Stills

This is quite intriguing in terms of tilt as the buildings are collapsing to the left but there are uprights on the far hillside that do not lean so one can only presume that the house wasn't given a level base on this near slope! This makes Scotland look positively hospitable! I'm not surprised that people left here: it must have been a grim struggle.

The objects in the foreground and to the left help with the generally derelict look and to avoid the 'picturesque', particularly that box in the middle. I think that the conversion of the grasses works well to convey their original hues.
 

I'm with what John said except the bit about grim struggle. I'm not sure that we can say that from the evidence here. Abandoned yes, but unusable...I don't know.

I like the way that you've managed to create a white/black look in some places whilst keeping some grays around the wagon and the buildings.
 

I was working on the assumption that there isn't too much water there - but I could be wrong!
 

Doug - you are right. It's Bodie. And, of course now that you pointed out the highlight at the bottom, I notice it has intensified. That needs fixing.

John - Bodie, near Lake Tahoe in California, was a boom town 1877 to 1879. In its heyday, it was known for its wicked climate and more than it's share of wicked outlaws and bad whiskey. As the mines played out the town was ravaged by two fires. Today, less than 10% of the town remains; still it is the largest ghost town in the western US. In 1962, it was was designated a state park--wicked climate and all. The park rangers are kept fairly busy propping up structures.

I am relieved that the conversion of the grasses works well. B&W is definitely not my first language.

Colin - There is certainly enough there—with amazing access available to guests—to clearly indicate the affluence of those boom days. Evidently, it was, for a brief time, quite glorious.

I was surprised by the tones in the image, since I was first in love with the color version. (Typical of me.)

John - I believe you are right about scant water—a common plight in much of California. But during those boom years, that didn't stop the growth and innovaton. According to publications available at the park, "Bodie was the first town (in the world?) to operate an electric stamp mill using Alertnating Current (A.C.) over long distance power lines!" Apparently, most people thought the investors in that venture were crazy. After all, while there were other stamp mills generating electricity inside or very near their mills, no others were using A.C. over long distance power lines. The new technology worked and added to the brief success of the town.
 

I have trouble breaking this one into the shapes I usually see but then I am not looking with my eyes but being shown what you saw with yours.
I either want to see more of the landscape these items sit in or less of it. The negative spaces are not interesting enough even so there is some refuse of past days in them.
The rendition of the grasses and artifacts are wonderful and I quite enjoy them. Maybe seeing this larger and all the extra details would make it more engaging for me.
 

I have a similar view to Robert. My first response was the image was a bit loose. I felt the hay wain was the major subject with the buildings creating the environment, however the 'looseness' makes me feel you did not intend the hay wain to be the major subject.

If B&W is not your first language you are doing a good job at making yourself understood! A good conversion.
 

Robert - Very interesting observation. It makes sense to me. On the other hand, when I played with it (for only a moment or two, I admit--getting out of town for a couple of days), I didn't find anything I liked. That's probably only because I am not clever enough.

The even more significant comment for me is your vote of confidence on rendering the grasses and artifacts. I am intrigued by b&w, but feel a bit lost.

Rex - I confess my ignorance. I was not familiar with the term "wain", so I had a great time learning a new word. Thanks. In terms of everything else, I suppose it's a big oops then. The wain was meant to be the major subject and I already knew I would do it differently next time. Better luck next time, right?

And thank you for more encouragement re. b&w conversion. Since I am totally addicted to color, I'm not apt to get a whole lot of practice, but maybe I will try it more often in the future.
 

'Since I am totally addicted to color'

As someone who is totally addicted to B&W, I can tell you that playing on the other side of fence can be a good thing even if the results aren't what you expected. In this case, the B&W conversion works quite well.

I do wonder if the composition might have been a bit tighter. The wagon, and the two buildings create a pleasing triangle, but it seem to get lost in the surrounding space.
 

The objects make a rather pleasing curve though I do find that the wooden structure in front of the far house could do with being unjoined somehow. The tilt does work in its favour too - you exepect the whole scene to go sloping off with little prior notice. That gives the shot a small tinge of expectancy but otherwise it comes over as very still and quiet.
 

but it seem to get lost in the surrounding space.

I saw the space as necessary here. The place looks like it might be one with space and big skies.
 

I'm with Colin - not much space to get lost in here! I can see a composition that gets close to the cart or, conversely, one from, say, a point on the hill with a wider view but this is perhaps closest to linking the objects in the space necessary.
 

As mentioned, the tones and conversion are excellent here. The grasses in the foreground really come across well.

The slope is an interesting aspect of the image -- it makes me look at the background in order to "right" things. I'm back and forth on the composition -- think I'm with Robert on wanting either a bit more or less.
 

So much to "chew on" here. I had struggled with the composition and final cropping a bit, but was aiming for what Colin touched on: open space and a suggestion of big skies.

This stimulating discussion set me thinking about how our manner of seeing may be influenced by our environment. I am a total product of the American southwest and a passionate lover of distant horizons, big skies and pretty much everything that the west stands for. (Probably a result of growing up in and living for decades in Texas—now California, and too many of those old westerns as a kid.) This also likely explains why street photography and urban studies never seem to enter my mind, until I see someone else's excellent photograph. I am grateful for how this has caused me to think about some things in a different way, not to mention the further thoughts about alternate cropping for the photo here.