Dan Mottaz
December 2020 - Probing
About the Image(s)
Please don't put too much stock in the title.
Honestly, I really don't know if this image is any good. It's one of those photos that I get attached to because of the time and effort that went into the capture and the processing. I tend to get blinded by the backstory so I'm looking forward to what is written here in this group.
Technical:
Captured with a Canon 5D MKIII with a focal length of 16mm on a 16-35 lens, f/22 at 0.3 sec. set on manual. Processed in ACR and PS. Lots of cloning out of footprints and kelp drag lines. The usual curves and H&S adjustment layers were employed along with the use of NIK software.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
12 comments posted
(Group 79)
Dan - trust me - it is good Posted: 12/01/2020 12:54:41
Gosh, Gerard. With so few words, you say a lot. Many thanks! Posted: 12/02/2020 15:28:19
(Group 79)
Perhaps a little more should be said :-)
To my eyes, this image is a combination of both color and texture - either alone would have served, but it is striking to find them merged. The patterned sand acts as a sort of high-frequency backdrop with the bull kelp acting as a strong and dominating bass taking my view into the back. The color of the sky is arresting but the nicest touch for me is the way the sunlight sort of bleeds color in a cone onto the monotoned sand - almost ending at the pointing kelp.
As a story, my mind sees the kelp as snakes; an obvious take but it seems to be happily supported by what look like tracks in the sand.
My only suggestion is to pass on what an instructor said to me when I tried to take a picture with the sun ... it might be interesting to add a little color to the disk rather than leaving it as pure white.
What is ACR? Posted: 12/05/2020 14:12:40
To my eyes, this image is a combination of both color and texture - either alone would have served, but it is striking to find them merged. The patterned sand acts as a sort of high-frequency backdrop with the bull kelp acting as a strong and dominating bass taking my view into the back. The color of the sky is arresting but the nicest touch for me is the way the sunlight sort of bleeds color in a cone onto the monotoned sand - almost ending at the pointing kelp.
As a story, my mind sees the kelp as snakes; an obvious take but it seems to be happily supported by what look like tracks in the sand.
My only suggestion is to pass on what an instructor said to me when I tried to take a picture with the sun ... it might be interesting to add a little color to the disk rather than leaving it as pure white.
What is ACR? Posted: 12/05/2020 14:12:40
Thank you, Gerard for the detailed analysis. It's funny how you mention snakes. I first titled it "Snakes out of Bed", but I don't know this audience enough yet to show my sometimes offbeat way of thinking.
Your suggestion to apply some color to the sun interests me. I've experimented with this before but have never been able to make it look right. Perhaps I should seek some coaching.
ACR is Adobe Camera Raw. Posted: 12/05/2020 16:00:15
Your suggestion to apply some color to the sun interests me. I've experimented with this before but have never been able to make it look right. Perhaps I should seek some coaching.
ACR is Adobe Camera Raw. Posted: 12/05/2020 16:00:15
(Groups 36 & 67)
Dan
Here is another vote for this being an exceptional image!
This has impact! The eye is immediately engaged. This is an image that makes use of the artistic elements of photography, more particularly space, line and texture. Additionally your use of complimentary AND analogous colors adds impact, visual interest and controls subconscious mood.
Whether planed or not, this is excellent.
P.S. You should have kept the title ask "Snakes" :-)
As a member of the DD management team each month I scan the submitted images looking specifically for those that have true impact. Most of the hundreds of submitted images to not contain this photographic element. Yours does. It is one of the most powerful images of the month. Posted: 12/07/2020 12:03:45
Here is another vote for this being an exceptional image!
This has impact! The eye is immediately engaged. This is an image that makes use of the artistic elements of photography, more particularly space, line and texture. Additionally your use of complimentary AND analogous colors adds impact, visual interest and controls subconscious mood.
Whether planed or not, this is excellent.
P.S. You should have kept the title ask "Snakes" :-)
As a member of the DD management team each month I scan the submitted images looking specifically for those that have true impact. Most of the hundreds of submitted images to not contain this photographic element. Yours does. It is one of the most powerful images of the month. Posted: 12/07/2020 12:03:45
Larry, thank you for stopping to look at our group, and thanks for the nice compliment. It actually touches me quite deeply.
