dentist

dentist
Originally uploaded by .lou.

Frames come in many forms. We just have to recognize them.

The bureau(?) in the centre is interesting to look at but isn't too distracting. It has become part of the frame. The extra light in the other room always grabs our attention.

We can find interesting Glimpses anywhere. All we have to do is look.

View through the wall

View through the wall
Originally uploaded by Drift Words.

We might have seen too much of the house and property if the plants were absent. They act as a second frame and add an exotic flavour to the photo.

Alley

Alley
Originally uploaded by Auntie P.

Alleys are interesting subjects for Glimpse shots. They are narrow and often twisting and therefore provide great frames. Furthermore we can walk through them and are tempted to see where they go.

key hole of the church door

key hole of the church door
Originally uploaded by Brenda Lee.

Another classic Glimpse. The beautiful window is a small reward for someone taking the time to peek in the keyhole.

From Scene To Glimpse

Using this series of pictures I hope to show the difference between a scene and a Glimpse. A scene is something viewed or a setting. When I think of a photographic scene I tend to think first of a landscape. Whether the scene is something natural or something made by humans the photographer's goal is to get the best and clearest record of it (in most cases).

The following picture is a scene that has no relation to a Glimpse. Nothing in the picture is obscured and there is no frame.


PB Highway by firemind.


In the following scene we see the addition of a frame. The frame doesn't block much of the view however. I never submitted this to Glimpse.


Ring View by firemind.


The following photo was one of my earliest submissions. It does have a frame and there are glimpses involved. My issue with it now is that the glimpses are spread out at the edges and the main focal point ends abruptly at the front door of the house.


Whyte 5 by firemind.


The following photo has one clear glimpse at the left. The glimpse attracts our attention to some degree but it has to compete with the ship. The dominating feature of this photo is the black and white sunburst design. That's what I intended to photograph and anything else was a nice addition. The photo is a Glimpse but it is borderline. It happened to fit the criteria so I submitted it to the pool.

What's "wrong" with it? The subject of the photo is the frame instead of the Glimpse.


SSBeaver3 by firemind.


The next photo is a nice Glimpse. It has a solid frame which is in focus and the glimpse is in focus. There is enough mystery in the picture to keep a viewer guessing. If the area in the center had a few less trees this glimpse wouldn't work.


Tall Trees by firemind.


The following photo is a classic Glimpse. We can see something when we look between the two tree trunks but we cannot see more without moving to another location. What we can see isn't spectacular but it is clear and suggests that there is more to see. If we wish to look at the glimpsed area further we can go to it.


Beyond by firemind.


As you can see from these photos a Glimpse is different from a scene or landscape. Taking good Glimpse photos is possible if we stop trying to get the clearest view. Think G.L.I.M.P.S.E.

G.L.I.M.P.S.E.

Great
Location
Intervening
Materials
Prevent
Seeing
Everything.

As in: Hmmm, this looks like a Great Location to photograph a Glimpse. The Intervening Materials (the frame) Prevent me from Seeing Everything.

---

This was surprisingly hard to come up with. I think the acronym can help people remember the group's objectives and limitations.

channel 11

channel 11
Originally uploaded by _noah_.


This is another Glimpse that draws us toward it. In this case we cannot follow safely for as _noah_ says:

beyond the edge waits a precipitous drop. i find to my dismay that the most enticing glimpses are often at the end of the road and can be nothing more.

So true _noah_. But, that's what our imagination is for.

the possibility of soft and green

the possibility of soft and green
Originally uploaded by hurleygurley.

This is one of those glimpses that draws you in. In this case its not due to mystery but due to the appeal of the lush green grass. Oh how nice it would to go through that hole and lay down.

jet waiting

jet waiting
Originally uploaded by zen.

This is an interesting example of a Glimpse.

It may have been just another 'portrait' of an airplane. The crowd of people may have been more visible and confused the image. These things didn't happen.

The plane is visible and suggests travel to somewhere else. The crowd is in silhouette and thus becomes part of the frame. The jet becomes a little more mysterious and tantalizing.

Hallway Through Peephole

Hallway Through Peephole
Originally uploaded by Chris Campbell.

Imagine it is three a.m. and there is a disturbance down the hall. You peep through the hole trying to see what is going on. You dread opening the door unless you become involved or at least embarrassed.

You have a problem. While you can see a little of the world beyond the door you can't see everything. What can be discerned is distorted. Unconsciously you move your head around trying to see more clearly.

This is a classic Glimpse.

Levels

Levels
Originally uploaded by firemind.

This was my first submission to Glimpse.

I was having a latte in the Starbucks at Chapters and I couldn't stop watching the lower levels. I was relaxed and open to ideas and liked how the people seemed to disappear and reappear. I had to take the pic.

When I heard of the Glimpse group I knew this photo belonged there.

Poppi Alleyway

Poppi Alleyway
Originally uploaded by Auntie P.

Auntie P set the groups tone with this fine Glimpse.

Glimpse is NOT

Auntie P posted a topic called "Glimpse is NOT" to help members post appropriate photos to the pool. This is an adaptation of that post.

