. Really. How do I put this? It feels broad on the table. There's a lot of the top of the table in the photo, but it's very restricted to the table. So the only thing that you see beyond the table is the top left corner, which is pure black. So it focuses entirely on this. So it feels very deliberately framed, very purposeful in the fact that it's not showing you the rest of the room. And I think it could have been tempting to zoom in even further. And that could be a cool photo in itself, just showing you that kind of mad flurry of blurry color. But it feels like it's this kind of perfect midpoint for this photo where we're not distracted by the players or the rest of the room and we're not too zoomed into the billiard balls. It just kind of shows you this expanse of the table. So, yeah, I think I quite admire the craft of this one. It was a good decision.

It gives a good context because if it were just green felt into infinity.

Yeah.

I don't know if it would have the same feeling as being able to have that constraint of the edge and the fact that that cue ball sure looks like it's driving towards that side pocket, which you don't want in this particular scenario playing this game. Whereas if it were just in, you know, for a crop to be infinitely green felt, you maybe wouldn't have that kind of tension of like, oh, boy, that looks like it's going somewhere you don't want it to go. So, yeah, I like how there is just that little bit of cushion and edge there on the side.

No. Great selection. Very, very good. And well done, Hans. I don't know if you play billiards or pool or snooker. Maybe just photograph it. But anyway, you're good at photographing it. Put it that way, we won't question your billiard skills. My next photo, number two, I have drawn from Deb on Flickr, and it's called Windy Flat Top Mountain. There's a caption that goes with it and it says, it was super windy when I took this photo in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, usa. The wind was blowing snow over the peaks, making them look foggy and mysterious. She is not wrong. It looks very foggy and mysterious. You've got this beautiful line of conifers or pine trees or whatever down the bottom that's dark. And as you go further and further up the photo with these kind of peaks and the. And the clouds and the fog and mist shining through, it gets lighter and lighter. It's almost like a kind of, I suppose, textured mountainous gradient. I know I sound probably very lofty and ridiculous saying that, but it's like these layers leading up to this, these heavens, the sky. And I just thought it was beautiful. Really, really nice. And it's kind of, I suppose. How do I put this? I would look at a scenario like this and be very tempted to edit it further, you know, like ramp up that contrast or definition or the kind of black point a bit. But in whatever way that Deb has edited this or not edited it, it kind of retains, I think, the reality of the situation. I think it's a beautiful landscape and it really lends itself to being portrait because it leads your eyes up the frame. So I just thought this was a gorgeous portrait of a mountain or set of mountains.

I think your gradient is exactly right. It is a. It's a very interesting gradient because it goes from when I see this. And it does draw me from. I think it depends on maybe who you are, but it draws me from bottom to top versus top to bottom.

Yes, I agree.

And I feel like that's maybe opposite to what I would expect because I would think the brighter thing would catch my eye and then I would work my way down. But I'm drawn to that bottom, very, you know, a bunch of trees and very familiar. And it feels like the further it goes up, the more otherworldly it starts to become. You have less trees, you have less definition. And then at the very top, there's just this aura glowing that feels like you've gone, you know, into this other world as you've gone up the frame. And I really. I really like that. I think it's super cool how you kind of go from, you know, earth to the beyond, almost going from bottom to top. And I think you're right about the. You could easily turn this into a harshly contrasted thing. But I actually really like the light tones. I think going from this, you lose.

The essence of the photo.

Yeah, I think you're right. I think you're absolutely right. I think this would be a completely different thing if we had changed the contrast or the black point or whatever. And also looking at the kind of harsh edges on that Middle part, it gives this almost sleeping Godzilla kind of feel to it. A little bit of the. Like if you looked at the. Which is probably a stretch here, but if you looked at like the back of Godzilla with like the fins, like it kind of gives this look of that almost where it could be some kind of creature almost which, you know, a mountain is kind of its own entity. But yeah, I just. I like how it goes from this. Just very normal. Not like. Not in a negative way, but just trees up to this. Again, kind of ethereal otherworldness up top. Just a really cool transition going from bottom to top.

I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I do. What's your next one?

My last one for the three of my three by two. This one is. And I'm probably gonna mispronounce this, but I'm going to say this is from Jorg, probably close, hopefully.

Joerg, I think.

Joerg. Okay. Joerg, I believe so we'll go with that. And it's titled the so called Devil's Bridge. And man, this is. I. First of all, this doesn't look real. This looks like it's from a movie, some kind of Lord of the Rings type of situation or something. Because it's just this scene. You're pretty far back Probably, I don't know, 35ish millimeters I would guess. And this bridge is this perfect arc over water that with the reflection forms effectively a perfect circle, which is so pleasing. But it's so razor thin, this bridge. I don't know if people actually cross this bridge. It seems pretty hairy, I would say, if you're gonna cross it. But it is again a perfect circle and it has these. It looks almost like bamboo or reeds on either side, which might also could potentially be made of stone as well. I'm not sure. It is a bridge. Like no, no other. I've never seen anything like this. All I want to do is go to this place and look at this bridge because it's incredibly beautiful. But this perfect circularness is just. It's astounding. The water itself is perfectly clear on one side and has some. Has some motion on the left side, which I can imagine. People probably go here and wait for a very long time to get that day where that water is perfectly mirror flat. Because that circle in a mere flat water situation would just be like no other. So it's an incredible photo. I love the fact that it is this perfect circle within the frame. And I kind of almost appreciate the fact that it's not mirror Flat. Because it would almost be.

