Those of you who follow this blog know that Dr. Richard Zakia, former RIT professor, is one of my all time favorite photo gurus. We send each other pictures. We talk about looking into pictures - and not just looking at them. Big difference.

Think about it . . . and look into your own pictures.

Recently, Dick sent me the opening picture for this blog post and wrote . . .

What intrigues me about this photo is my experience in taking it. I could not tell from the distance whether it was a painted wall intended to fool the eye or not. So I decided to photograph it.

As you look at it in this photograph, can't you tell whether the wall it is painted, or actually plastered to give it an aged look. I find the photograph to be ambiguous. It challenges the viewer not to just look and dismiss it, but to look and study it and try to determine if it is just a painted wall that we have seen variations of or not. It invites one to spend time with the photograph and hopefully other photographs.

What is your take on the photograph? Is the wall painted? Post your answer here.

Dr. Richard Zakia, a.k.a. Dick, is the co-author, along with David Page, of Photographic Composition: A Visual Guide. These two dudes are also two of my favorite people.

"A photograph is usually looked at – seldom looked into." - Ansel Adams

Explore the light,

Rick