Wow..watch out

[charlie76]

There are a lot going on in this picture...but at first glance didn't seem like much. I love that about photography.. What do you think?


beach wood 25 by charlie766, on Flickr

[Ads]

[LShooter]

Neat subject but a bit too dark.

[jowensphoto]

Very cool. The swirly-ness almost gives a liquid effect, but then some parts look like smoke, others wood... a lot going on, yes, but it lets the eyes dance around the photo.

Nice work!

[KenC]

Very nice. I agree with the previous comment about it being a little too dark. I'd also be tempted to partially desaturate a couple of the reddish spots.

[Frequency]

Charlie, it was for the first time i felt not that happy looking at your wood image, because of its uneven shades that crawl into its own beauty.....

Sorry, i just tried a light adjustment;


7540764410_0daec16e81_c by Flashback'r, on Flickr


Regards

[amolitor]

It's a very photogenic subject, and I think you've handled many elements of it very well. I like the nearly monochrome feel, with a little blob of color in the lower left.

What I don't like is that, while there's a lot going on, there's no clear subject or visual center. The blob of color is trying to be a visual center, and it could be if it had a little help from the light or (not my preference) from post processing. I think you might profitably make some other photographs by going in tighter and finding this single places that, amid all the interesting stuff, provide a point of peak interest for the eye to rest on, having been led swirly fashion to that point. I see several possibles in this frame, for instance.

If you had more dramatic light on the wood, it might emphasize these points, it might might change the level of drama across the wood from "pretty evenly dramatic throughout" to "interesting here, but MUCH MORE interesting there" so it's easier, and more interesting, to isolate those natural visual centers.

Of course, the wood is probably 2000 miles away now, so "hey, go re-shoot" isn't gonna happen. c'est la vie. You did pretty well already and can be pleased with yourself.

[charlie76]

Charlie, it was for the first time i felt not that happy looking at your wood image, because of its uneven shades that crawl into its own beauty.....

Sorry, i just tried a light adjustment;


7540764410_0daec16e81_c by Flashback'r, on Flickr

Regards

Ya...I was unsure about this one also. But it was so complex I thought I would get some feedback on it. I like your tones MUCH better. Did you just reduce the exposure? I like your contrast much more. Thanks for the feedback and the edit.

[Jaemie]

Here's the thing with driftwood, at least for me: it's awesome, full of mystery and at the same time a shameless exhibitionist. I can look at a good image for hours and still see new things long afterwards. But, after a certain point, it becomes just driftwood again. The magic crawls back into the wood and hides. The driftwood will show its beauty again, but in its own sweet time.

Whatever the hell that means... :p

Anyway, I like Frequency's edit. The first seems a little dark.

[charlie76]

It's a very photogenic subject, and I think you've handled many elements of it very well. I like the nearly monochrome feel, with a little blob of color in the lower left.

What I don't like is that, while there's a lot going on, there's no clear subject or visual center. The blob of color is trying to be a visual center, and it could be if it had a little help from the light or (not my preference) from post processing. I think you might profitably make some other photographs by going in tighter and finding this single places that, amid all the interesting stuff, provide a point of peak interest for the eye to rest on, having been led swirly fashion to that point. I see several possibles in this frame, for instance.

If you had more dramatic light on the wood, it might emphasize these points, it might might change the level of drama across the wood from "pretty evenly dramatic throughout" to "interesting here, but MUCH MORE interesting there" so it's easier, and more interesting, to isolate those natural visual centers.

Of course, the wood is probably 2000 miles away now, so "hey, go re-shoot" isn't gonna happen. c'est la vie. You did pretty well already and can be pleased with yourself.

Thanks for that great detailed critique! I knew this picture didn't follow a lot of the "rules"...but I thought it pretty unique. I think of these wood pictures as aerial views...of small worlds. And the hardest thing for me to find in all this wood is a good subject...rather than just a bunch of really cool surfaces. I posted a bunch of other wood shots that might appeal to you more. Thanks again for the great critique!

[Bitter Jeweler]

I dunno. I think all the naysayers comments are rubbish. I think it works compositionally. There are several areas of interest, the eye is led around quite nicely, it looks better as the dark original than the bright edit, and every time I look at it, I see things and make up stories. I've come back and looked this several times. It has holding power.

I feel the longer an image can hold a viewer, the more successful it is. This isn't an image the viewer "gets" in 10 seconds and moves on.

Sure, sure, you could crop it down into smaller compositions. You could also crop those down into even smaller compositions. But you would lose the bigger story this image tells.

[charlie76]

I dunno. I think all the naysayers comments are rubbish. I think it works compositionally. There are several areas of interest, the eye is led around quite nicely, it looks better as the dark original than the bright edit, and every time I look at it, I see things and make up stories. I've come back and looked this several times. It has holding power.

I feel the longer an image can hold a viewer, the more successful it is. This isn't an image the viewer "gets" in 10 seconds and moves on.

Sure, sure, you could crop it down into smaller compositions. You could also crop those down into even smaller compositions. But you would lose the bigger story this image tells.

Nice! I totally agree Bitter...that's how I feel bout it as well

[pgriz]

I find myself agreeing with Bitter. I like Frequency's edit - the original was too dark. As for the image itself, it puts me into the reverie one sometimes gets into when "gazing fire", the hypnotic effect that watching the flames of a wood fire sometimes has on you. As Bitter says, there is much to explore here, and due to the subject, you supply your own patterns, crystallizing from the seeds that are in the image, and then, as smoke vanishing again, and reappearing in new configurations. Great find.

[charlie76]

I find myself agreeing with Bitter. I like Frequency's edit - the original was too dark. As for the image itself, it puts me into the reverie one sometimes gets into when "gazing fire", the hypnotic effect that watching the flames of a wood fire sometimes has on you. As Bitter says, there is much to explore here, and due to the subject, you supply your own patterns, crystallizing from the seeds that are in the image, and then, as smoke vanishing again, and reappearing in new configurations. Great find.

Thanks!

[charlie76]

Here is a similar image (a worthy repost, considering the comments above) for all who were interested in the first one....complex and a little obscure....but with a lot to see IMO.


wood 19 at clam beach by charlie766, on Flickr

[Frequency]

I just selected the darker area and adjusted curve in photoshop

Your new entry rocks......