Beginner Attempting an "abiguous" image

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Tim
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Hi everyone, I'm struggling with an assignment photo with the theme "ambiguity" and see examples with shadows and reflections. I've attempted this one:
PS3A1223 by Good Lux Photos, on Flickr
What do you think? ambiguous or obvious? suggestions? I do have a tendency for very literal pictures....
 
Thanks for the feedback, as I mentioned I do struggle with the theme. What I had in mind was the ambiguity of what will happen next if that makes sense. As I look at it I'm wondering about the direction of travel and how he will land safely and not fall flat...I guess it's not working so back to the drawing board.
 
Thanks for the feedback, as I mentioned I do struggle with the theme. What I had in mind was the ambiguity of what will happen next if that makes sense. As I look at it I'm wondering about the direction of travel and how he will land safely and not fall flat...I guess it's not working so back to the drawing board.
Ok, I see the ambiguity now you've explained it, but that's the issue, I had to have it explained.
The image looks a bit "Snapshoty", by that I mean taken on the hoof and not pre-planned. If it was pre-planned and you have the opportunity to retake it I think you could improve on it using all the photographic "Tools" available to you, like being aware of the effect of the background as well as the subject, maybe experimenting with selective focus to isolate your subject.
Having said all that I'm not really sure that this image is the best way to demonstrate "Ambiguity". I think it always helps to go back to the dictionary definition (as per post no.2) with these types of assignments.
All the best with it, I always struggled with these types of assignments when I did my A level photography.
 
Hmmm, this was my first attempt at an ambiguous image, better?

IMG_1483528977.410180.jpg
 
I'm a pretty litteral person.. Shopping bag; "Loverly things".. interpretation..woman, ges shopping for 'lovely things'?!?!? How else can I intepret that? What s your suggested or implied 'alternative' meaning, to which there may be some ambiguity? Sorry I don't get any 'ambiguity' in that one, and I think you are struggling with the fundemental of a picture's 'meaning', before you get t possible ambiguities between meanings!
 
Thanks all for the comments, very helpful
 
It's a tough brief in many ways. Looking through my LR catalogue the closest image I can find that could be said to have some ambiguity is

Screen%20Shot%202017-01-04%20at%2018.08.40_zpstd3m2l5l.png


and even then it's tenuous!
 
I'd try either using a long lens to isolate something, or the opposite, ie get very close up using a macro lens or as close as your lens will go. In terms of subject matter, that's up to you but I'd be looking at juxtapositions of shapes and objects or light and shadow to make something recognisable, less so. I'm on my phone so can't post any examples, but if I find any I'll put some up.
 
I haven't read through all the other comments but i think there is some ambiguity in your original image and it is well timed. Is he diving, falling, why was he there, why swing so high. It's a bit of a shame about the background clutter but it seems to have potential to me.
 
What do you think? ambiguous or obvious? suggestions? I do have a tendency for very literal pictures....

I remember many years ago looking at pictures from the lead up to WW2 depicting street scenes. One in particular showed several men with authoritative baring and standing slightly apart was a dejected looking individual. To me the postures and spacings in that scene conveyed menace and I often think about those pictures when looking at people on the street. Today in our happy land we'd see a few blokes who were off somewhere together and have stopped to chat to someone they've met on the way but take that same scene and put it on a street in some troubled place and the same body language and spacing between people could convey things far from friendly.

I think I'd go for something like that, a people scene open to interpretation and see if people think what's going on is friendly banter or perhaps something far from friendly. Perhaps different processing could help change the perception of scene.
 
Have to say that of the two I prefer the first as I find it more interesting whereas I'm not really sure what the subject of the second picture is.

If you're having trouble picking a shot how about staging something... one or at the most two stooges or maybe no stooges and just some imagination should be all you'll need or does it have to be an unstaged image captured out in the real world?
 
Have to say that of the two I prefer the first as I find it more interesting whereas I'm not really sure what the subject of the second picture is.

If you're having trouble picking a shot how about staging something... one or at the most two stooges or maybe no stooges and just some imagination should be all you'll need or does it have to be an unstaged image captured out in the real world?

Thanks for the feedback. From the instruction and some discussion my understanding is the requirement is for unstaged visual ambiguity. Initially I was going down a wrong path of thinking ambiguity meant simply open to open to interpretation. On this basis the last one is a better fit - in fact it's a reflection of a gym sitting on top of a train. If I get time I'll try again a get people exercising on the machines.
 
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