OK, in response to Andy's post^^^, I'll go around again. I'm working on a project on suburbs, including suburban environments and vernacular architecture there, with Sunnyvale, CA, as my principal subject. Sort of the antithesis of urban environments with their rich targets for street photographers. Here's a recent photo. What do you think?
Morning walk by
bingley0522, on Flickr
All in all I would call this a first draft' image. There's a lot going on in terms of your subject- suburban architecture and environments. The street is HUGE in your shot- partly the wide angle lens and framing, but also it brings out the primacy and dominance of the automobile in the public space. Dang, you could build houses in the middle of these streets and still run cars between the houses.
Driveways and garages being the closest to the streets- telling about priorities and how we want to interact with others, how much consideration we want to show others compared to how much our private convenience is what matters.
The oak tree shadow and shadow hints at either the age of the development- planted as a stick when the houses were built- or possibly a survivor from the previous land use. It's one of the disconcerting things for me in suburban environments- the presence of 'nature' and natural elements, but always tentative, isolated like this oak.
The palm trees- Mexican fan palms, are they?- speak of another place, Los Angeles, but living in the Bay Area myself I know how common they are everywhere. I still find them confusing, and your image inclusion of them.
The people- so dwarfed by the road!
Well, I'll stop. I am not 'reading' the image, I am reading the landscape you show in your image. As an image itself, I find it underexposed in the main area, the homes. The tree shadow is compelling but not particularly strong. The flare you are playing with may be the most interesting thing for me to see you explore. The way the supposed center of such developments- the houses- is hard to see because of the dawn/evening sun dominating. I could see this image as a breathing space image in a series, but it doesn't do much for me on its own.
The subject matter, and what you are doing to it, playing with all these different elements of the environment, is interesting to me. I hope that you keep working this area.