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Author Topic: Busy  (Read 2647 times)

farbschlurf

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Busy
« on: December 30, 2017, 04:19:55 am »

I find myself sticking to this frame somehow, although I find it difficult in many ways. The "young tree" in all the mess, mud and decay seems to touch me in a way. But the mess also makes it a pretty busy, unclear picture, too. Technically it's pretty bad: It was dark, I got to raise ISO a lot, it's blurry because of shake and also little DOF, the light was dull, but it's the best I got. It was just taken when passing by, no time.

Here's what I did with this, so far.

I'm curious if maybe one or the other of you wound share there take on it (if it is worth it in your opinion), so I thought I provide the RAW:
http://www.fototypo.de/downloads/DSC00494.ARW

I'm a little bored and the rain is going to come for the next few days, so this might be a little fun over the holidays?

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JNB_Rare

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Re: Busy
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2018, 08:58:20 am »

I won't even attempt an alternate processing because I think you've done well with this one. Forget the self-critique. The image makes me feel as if I'm there, and I, too, am drawn to the beauty one finds in nature's "chaos".
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Busy
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2018, 09:02:48 am »

I won't even attempt an alternate processing because I think you've done well with this one. Forget the self-critique. The image makes me feel as if I'm there, and I, too, am drawn to the beauty one finds in nature's "chaos".
+1.
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-Eric Myrvaagnes (visit my website: http://myrvaagnes.com)

32BT

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Re: Busy
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2018, 09:39:48 am »

Then again, are you familiar with the saying: a sharp image of a fuzzy concept? That all starts behind your eyes somewhere...
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Regards,
~ O ~
If you can stomach it: pictures

aduke

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Re: Busy
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2018, 12:36:46 pm »

I find my eye is distracted by the bright reflections of the sky in the water of the foreground and I find little of interest in that area. You could try cropping the bottom.

The upper 80% is a fine, interesting image.

Alan

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RMW

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Re: Busy
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2018, 02:03:19 pm »

Good foto for me.
And it reminds me of the question of composition in a swamp where there's also much complexity.
Maybe b&w?
Richard
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Alskoj

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Re: Busy
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2018, 07:02:07 pm »

It's a nice image and I bet there's a lot more to shoot in the area!
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Leszek Piotrowski

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Re: Busy
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2018, 07:23:58 pm »

To me the centre "fir" tree is strikingly green and my eye eventually rests in this area,... The leaning sapling in the top centre, does compete with the fir tree, but I like the image and does remind me of scenes similar to what you saw.
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Paulo Bizarro

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Re: Busy
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2018, 04:24:03 am »

Interesting location, but the photo is too contrasty and sharpened for my eyes.

farbschlurf

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Re: Busy
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2018, 05:02:10 am »

Thanks for your replies! -- Some valuable suggestions here, much appreciated!
Thanks again!
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petermfiore

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Re: Busy
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2018, 08:37:13 am »

This is very much the kind of subject I paint. A complex tangle that begs for clarity(structure) and focus.
I often will take an image like this and reduce it to a value study. This allows me to see it's possibilities. I will make a quick black and white PS conversion first. This conversion is my starting point.

Best and HNY 2018,

Peter
« Last Edit: January 02, 2018, 08:46:28 am by petermfiore »
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RSL

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Re: Busy
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2018, 09:22:09 am »

You aced it, Peter. As usual for this kind of thing, it's the graphics. Your B&W conversion with a couple minor tonal shifts lifts the shot from ho-hum to wow!
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petermfiore

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Re: Busy
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2018, 11:11:56 am »

You aced it, Peter. As usual for this kind of thing, it's the graphics. Your B&W conversion with a couple minor tonal shifts lifts the shot from ho-hum to wow!

Hi Russ and thanks,

In all things 2-D it's the graphics and design...That's hardest thing for my undergrads to grasp.
When painting the figure, far too many of them like to start with an eye, before all else. But that's my job, to help guide them along the path to visual literacy. The artist always educates themself.

Peter
« Last Edit: January 02, 2018, 11:25:20 am by petermfiore »
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farbschlurf

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Re: Busy
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2018, 12:29:42 pm »

Great!!

I took up most of the suggestions for a edited 2nd version below. I don't want to go B/W here, but managed to achieve a similar effect regarding separation of tones. I got rid of most of the highlights elsewhere, which really improves. Also I drastically decreased sharpness and contrast, mayor improvement!

How much complexity is possible within an image seems to be something I think about a lot, lately. I like to find the (or my) threshold for that, somehow. And, yes, I do tend to self-critique ... maybe not always a good thing. But here, in this case, I think I got rewarded.

Thanks again!

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RMW

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Re: Busy
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2018, 02:11:41 pm »

This revision: Nicely done.
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John R

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Re: Busy
« Reply #15 on: January 02, 2018, 03:54:05 pm »

The revision is better, but imho, the greens are still over the top and unrealistic, especially the green tree. If you look at Peter's' treatment, he has subdued and softened the background and other areas and yet made the tree, including the foreground tree limbs, stand out in a subtle way without allowing them to go over the top or be too dominant. Try to isolate areas, and darken and/or soften them. Don't sharpen the water or the highlight areas. Somebody once taught me this. In fact, in most of my nature related images, I only sharpen selected areas in combination with darkening and/or lightening selected areas. It gives a subtle effect and brings forward elements you want to emphasize while making other areas recede. I may talk a good game, but I am still learning and studying Peter's excellent painterly version. I bet I can take lessons from him.

JR
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Busy
« Reply #16 on: January 02, 2018, 04:04:11 pm »

This revision: Nicely done.
+1.

Peter gave good advice.
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-Eric Myrvaagnes (visit my website: http://myrvaagnes.com)
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