It occurred to me tonight, that although I do love industrial type images, is the beauty as thin as aesthetics only?
What I mean is, I enjoy moody and atmospheric images, especially landscapes covered in fog and mist, with long flat shadows streaking across them. I really love the natural world, and all the wild life it holds.
Quite contrary to that though, I also enjoy big dirty industrial images, like mechanical oil guzzling landscapes. Thing is, it feels very at odds with the natural world I love so much.
I almost feel guilty enjoying images like the ones I’ve captured tonight. Thing is, I do enjoy them, the lights are bright, which is handy when your travelling home from work at 8:30pm this time of year, and the sun disappeared at 4pm. Plus the steam and smoke is really atmospheric, and adds some movement and drama to the scenes. Industry also equals jobs, prospects, opportunities and human life. There is a comfort in that, in a way.
So I guess, take these images as I do, on face value of aesthetics, and see whatever deeper meaning you feel suits you, from them.
Finally, I played around a little in Lightroom with the image above, not something I normally do but it was just too tempting to put light beams on the flood lights. Just a bit of fun.
Learnings – well not so much photographic learning tonight, so much as a self awareness and understanding. Enjoying what you enjoy, especially in any of the art forms, should always be guilt free. We are who we are, and we enjoy what we enjoy for the reasons we enjoy them.
Onegav 