Jennifer Marano  


Walking Meditation by Jennifer Marano

July 2020 - Walking Meditation

About the Image(s)

This image was taken using a Sony RX 100M6 at 1/320 sec, F/7.1, ISO 400, 72mm.

It was processed using Lightroom and Silver Effects Pro 2.

I was walking along a bluff on the Sonoma Coast and saw this woman and her horse far below me on the beach, all by themselves, and I was just blown away.

Unfortunately, I only had the little RX 100 with me, but it beat the cell phone! I was considering an alternate title, Communing with Nature at the Edge of the Continent, but was shot down by several friends. Not that they had a better suggestion. Keep working on it, they said!


This round’s discussion is now closed!
13 comments posted




Steven Jungerwirth   Steven Jungerwirth
Love this image -especially the breadth/scale. I think about the size of that massive animal . . . and how tiny the horse looks on the open beach. The woman and horse's footprints in the upper left are perfect - including how they disappear into the water. Love the foam in the water - and how we have that clear line between the water and sand. I tried few edits in the attached (toned down the highlights/brightness in the foam strip in the upper right, sharpened/increased contrast/blacks in the woman/horse and added slight vignette) - all to make the woman/horse pop more and avoid the distraction of the overexposed foam strip.

Regarding title . . . for me - this photo is about the relationship between the woman and horse . . . how about "Kindred spirits" . . . .

Glad you were carrying your Sony!
  Posted: 07/02/2020 05:36:21
Comment Image
Jennifer Marano   Jennifer Marano
Thank you, Steven! I appreciate your kind comments and the work you put into helping me improve the image. I have about 6 versions of this photo on my computer, but I think it is still a work in progress. I like what you did with toning down the foam in the upper right, but the higher contrast in the foamy area, for me, makes the image too busy and kind of detracts from the horse and woman. I was trying for a high key effect to simplify the background. I'm going to try a version with the foam strip toned down. And I like your alternate title! I think I may still have time to go in and change it before my club's competition next week. Much appreciation!   Posted: 07/02/2020 13:03:37



Lance Lewin   Lance Lewin
Jennifer...this is a wonderful composition!

Frankly, I would not change a thing. The aesthetic is very pleasing, natural and authentic.

Great eye to see this through your viewfinder! Very impressed with the final version! Well done!

Get with a good printer and decide what paper this needs to be printed on....   Posted: 07/02/2020 09:31:36
Jennifer Marano   Jennifer Marano
Thank you, Lance! It mans a lot coming from a BW master. I do want to print it as soon as my local printer guy opens up.   Posted: 07/02/2020 13:06:50



Chan Garrett   Chan Garrett
Sometimes we wish to have a different camera set up with us, when what we have can do the job. What you had did the job. This image carries greater impact than it would have in color. While I like the image as presented, I wonder if turning the camera a little to the left so that the woman and the horse moved down toward the lower right might have brought in more foot and hoof prints to form a leading line and place the subject more off center. Although, if I saw it, maybe I would not think it to be as strong an image as this. Just a thought.   Posted: 07/02/2020 12:18:49
Jennifer Marano   Jennifer Marano
Thanks, Chan! I wish this scene were one I could go back to and try different camera angles and compositions. I think you are right that it would have been better to have more of the footprints. I need to think more about composing in-camera.   Posted: 07/02/2020 13:14:31
Chan Garrett   Chan Garrett
Please don't feel down. You captured a strong image. With images like this, you do not have time to stop and think through every possible approach. It's easy to look back and say, "What if I had done this?" At the time, a few moments and the scene would be gone.   Posted: 07/02/2020 15:10:55



 
Lovely picture!   Posted: 07/05/2020 06:40:34



Lance Lewin   Lance Lewin
BULLETIN BOARD TOPIC: scroll to bottom for latest topic.

Jennifer included new examples, too!

Thank you, everyone!   Posted: 07/10/2020 16:49:50



Dale Yates   Dale Yates
Great photo! Excellent details! The composition is also very good with the diagonal waves. I like the inclusion of the footprints in the upper left as this adds to the story line. This image truly makes me think...thank you.

I also viewed your posts and images in the bulletin board. Thanks for these posts in allowing us to see the many options available in the various filters. As I noted in the bulletin board, I like the copper tone the best, however all are very good images!   Posted: 07/13/2020 09:50:56
Jennifer Marano   Jennifer Marano
Thank you Dale!   Posted: 07/15/2020 21:47:29



Guy Davies   Guy Davies
(Group 4)
Jennifer, I love this image. Superb. Like Chan, I would prefer the subject to be off centre, but I appreciate that with a grab shot you don't have time to think about the finer points of composition. It is still a great shot. As for titles, there is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. A title is only a few words, two in this case. So the contribution of the title is two in a thousand, or 0.2 percent! Whatever the title, it's the picture that matters.   Posted: 07/15/2020 04:04:06
Jennifer Marano   Jennifer Marano
Thank you Guy! How very kind of you to take time to leave such a nice message.
  Posted: 07/15/2020 21:46:08