That's exactly what I was gonna say.

It would almost be too perfect. Right. Like it would feel made up almost. So really cool photo.

This is. This is different, obviously from the billiards photo. Right. But I think like showing a little bit beyond the table or not showing pure green felt. This is different, but it has the same vibe of. If it were perfect, if it were totally mirror flat, I don't think it would have the same depth in the image. It wouldn't be as interesting. So by having these kind of ripples or that choppiness in the water, it gives you some sense of depth. It kind of reaches into this kind of Devil's Gate, this portal. So I think you sometimes need a bit of that break in the perfection to actually tell you what's going on in the photo. I think this helps the eye a little bit more by having that imperfect ripple section. I think it's better for that.

Yeah. And the fact that there's more of those, whatever those vertical pieces are through the circle in the background, I like that it continues back there as well and then onward into the trees, which is just again, another layer on this location where you have up front here, you have these kind of really gnarly looking trees, but in the back, very tall, very thin, very straight trees as a background for the whole image. Just really cool. Really, really neat.

Brilliant. Well, that's a good final selection. Thank you, Jason. And thank you, Joerg. I am going to share my last photo now, which was taken by now. I think this is how you say his name. I'm a fan of his photos on glass. I'll be honest. Is it Shlomi? Is that how you pronounce it? Because I don't think I've ever actually heard it said.

I don't know. We could go with that.

Anyway, I sincerely apologize because I know who you are on glass. I think you take fantastic photos. I enjoy following them, but, yeah, I think I've only ever seen it written. Anyway, this is called when am I? And it's a portrait shot in black and white of a, let's say subway train in New York City. I think stretching into the distance and you can see this woman entering the train. You can only see her from behind. She's wearing, we can't tell the color, but obviously it's gray in this long sleeve top and this skirt and these high heel shoes. And she looks like she could be from I don't know what era. It's a modern photo. He's Taken it today. But with the combination of the black and white and the train and this woman's attire, it could be the 50s, it could be the 60s, I don't know. So it's almost like he's traveled in time a bit just by focusing on this one person with the train, which, look, I'm not as familiar with new. I mean, I have visited New York City, but I don't know how much the trains and architecture has changed over time. But it looks like this could have been taken decades ago, but it was today.

I was thinking 50s as well, actually, when you first put this in the notes, it felt, I think, for a couple of reasons. So black and white, obviously, is going to make things feel older for sure. And I appreciate the black and white here. I love that the train goes on forever. From left to right. You don't see an end or beginning, but also the fact that they're. It's seemingly so empty, which is not what you would expect from, like a New York subway. It's. All the train cars are open, even the ones you can see in don't look super full. And there's only one person getting on. And then presumably the person taking the photo is there as well. But it gives this sort of things where there was less people at a certain point in time and. And it's not the case because it says this was, what, 2024, so fairly recently. But I love the motion of the. Of the way the feet are positioned to give this. This sense of moving into the train and the fact that it is just so alone and it's just almost like a. A documentary about this one person and what they're doing and nothing else is really happening around them. In a place where you would expect there to be a lot of busyness and excitement, it feels somehow peaceful, which is not what I would expect from a subway. Anywhere is peaceful or serene. But this does a nice job of giving that feeling. And I also appreciate the long tube lights that follow the line of the train and sort of mirror them in a way where there are these distinct pieces of lighting that sort of match up with the pieces of train on the tracks. It's like a train track of lighting effectively above the train that just kind of gives a cool. A cool bit of extra lines going down to follow not only the train, but the floor itself with the tiles that are going down to giving this sense of. This is all heading in a single direction.

It's just really satisfying.

Yep.

And I appreciate it. And yeah, I feel like each One of the photos that we've shared today is quite different. I mean, there were two square photos, but there wasn't really that much crossover, I think.

No, I think we had a pretty good mixture.

I'm always curious to see what gets dropped in the notebook.

That's what I like most about this is we don't really do anything ahead of time for sharing. It's like, here they are, like, let's go.

And super professional photographers tuning in and going. These guys are just making up.

Well, hopefully it's all taken in kindness because we're picking them because we love them and we just, you know.

Absolutely.

We're not professional critiques. We just really like talking about other people's work and it inspires us and hopefully it inspires others.

That's what the Internet should be about, right?

Absolutely.

The web should be a nice place. So thank you for listening, everyone, and we hope that you've enjoyed being in a nice place. Yeah, just make the Internet a nice place, please.

Please do have a good rest of the 2024 and we will see you in 2025.

Thanks, Jason. Thanks, listeners.

Thanks, Martin.