Author Topic: Can dry stone walls be beautiful (link) (Read 3886 times)

Cogent Marketing · « **on:** October 21, 2011, 11:49 »

Not bad photos albeit b&w. Link below. (BBC)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9619000/9619365.stm

RT · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2011, 12:08 »

Of course, anything can be beautiful to someone. On the subject of dry stone walls I think they're great - don't personally think that photo in the link you provided is particularly good though.

Cogent Marketing · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2011, 12:24 »

Quote from: RT on October 21, 2011, 12:08

Of course, anything can be beautiful to someone. On the subject of dry stone walls I think they're great - don't personally think that photo in the link you provided is particularly good though.

I agree. I was not all together impressed either.

It was only posted as a link as a matter of interest to members that might find it to their liking.

Ed · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2011, 13:32 »

The term "low commercial value" comes to mind

In all seriousness though, about 8 months ago, I was shopping around for a texture for the background on a Wordpress Blog and I was impressed at the many stone wall options available - aside from currogated steel, marble, and other textures out there.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2011, 13:34 »

Quote from: RT on October 21, 2011, 12:08

Of course, anything can be beautiful to someone. On the subject of dry stone walls I think they're great - don't personally think that photo in the link you provided is particularly good though.

You didn't like Machu Picchu?

The rest are just piles of rocks in comparison to the intricacy?

Yeah I want the funding to go shoot a series like this. Imagine the travel and time involved. That would really be fun!

I love books, but here's something that a book can't do. Virtual 360 image, with pan and zoom. So cool!

http://www.peru-machu-picchu.com/swf/funerary-rock.htm

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #5 on:** October 21, 2011, 14:17 »

There are many different ways to look at a stone wall. Regarding it simply as a wall made of stones shows a considerable lack of imagination and awareness.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2011, 15:17 »

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on October 21, 2011, 14:17

There are many different ways to look at a stone wall. Regarding it simply as a wall made of stones shows a considerable lack of imagination and awareness.

Absolutely agree.

While most of ours aren't as pretty as many in the UK, where I am the glaciers dumped huge piles of rubble and the eraly farmers and settlers had to clear the land by hand, thus the field walls, property lines of stone piles, sometimes entry gates, fieldstone barns, buildings and sometimes homes. Using local materials has always impressed me. I did find a factory for sale, built in 1905 where the front is natural rock. Very pretty. Just can't decide if I want to move to the middle of nowhere and have expensive radio wave, rather slow "high speed" Internet.

gostwyck · « **Reply #7 on:** October 22, 2011, 11:35 »

Most of those photos I'd classify as 'average to poor'. I'm staggered she's produced an entire book of them and presumably those are some of the best. I really don't get the b&w thing either. The subtle colours of the weathering, the mosses and the lichens are often the most interesting things about dry stone walls; they indicate age and place them in the context of their environment.

Mariana Cook has managed to get herself in the NY Times too;

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/arts/design/stone-walls-personal-boundaries-by-mariana-cook.html

She's a 'protegee' of Ansel Adams apparently. She's certainly a skilled self-publicist.