By Michelle Chappell. Town of Gidgegannup in rural WA. A close-up shot of an old tractor’s gear sticks taken at my father’s farm in the late afternoon.
Canon EOS 650D; 18-135mm at 135mm; f5.6 at 1/250 sec; ISO 2500
Don’s response
Michelle Chappell’s “Abstract Tractor” was submitted some months ago and though I passed it over for other pictures at first, it gradually grew on me.
It’s a good example of using part of a subject to invoke the whole in the viewer’s mind – although in this case those of us not reasonably familiar with tractor controls might assume it was a picture of some sort of botanical detail.
The image works well for me in part because it combines simple forms with a harmonious colour palette and an undistracting background.
I’ve no idea if it was her intention, but Michelle’s picture has for me a pleasing calm quality that I can easily imagine would strike a restful note in, say a living room or other shared space.
