Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: byork on July 15, 2009, 11:15:51 pm

Title: Abstract
Post by: byork on July 15, 2009, 11:15:51 pm

Had it in mind to get some opinions on this for a while but always chickened out....Jeremy's broken the abstract ice, so here it is.

Cheers
Brian

Title: Abstract
Post by: Ed Blagden on July 16, 2009, 05:31:19 am

Brian

I'd be curious to know why you "chickened out" of showing off this one; I think it's fabulous.  I wouldn't call it an abstract, but it conveys a great sense of kinetic energy, and I can almost hear the thunder of hooves.  For me, this is the best image I have seen you post.

What technique did you use to post this?  Whatever it was, it worked.

Ed

(edited a typo)

Title: Abstract
Post by: Jeremy Payne on July 16, 2009, 07:12:04 am

Best thing you've ever posted.  

Brilliant shot ... not sure I'd call it abstract, but who cares?  It is amazing.

Title: Abstract
Post by: button on July 16, 2009, 10:51:15 am

Damn cool, Brian.  The motion blur conveys a sense of aggression which I really like.  To accentuate that effect, here's a suggestion:

1)  Open the image as is in photoshop.  Duplicate the layer, and go to "image adjustments" and desaturate the new layer.

2)  Set blending mode to soft light or overlay.  Change opacity to taste.

3)  If you don't have photoshop, try desaturating the image a bit in lightroom, and boost the black levels.  Adjustments with the HSL tab might also work.  Experiment with a  bit of clarity.  Also, turn off all noise reduction, to give it a grittier look.  You can even add a bit of gausian noise in photoshop if yo have it.

Whether or not these suggestions work doesn't really matter- you've got a real winner here.

John

Title: Abstract
Post by: RSL on July 16, 2009, 11:04:19 am

Brian, I can't add to what's already been said. It's a splendid shot! Congratulations.

Title: Abstract
Post by: dalethorn on July 16, 2009, 01:23:59 pm

The Emperor's New Clothes look splendid indeed.  (It looks like an accidental double exposure).

Title: Abstract
Post by: wolfnowl on July 16, 2009, 01:26:39 pm

It's all been said - not abstract, but a great image!

Mike.

Title: Abstract
Post by: byork on July 16, 2009, 07:57:03 pm

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I guess abstract is not quite the word to describe it, but it sort of is to me because I don't do a lot of this sort of thing. For a couple of years I wrote a column in one of the racing publications here, and these were often accompanied by some of my own pictures. The paper were only ever interested in sharp images of horses featured in the edition though, so there wasn't much call for this. As for the chicken syndrome....I've shown it to people here and there and never had much positive feedback (including some of the newspaper sports photogs whose silence I took for dislike). But I've always liked it, which is why I had a mind to get opinions here.

Ed, this is a slow shutter pan....I set ISO 100 and just stopped the lens down till the shutter slowed up enough. Final exposure was 1/13 @ f10. Obviously could have used shutter priority, but seemed quicker to wind down aperture.

Thanks again, you've set my mind at rest with this one.

Cheers
Brian

Edit; more info, another shot.

Title: Abstract
Post by: cmi on July 20, 2009, 08:06:12 am

Very good, I totally like it! (If anything I would add a little saturation but thats just personal taste.)