End of the Line.

[alvar]

I took this last week in Auschwitz 2 Birkenau. It literally was the end of the line for the train occupants as the vast majority were immediatley murdered.Hundred of thousands died in this ghastly place and on a sunny still day it is hard to believe it happened.... but it did.

[Ian]

Re: End of the Line.

I took this last week in Auschwitz 2 Birkenau. It literally was the end of the line for the train occupants as the vast majority were immediatley murdered.Hundred of thousands died in this ghastly place and on a sunny still day it is hard to believe it happened.... but it did.

Spooky place - not been there yet, myself.

I wonder if a view from slightly higher up might have helped the perspective of the track. Also, the horizon slopes a little to the right.

Good on you for having a go with this photo though.

Ian

[alvar]

Re: End of the Line.

Thanks for your comments Ian. I took anumber of shots from this spot and chose this one as I did not want to include the Locomotive return loop which is what would have happened higher up.Sorry about the "tilt" ,combination of age and stupidity !! I f you ever get the opportunity go, no photograph can ever capture the vastness of the place. I drove 1250 miles to get there and it was worth it.
Regards,
Alvar.

[Stephen]

Re: End of the Line.

Alvar, when I look at your picture, I really want to see it differently to the way you have portrayed the place here. It seems too colourful and pleasant. Ok we recognise the railway track leading to the buildings, but the green grass and the blue sky say to me exactly what you describe a pleasant sunny day. In short it is too photo realistic if you understand my meaning.

I've had a go at processing the image differently to try and portray the place in a different way, one that is bleak and sinister, without colour and stark in appearance. You may remember the scenes in the film Schindlers List, and recall how the scenario you talk about was portrayed. Spielberg chose to film in B/W. This is not exactly as I had intended as your picture is suffering from too much compression and when I applied certain filters the sky became very blocky. This attempt is a compromise, hope you don't mind me working on your image

[alvar]

Re: End of the Line.

Stephen,
Thanks for your comments. As a Historian I have travelled all over Europe recording images from this era. We are completely at odds. I can refer to many books in my collection and see what you have done i.e. Schindler style but my intention WAS to convey how "normal" it now looks in colour with grass etc. and that anything so unbelievable could have occured here and to show it to others who have not visited the Memorial.In the Camp Museum you can see "your " photograph everywhere which is why I took mine.
As they say each to his own !
Regards,
Alvar.

[Stephen]

Re: End of the Line.

Stephen,
Thanks for your comments. As a Historian I have travelled all over Europe recording images from this era. We are completely at odds. I can refer to many books in my collection and see what you have done i.e. Schindler style but my intention WAS to convey how "normal" it now looks in colour with grass etc. and that anything so unbelievable could have occured here and to show it to others who have not visited the Memorial.In the Camp Museum you can see "your " photograph everywhere which is why I took mine.
As they say each to his own !
Regards,
Alvar.

Indeed and thats absolutely fine and I can't fault you for what you were trying to do.

However I'd hope you'd agree, as a historian, that people should be reminded of what went on there, and the horrors that the Nazi regime inflicted on millions. Photography has its part to play in this process of course

[alvar]

Re: End of the Line.

Hi Stephen,
If you had visited as many of these places as I have done in my research you would see old B/W images from the period everywhere on the sites and usually beside where the Horrors took place e.g. Gas Chambers, Crematoria, Execution sites etc etc. hence my choice for colour.
Thanks again for your interest.
Regards,
Alvar.

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: End of the Line.

Hi Alvar. I hope you don't mind, but I had a bit of a play with 'end of the line' pic to convey the image that the name 'Auschwitz' or Belsen or any of the Nazi camps conjure for me I am well aware how 'Normal' these sites now look, where birds sing merrily & perhaps kiddies now play....but in the time when NOONE listened to the screams....maybe it looked like this!

[lumix]

Re: End of the Line.

Stephen,
Thanks for your comments. As a Historian I have travelled all over Europe recording images from this era. We are completely at odds. I can refer to many books in my collection and see what you have done i.e. Schindler style but my intention WAS to convey how "normal" it now looks in colour with grass etc. and that anything so unbelievable could have occured here and to show it to others who have not visited the Memorial.In the Camp Museum you can see "your " photograph everywhere which is why I took mine.
As they say each to his own !
Regards,
Alvar.

I could not agree more with your comments. There is a need to record things as they are now. What happened in the passed has already been well covered, so why go back over old ground. Your pictures will also become part of history by showing how things change with the passing of time. I like your approach to this image. Well done on the low angle shot. It's spot on in my book.

[DTD]

Re: End of the Line.

This photographer took some photographs at Auschwitz which although in a more 'artisitic' style were nontheless very powerful. I particular thought the still life approach to peoples belongings got over the 'ordinaryness' the place. I did correspond with him and he said he had to think long and hard about his apprach and about including the work on his web site.

http://www.guyjbrown.com/auschwitz.html

[Ian]

Re: End of the Line.

I could not agree more with your comments. There is a need to record things as they are now. What happened in the passed has already been well covered, so why go back over old ground. Your pictures will also become part of history by showing how things change with the passing of time. I like your approach to this image. Well done on the low angle shot. It's spot on in my book.

Hi Ron

Now that Alvar has explained his point of view, it makes a lot of sense and is a reminder that we can sometimes get too stuck in a historical view of a place. History is a living thing and while the reputation of a place may have formed in the past, how it has changed over the years is still a part of its history.

Ian

[alvar]

Re: End of the Line.

Thanks Jocelyn but we we are totally at odds.As a historian I travel extensively for my research and if I wanted your style of image I could find it in any of my many books. In every Camp at a spot where gruesome crimes were committed there is always a large B/W photograph from the period with full details hence my use of colour and modern style so that people can see how it now looks. In Poland children under 14 are legally forbidden from visiting these kinds of memorials and even if they could I assure you they would not be allowed to"play" for very long. Auschwitz 2 Birkenau is a VAST place and no photograph can ever convey the feeling of being there. you are the second person whohas altered my original and would you believe it i was almost identical to yours but as I have said I wanted to show it today which not many people have seen and probably could never reconcile it to the Horror.They buy the packets of Photos in the Museum shop and see what it did look like in those dark days.
Best wishes,
Alvar.
Best wishes,
Alvar.

[alvar]

Re: End of the Line.

Thanks Ian. Pleased you see my point of view.
Alvar.

[Stephen]

Re: End of the Line.

Thanks Ian. Pleased you see my point of view.
Alvar.

To be fair Alvar, no one has disagreed with your point of view. I personally acknowledged that in my response to you.

[alvar]

Re: End of the Line.

Hi Stephen,
I totally agree, my message to Ian should have been "Thanks for your comment."
I look forward to your comments on my future Uploads.
Alvar