---

Instead of saying again what a Glimpse IS, I thought I'd try saying what a Glimpse IS NOT.

NOT tunnels, corridors or streets that disappear to nothing - there must be something glimpsed at the end, you must be able to see a little of what is beyond.

NOT any photograph that happens to have a window in it - we don't want to see the inside of a place with an empty window, or to see a window but not be able to see what's hiding inside.

NOT any photograph that has a frame - trees, doorways and windows do make good Glimpses, but if the frame is at the edges and we get a good view of outside, it's not a Glimpse it's a view.

NOT photographs so abstract you can't Glimpse anything discernable - we need some curiosity, a hint at least.

NOT photographs where the Glimpse is not prominent - some are photos of, say, a wall, with a little of what's beyond showing at the side or above, but it's still a photo of a wall and not a Glimpse.

NOT reflections that fill the whole frame - unless the reflection only shows a tiny portion of the scene.

NOT photos that just show a part of something - that's an abstract or a close-up but not a Glimpse.

NOT a framing object like a sculpture or gate where the background is not in focus - that's a photo of the object and not the Glimpse beyond.

---

Negatives can help one understand a subject. If your photo fits one of the descriptions above it probably isn't a Glimpse.

Tutorials

Occasionally we will write tutorials to help people take good Glimpse photos. They will cover a variety of ideas and subjects that should be useful to photographers in general and Glimpse members in particular.

1. Glimpse is NOT


2. G.L.I.M.P.S.E


3. From Scene To Glimpse


4. A Photo Subject's Relationship To The Frame


5. The Two Trees Exercise


6. Glimpse Definitions

About Us

Firemind (Leon):

I have been interested in photography sporadically for many years. Recently I joined Flickr and began to become 'addicted' again.

I take a wide variety of photos. Sometimes I photograph intuitively and sometimes I plan out my shots. When Auntie P asked me to become an Admin in the Glimpse group I looked at what I had to offer the group besides my time. I wanted to help people take good photos as well as help with the maintenance of the group. I want to challenge myself by writing about photography. If my ideas help you learn then I am doing something right. I am not a professional photographer. I'm just an enthusiast who enjoys helping others.

I started blogging two years ago and I really enjoy it. I like to share ideas with people and blogging is a fun way to do that. I manage two group blogs. The Demo Blog is a teaching blog and a place to share ideas. Its purpose is to help new bloggers enjoy the hobby. Our Photoblog is where members of The Demo Blog show their photos. While Take A Glimpse isn't officially related to these blogs I hope it will carry on their traditions. I hope this blog will be a place to share ideas and show great pics.

Auntie P:

I've been interested in photography since I can remember,
and have, until recently, been a dedicated film user. I
have three old manual SLRs which I love - particularly my
Pentax SV which is a tiny bit older than I am. I love
processing my own black and white photos but don't get a
chance to do that very often.

I've always loved doorways, windows and alleyways,
particularly if you can see that they lead to somewhere
else. I live on the Isle of Wight in the south of the UK
and many of our old towns here have very narrow alleys
between buildings, particularly those connected with the
sea. I love the little glimpses you get, either of the
ocean, a marina, or perhaps the rear garden of a shop where
many interesting things are stored, or are being left to rot
(decay is another obsession of mine).

I realised, not long after getting a pro acount on Flickr
and uploading lots of my photos, that my Glimpse obsession
was quite clear cut. My definition was simple and
straightforward, or so I thought, so I started the group.

The response was fantastic. I discovered two things.

1. There are many more appropriate interpretations of a
Glimpse, which many of the members have shown me through
their images.

2. Some people just don't read group descriptions.

The group has grown rapidly and I found that it was taking
up a lot of my time weeding out the non-glimpses. I needed
help. I remembered Firemind's images and was sure I'd never
deleted any of his submissions to the group. He seemed
really to have grasped the concept, and more to the point,
enjoyed it.

I was delighted when he said he'd join me at the helm.
He's full of great ideas, including this blog.

Introduction

Welcome to Take A Glimpse. This blog is a companion to the Glimpse group at Flickr. Auntie P started the group to showcase:

photographs that show a glimpse to another place or world. It's the idea of a secret garden beyond the gate, an exciting adventure to be had beyond the place you are.

Photographs should include the 'frame' through which you view the 'other place' - eg a window frame, a doorway, a barrier of some sort. Or it could be a natural frame created by the leaves and branches of a tree, a crowd of people, etc.

However just having a frame is not enough. Big frames give too much away. The Glimpse must be small or partial. We don't want windows etc that show a big scene.

The main point is that you should be able to see a tantalising glimpse of what is beyond.

That tantalising glimpse can be difficult to capture.

This blog will showcase interesting examples of Glimpse photos and will provide ideas and tutorials for photographers. I hope that you find this site useful and that you enjoy the pictures. Our photos are hosted at Flickr and can be viewed at a larger size by clicking on them.

Copyright: This blog is licensed under a Creative Commons license. Please note that individual pictures may be licensed differently.