Picture This

Urban Art

Staff | Jul 19, 2013 | First Published: Jun 1, 2013

Our assignment this month was Urban Art, and I am happy to report, based on the wide range of images we received, that the art form is alive and well. Photos ranged from the wildly colorful to the nostalgic, with a good seasoning of irony and surrealism thrown in for good measure. A number of areas seemed to inspire photographs based on the artfulness and placement of work, which helped us create a list of places we’d love to visit someday with camera in hand. In all, we hope you enjoy the diversity of art and points of view as much as we did when viewing the work.

South St., Philadelphia, PA
This idealized beach montage on the side of a store in Philadelphia was photographed by Don Biresch with a Nikon D100 camera and a Nikkor 70-200mm VR lens. Exposure was f/16 at 1/320 sec at ISO 400.
© Don Biresch

Cincinnati, OH
The lifelike “trompe l’oeil” character of this painting on the side of a Kroger’s supermarket attracted the attention of Emilio Fernandez, and ours, too. Exposure with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and a Tamron 28-300mm lens was f/8 at 1/180 sec at ISO 800.
© Emilio Fernandez

TriBeca, New York City
Photographer Sandra Wittman wrote, “These crows were gathered on a small industrial building…a gathering of crows is called a ‘murder.’” We’re not sure why, but the pattern is certainly eye-catching. Photographed with a Canon EOS 7D and a Canon EF 28-135mm IS USM lens, exposure was f/11 at 1/60 sec at ISO 1000.
© Sandra Wittman

Lawrence, MA
When you see a work of art like this photograph it, as it may not be around for much longer. Someone was already at work defacing it here, with the “Pepsin” brand reduced to “sin.” Kenneth F. Trocki made this photo with a Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor 55-300mm lens and an exposure of f/10 at 1/100 sec.
© Kenneth F. Trocki

Athens, Greece
Montage via torn posters is always a fruitful subject, one whose success is often based on the photographer framing it in an artful and balanced way. Such was the case of this image made by David Veal with a Nikon D700 and a Nikkor 24-70mm lens and an exposure of f/4.5 at 1/80 sec.
© David Veal

Wynwood Art District, Miami, FL
We received a number of images from this area and it’s now on our list of “must visits.” The classic car creates an odd but somehow fitting juxtaposition to the mural. Nicholas Provenzo photographed with a Sony NEX-7 and an 18-200mm lens.
© Nicholas Provenzo

Ben Wheeler, TX
We’re not sure if this one is restored or just an excellent copy, but it’s a classic just the same. Jim Mitchell made this photo with a Nikon D800 and a Nikkor 28-300mm lens and an exposure of f/8 at 1/1250 sec at ISO 400.
© Jim Mitchell

MeatPacking District, New York
This collective sticker montage is a cultural mélange of commercial iconography. Wayne Camarco caught it with a Nikon D70 and a Nikkor 18-70mm lens and an exposure of f/6.3 at 1/160 sec and fill flash.
© Wayne Camarco

Haight St., San Francisco, CA
This frog seems to be eyeing those gas and electric meters as a possible meal in this paint and object study by Arnold Benetti. Exposure with a Canon EOS 7D and a Canon 17-35mm lens was f/22 at 1/125 sec at ISO 400.
© Arnold Benetti

Wynwood Art District, Miami, FL
Here’s another one of our favorites from the Miami scene, with the painting on the iron fence adding a deft graphic touch. Sonny Saunders made the photo with a Canon EOS 7D and an EF 24-105mm lens and an exposure of f/5.6 at 1/200 sec.
© Sonny Saunders

Old Québec City, Canada
This building-side artwork might be a compendium of the lives and activities of those who once lived in it and its environs. Allan Pearson made this photo with a Sony Alpha A55 and a Tamron 18-200mm lens with an exposure of f/8 at 1/160 sec at ISO 400.
© Allan Pearson

Newark, NY
Painted on the foundation of a bridge, this amazing artwork is both reflected in the water and in its evocation of another era. Carl H. Crumley used a three-shot HDR with a Canon EOS 5D and an EF 24-105mm lens.
© Carl H. Crumley

Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
Urban art can be mobile as well, as in this photo of a tour bus that rolls through town and environs. Donald Loring photographed it with a Nikon D2X and a Nikkor 18-200mm lens with an exposure of f/8 at 1/100 sec at ISO 200.
© Donald Loring

Los Angeles, CA
Photographer Frank Goroszko photographed this massive mural and gave a good sense of its scale by incorporating the parking lot over which Mr. Quinn dances. Exposure with a Nikon D300 and a Sigma 10-20mm lens was f/11 at 1/1000 sec at ISO 400.
© Frank Goroszko

Monterey, CA
Cannery Row is remembered with this mural on the side of what photographer Arnold Kaufman describes as “the remains of a sardine factory.” Exposure with a Nikon D800 was f/13 at 1/800 sec.
© Arnold Kaufman

Picture This! – Our Next Assignment
Color Play
Our next Picture This! assignment is Color Play, and we’re looking for images that have a wide range of color within the frame, at least six different vibrant and distinct hues and shades. Start with the primaries and then look to include the tints and shades. Subject matter is wide open, but please, no excessive saturation or color add after processing.

This photo was made at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival with a Nikon D3X and a Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lens and an exposure of f/7.1 at 1/200 sec at ISO 400.
© George Schaub

Please Read This
It is important that you read and follow these guidelines. We need to follow this procedure because of the large volume of images we receive. If you have any questions, please e-mail us at: editorial@shutterbug.com.

1) Images sent to us cannot be returned. You retain complete copyright over the images, but do grant us permission to print your image(s) in the magazine and on our website, www.shutterbug.com.

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5) Please submit no more than three photos for consideration (4x6 up to 81/2x11).

Send your image and information to:
Picture This! Shutterbug Magazine,
1415 Chaffee Dr., Suite #10, Titusville, FL 32780.
Deadline For Submission: July 15, 2013
Images will appear in our October 2013 issue

Our Next Topic: Sense Of Scale
Deadline For Submission: August 15, 2013
Images will appear in our November 2013 issue

Please note: We receive hundreds of submissions for Picture This! each month and want to be sure we properly identify each image we publish. Please put your name and all camera, exposure information on the back of the print or attached to slides when submitting. Also, please include your e-mail address in case we need to contact you.

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