Stills

Appears the pipe has a vapour trap, not know if this is tied to the larger sewer line, and a drain out to retrieve the dropped diamond ring if it occurs.

Constrasting grids and block patterns with the smooth roundness of the pipe as well as the oblique angle. And noting the slight symetry of the windows and pipe within the boundaries of the picture. Hard & angular contrasting with round and smooth.
 

I like the simplicity of this one very much. Though I've seen more attractive glass block windows, I don't see hostility here, just a desire for light along with privacy.

As usual, I'm impressed by the apparent neatness and cleanliness of things in a city where even an exposed drainpipe can resemble a work of art.
 

If you had taken this shot on 35mm, how would you have framed it differently?
 

I'm interested in Matt's question too.

I'd like to bet that this scene doesn't look half as interesting in reality as you've made it look in the photo. Although the odd drain might attract attention, I guess that the whole cheap-finish-rough-edge feel of the place more invites one to scurry by than stop and look.
 

In 35mm there would have been much more of a lead in on the left hand side and shot it landscape. I may even have been tempted at a slightly shallower angle of incidence - pushing the drainpip further to the right hand edge. In square I had less of a worry about a lack of anything along the far right and I think two objects of interest work better in this format. With 35mm I think space becomes much more of an issue of how to use it effectively without it seeming empty.
 

'With 35mm I think space becomes much more of an issue of how to use it effectively without it seeming empty.'

That's a statement worth pondering.
 

So are you saying that you compose squares and then, when using 35mm, you have to fill up the sides?
 

I compose based on the format. It took a while to think square but after a few rolls through the camera it became easier to forget 35mm styles of composition. With square I feel much more 'cramped' and so 'empty' space to me is not as noticeable if not creatively used than it would be in 35mm. I like space in the sense that I do try to work with a blank canvas and add to the shot rather than a complete canvas and remove from the shot. Sometimes this is not possible as the final image was not immediately apparent to me. I'll think so more about this tomorrow and post a follow up.
 

I hoped I could add more but I am hitting a blank in converting my thoughts to words. I'm out and about tomorrow morning with the Rollei so will scribble some field notes as to my square format modus operandi - now I finally have a use for that Moleskin I bought!
 

I am amused both photographically and technically.

Photographically the dominance of the 'grid' being challenged by the diagonal 'bend' is amusing to me.

Technically what happens in very cold weather when the water at the bottom of the bend freezes solid?
 

Rex - good question about freezing!!

As to the square/35mm debate, I'm not sure that there is much to debate! One works to the canvas one has (viewfinder). That one has wasted space in 35mm is easily solved by cropping to square. The disadvantage of square is that you have to have the picture right in the first place and that makes landscapes more of a challenge - and possibly better as a result! I can see that the pov here could possibly be different with 35mm but that angle of incident is just as likely with the wider format. My gut feeling is that square is more disciplined; you don't get the potentially ranging dynamism of 35mm that can include or even clip objects not directly related to the subject.
 

Thanks for the comments. I still can't add any further to my method of capture but did scribble a few thoughts down over the weekend. I very much frame with my eyes. However, with square I am, as John says, much more disciplined and do check the edges much more.
 

I use "rectangular" cameras for a few years now but have never forgotten the square. Very often I compose for square with the intent to crop the sides. I would not mind a bit if my DSLR was square :-)

Regarding this picture, that's an excellent addition to the series.

Those small bricks become a very rigid texture that hold the elements together.
 

I like it, a weird, fun encounter, but (purely personal taste and style) I would prefer it taken straight to the wall, without perspective, so it comes even more geometric...