P.C. Headland
Nice curvy composition, make you want to dance. Toning is nice too.
Yes, Paul, it was the curves that attracted me, but there is a smaller angular component that works as a type of Gothic yin and yang.
If you feel like dancing, please do. Seeing you're in Holland and I'm a curious guy, I have a question, "Would you dance with or without your wooden shoes? :lol:
connealy,
I seem to run across that type of playground structure often, but very seldom see any parents and children making use of them. Perhaps they are more appealing to landscape designers and photographers than to kids.
As Paul opened the door to design elements and you, Mike, have spoken of landscape designers, here is my reaction.
Early architects avoided symmetry. They purposely didn’t have mirror image facades or bell towers in their design of churches. Flying buttresses not only structurally support, but also add curves to complement the majority of straight lines in Gothic architecture. Note on the far right, the angular structure of the wooden staircase banisters; the architectural designer has echoed the angular turret of the multiple slide. Come to think of it, there is a bit of Gothic tales in this spooky structure. It could fit in nicely in next of the many "Dracula" films.
I, too, have noticed less parents and kids near these new playground structures. I live directly across the street from a suburban elementary school and have observed and photographed parents and kids interacting with these playground structures over the past 40 years.
In the recent past, it has changed mightily, and IMO for the worst. Just point a camera in their direction and you are in deep trouble. Photographing small children in our area is now generally considered taboo, not only if a child is photographed alone, but with parents or teacher. It’s a subject well covered before, and so disappointing.
The day I took the above photo, it was gray and cold and there weren't any people in the playground. Usually, there are more adults than children there, just sitting on the benches. I have seen more grandparents with kids than parents with kids.
What a fine idea to have a slide that allows four kids at the same time to use the slide. What a shame it would be, if there never have been four kids in the playground at the same time. If that’s the case, I agree with you, Mike. It then becomes an object of appreciation by photographers and other people who like it for its design and not function.
