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Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Melethia


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Rock Song Titles (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: Challenges 2009
Camera: Canon EOS-30D
Lens: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Location: Parking lot at work
Date: Mar 27, 2009
Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 125
Shutter: 1/320
Galleries: Black and White
Date Uploaded: Mar 29, 2009

 They paved paradise
Put up a parking lot.

Yeah, it doesn't help much if you don't know the song - the lyric is the first line of the chorus - and the picture doesn't have a taxi in it, yellow or otherwise. Nor is it a particularly pretty picture. We all go out of our way to avoid pictures with cars in them, unless the cars are the focus of the shot. But hey, they're everywhere. Hard to avoid. As are parking lots. So what the heck - figured I'd shoot a parking lot, with cars.

All neither here nor there. Not expecting to break the elusive 5 barrier with this one, but really do quite like it just the same.

Processing - a bit of Topaz Adjust (crispy portrait or something like that) then some playing around in Nik Silver Efex. Successfully pulled off that combo without crashing Photoshop!

For more info on the song itself: Wiki Big Yellow Taxi

[Mar. 30th, 2009 09:52:20 AM]

Yep. Should have used the lyric instead of the actual song title. Or arranged for a taxi. But I guarantee most of you know this song very well. Also covered by lots of other folks, to include (and I did not know this) Counting Crows (for some movie.)

"They paved paradise, put up a parking lot..." has been stuck in my head for several days now.

Post challenge: I still quite like this picture, but it leaves me feeling rather sad, because of the paving paradise bit (though I am fond of parking lots when one needs one), and because it was so poorly received. I'm going to interpret the pathetic reception as indication that not only did I miss the mark on the challenge, but it's a sucky photograph as well. I am indeed doing a fine job of racking up the sub-5s this year; heck, even my commenter average was sub-5! Oh, and yet another "also ran" in the Posthumous ribbon chase.

Note: 10mm, slight bit of sky cropped.

Statistics
Place: 154 out of 175
Avg (all users): 4.8143
Avg (commenters): 4.9375
Avg (participants): 4.6176
Avg (non-participants): 5.0000
Views since voting: 1023
Views during voting: 277
Votes: 140
Comments: 22
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 10/10/2009 10:59:01 AM
Nope. It definitely doesn't suck. It's truly an awesome picture and very well done. I noticed in this challenge (and the book title challenge) that people weren't looking for pictures that were about the idea or theme of the song or the book. The just wanted a picture the represented the actual words of the title. So since there was no taxi, I think you got majorly hit hard. (However, I love the song and know the meaning, so I gave you a 7.)

It would be fun to have a book jacket or song challenge, where the picture is actually a scene from the book or song. But I suppose it would be hard to vote on if you didn't know the book or song...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2009 12:15:29 AM
Well, *I* got the reference immediately, and it's apt! Thanks for the wiki link - interesting reading about one of my favorite songs.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/13/2009 02:44:14 PM
Just watched-listened on Youtube strange they named it the way they did. But it does fit the song quite well..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/08/2009 08:54:23 AM
Ahhh yeah, forgot about those lines... definitely some out of the box thinking here. Great photo for that part of the song!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/06/2009 11:37:47 AM
Hey you still placed better then I did with this so that tells me parking lots rate higher then sand castles :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/06/2009 12:18:09 AM
Ouch... if I had a fourth ribbon you'd've won it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
04/05/2009 10:48:43 PM
brave of you to reference the song and not the taxi. big points from me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2009 05:08:37 PM
well, great song, very nice image, but.... where's the yellow taxi?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2009 01:46:05 PM
Should at leat be a yellow taxi in this photo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2009 10:06:35 AM
Paved paradise to put up a parking lot - love the song!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/01/2009 09:24:52 PM
I'm afraid I don't get this, I really want to see the yellow taxi......do I need to know the song?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/01/2009 04:25:21 PM
I can make the connection to the lyrics, but I think it would have represented the title better if there was a big, yellow taxi in the shot...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/31/2009 11:50:01 AM
I suspect many are voting you down because the image is not of a yellow taxi! Trouble is, one would have to know the words to "get" the connection to a parking lot - but I get it! 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/31/2009 10:47:46 AM
i like how you referenced the song lyrics instead of taking the easy way an photographing a taxi cab
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/31/2009 05:08:25 AM
i cant get it, why taxi? :S
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/30/2009 10:50:57 PM
Cool interpretation of the classic song. I love the deep rich tonal quality. This tells the same story as the song. NICE
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/30/2009 07:52:27 PM
The picture does not fit the title at all. I don't see a taxi between any of the cars. Also, if you have a title like big yellow taxi I would think you would at least need something big and something yellow in the photo. The Black and white color does no justice to the title. I know you were going for the songs lyrics but unfortunately IMHO this is a rock song "title" challenge and not a lyric challenge. Sorry I think the picture is about a 4 and -1 for DNMC so 3
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/30/2009 06:39:47 PM
I like the sky.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/30/2009 10:23:20 AM
"Paved paradise, put up a parking lot".....yep, good photo for this song.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/30/2009 09:48:51 AM
I'm thinking that to go along with the title, maybe there should have been a big yellow taxi in the shot...? :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/30/2009 05:55:07 AM
Joni Mitchell - Rock?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/30/2009 04:47:03 AM
Wondering wher the big "yellow" taxi is?
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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