# Ugly landscapes



## kyklop (Mar 11, 2014)

The amount of sunny days has been scarce here last months. So have the pretty wonderful sunsets, too.
Now we have to use what we have to employ our expensive photo gear.
So here's the new challenge: How ugly can a landscape be?
Here is my first attempt.
5D II with 24mm 2.8 IS


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## Valvebounce (Mar 11, 2014)

Hi kyklop. 
I'm not sure that qualifies as ugly, it is all natural and contains its own interest, I did not find it repulsive, it did not make me turn away, more to the point I found I was studying it, which I think at least for me means you didn't quite achieve your goal! Sorry! 
Good idea for a way to re purpose our gear during this time.

Cheers Graham.




kyklop said:


> The amount of sunny days has been scarce here last months. So have the pretty wonderful sunsets, too.
> Now we have to use what we have to employ our expensive photo gear.
> So here's the new challenge: How ugly can a landscape be?
> Here is my first attempt.
> 5D II with 24mm 2.8 IS


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## J.R. (Mar 11, 2014)

Ugly landscape ... oh yes, I took one with the lens-cap on, looked ugly as hell. Too bad I deleted it! ;D


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## Don Haines (Mar 11, 2014)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi kyklop.
> I'm not sure that qualifies as ugly, it is all natural and contains its own interest, I did not find it repulsive, it did not make me turn away, more to the point I found I was studying it, which I think at least for me means you didn't quite achieve your goal! Sorry!
> Good idea for a way to re purpose our gear during this time.
> 
> Cheers Graham.


I like it too. It has a quiet beauty to it....


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## ajfotofilmagem (Mar 11, 2014)

I think any landscape can look prettier or uglier, just changing the lighting. Then the position of the sun cause significant changes in colors and contrasts. A polarizing filter also makes an invaluable benefit for landscapes with water reflecting the sky. Speaking of ugly landscape, if you can make a very ugly picture like the one below, you can sell it for $ 4 million.


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## J.R. (Mar 11, 2014)

ajfotofilmagem said:


> I think any landscape can look prettier or uglier, just changing the lighting. Then the position of the sun cause significant changes in colors and contrasts. A polarizing filter also makes an invaluable benefit for landscapes with water reflecting the sky. Speaking of ugly landscape, if you can make a very ugly picture like the one below, you can sell it for $ 4 million.



;D ;D


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## tolusina (Mar 11, 2014)

kyklop said:


> ..... How ugly can a landscape be?
> Here is my first attempt.....


I too think you failed achieving ugly with this first attempt. Maybe if you borrow a Nikon?

It's moody, pensive, I like it a lot. 

Something, combinations of things, most everything about it draws the eyes, make me want to keep looking at it, makes me wish I had been on the walk with you.

The range of greens, the reflections in the water, the horizontal twigs in the foreground offset and balanced by the horizontal branch near the top, the radial spray of moss covered roots framed by the horizontals and the major verticals, it all just works.

You've made getting a beautiful landscape photo in dreary light look easy.

As Don Haines posted.......


Don Haines said:


> ...It has a quiet beauty to it....


"Quiet beauty", well said.
---
If you intend posting ugly, keep trying, this one doesn't qualify.  




.


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## distant.star (Mar 11, 2014)

.
I wondered about this Sunday as I was driving down the Atlantic City Expressway. Does anyone specialize in otherwise beautiful landscapes scarred by electric transmission lines, microwave towers, pipelines, etc? Something like this -- nuclear plant cooling towers:


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## lvanzijl (Mar 11, 2014)

distant.star said:


> .
> I wondered about this Sunday as I was driving down the Atlantic City Expressway. Does anyone specialize in otherwise beautiful landscapes scarred by electric transmission lines, microwave towers, pipelines, etc? Something like this -- nuclear plant cooling towers:



Love it, contrast between beauty of flowers and powerful (but ugly) cooling towers split by barbed wire.


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## ScaneLife (Mar 11, 2014)

distant.star said:


> .
> I wondered about this Sunday as I was driving down the Atlantic City Expressway. Does anyone specialize in otherwise beautiful landscapes scarred by electric transmission lines, microwave towers, pipelines, etc? Something like this -- nuclear plant cooling towers:



I've been reading this forum for a long time now but I signed up just to respond to this post. Anyway, here is a shot that was taken near my house.
Also, I quiet like the original photo for this post topic. It's not ugly but I do like the topic it brings up of shooting landscapes and things that are sort of "average" or everyday.


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## Click (Mar 11, 2014)

lvanzijl said:


> Love it, contrast between beauty of flowers and powerful (but ugly) cooling towers split by barbed wire.



+1

Cool picture. Well done.


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## Stig (Mar 11, 2014)

seems that "ugly landscape" brings up the subject of a factory in many minds... I'll join the club, since it reminded me of an old photo I took at a gas station stop, using my car as tripod to allow longer exposure

the other one is an abandoned tennis court and it was also taken some years ago, both with 350D


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## sagittariansrock (Mar 11, 2014)

distant.star said:


> .
> I wondered about this Sunday as I was driving down the Atlantic City Expressway. Does anyone specialize in otherwise beautiful landscapes scarred by electric transmission lines, microwave towers, pipelines, etc? Something like this -- nuclear plant cooling towers:



Sorry, as an attempt at "Ugly landscapes", this is an epic fail.
This is both beautiful and meaningful.


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## AcutancePhotography (Mar 18, 2014)

I have not seen any ugly landscapes yet in this thread. Nor do I expect to. Ugly/beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Were you, instead, thinking of technically poor landscapes due to lously light?

One needs to separate good/poor from beautiful/ugly. The terms do not mean the same.


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## yorgasor (Mar 18, 2014)

OK, I'll bite. These aren't technically landscapes, but they were shot on dreary fall days when everything was dead and the pumpkins were left out to rot in the compost pile.




Melting Pumpkin by yorgasor, on Flickr




bit rot by yorgasor, on Flickr


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## tntwit (Apr 7, 2014)

Maybe this is closer to what the OP was looking for.

Shot today in WNY/Buffalo area.

Right now everything is rather drab in our area. The grass is yellow and the trees are bare. Everything is wet and muddy. I could not find one sign of spring in terms of foliage. To me, this is what makes the landscape less than attractive. The sun and blue skies are what looks nice after not seeing much of it for the last 4 months.


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## Valvebounce (May 19, 2014)

Hi Folks.
Ok this is my try at ugly! 





IMG_1904 by Valvebounce25, on Flickr

Camera	Canon EOS 40D
Exposure	0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture	f/7.1
Focal Length	186 mm
ISO Speed	400
Exposure Bias	0 EV

Ok I'm ready to be told I failed, but I tried! ;D

Cheers Graham.


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## essenceyvette (Jun 14, 2014)

You guys are just so wonderful at photography that these cannot really qualify as ugly. 
I'm not really sure if my photo is actually a landscape or not, but I am sure it's very ugly. I don't really take care of my yard, so this is the result.


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## DominoDude (Aug 30, 2014)

Aha! I had trouble finding out where to post my shot, but this is probably better than my first ideas like posting in "Milky Way" or "Animal Kingdom"... 

I'm quite sure that in the area I shot this lurks a farmer/artist/painter with way too much time on his hands.


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