Posted: 12/12/2020 18:27:25
Posted: 12/12/2020 18:27:25
Wow, this is an amazing image. You captured the sky and light perfectly. The different shapes and textures complement each other really well and provide the perfect balance for the composition. My eye keeps trying to figure out what the long things are (snakes, hoses, long tube things etc.) - are they snakes? Regardless, it is a beautiful image. Great shot! Posted: 12/11/2020 10:06:16
Hi Emily, thank you for the nice words. The snake like things are Bull Kelp Posted: 12/12/2020 18:24:58
Dan, I will pile on as well that I believe this image is stunning. The colors are beautiful, as are the strong graphic forms and the textures. It has a classic near/far composition which is always a powerful approach. More than that it has the combination of sharpness, simplicity, and bold saturated colors which is in vogue with photo club judges - I love those attributes too.
So, given all that, I hesitate to point out what I don't like about it. For me the composition geometry doesn't mesh as well as it might. I think the biggest element of that is the sunlight illumination on the sand. It is beautiful, but it doesn't seem to connect geometrically with the kelp. Also it contributes to a sense I have that there is a tension between a center balance that the kelp creates, and a left centric balance that the sun creates. Since you say you arranged the kelp, I also wonder if there wasn't a different arrangement that would have created a more right to left feel that connected better to that sun illuminated sand and led back from there. Alternatively, I was thinking there might have been an opportunity to better echo the graphic geometry of the sea stacks in the shaping of the kelp - more points reaching upward in the frame toward individual sea stacks just as the sea stacks reach up toward the sky. But in this approach I don't know how the sun illuminated sand would be handled.
It is a compelling enough image that I have come back to it again and again over the last week before sharing these thoughts. Again, it is stunning as is. I think the compositional harmony I am suggesting is the difference between stunning and a really world class photo.
Posted: 12/12/2020 13:06:02
So, given all that, I hesitate to point out what I don't like about it. For me the composition geometry doesn't mesh as well as it might. I think the biggest element of that is the sunlight illumination on the sand. It is beautiful, but it doesn't seem to connect geometrically with the kelp. Also it contributes to a sense I have that there is a tension between a center balance that the kelp creates, and a left centric balance that the sun creates. Since you say you arranged the kelp, I also wonder if there wasn't a different arrangement that would have created a more right to left feel that connected better to that sun illuminated sand and led back from there. Alternatively, I was thinking there might have been an opportunity to better echo the graphic geometry of the sea stacks in the shaping of the kelp - more points reaching upward in the frame toward individual sea stacks just as the sea stacks reach up toward the sky. But in this approach I don't know how the sun illuminated sand would be handled.
It is a compelling enough image that I have come back to it again and again over the last week before sharing these thoughts. Again, it is stunning as is. I think the compositional harmony I am suggesting is the difference between stunning and a really world class photo.
Posted: 12/12/2020 13:06:02
Thank you, Robert for the insightful analysis. I appreciate how serious you take it. As I shared in my description, I was not quite sure about this image, but didn't know why. The sunlight illumination has bothered me from the start. I have a second image taken minutes after this capture where there is no sunstar and illumination. I couldn't decide which one is best so I asked a handful of people - photographers and non-photographer - what they liked best. To my surprise, because I too thought the balance was off, they all chose the illuminated image.
Your comment about echoing the kelp with the geometry of the sea stacks is brilliant. During set up, I wanted round lines against the hard jagged edges of the sea stacks.
Thank you again, Robert. Posted: 12/12/2020 18:22:15
Your comment about echoing the kelp with the geometry of the sea stacks is brilliant. During set up, I wanted round lines against the hard jagged edges of the sea stacks.
Thank you again, Robert. Posted: 12/12/2020 18:22:15
(Group 87)
Excellent image Dan! I like the composition and the color harmony. The sun flare at f/22 is spot on and adds to the quality of the image. The only thing that I am undecided about (a very MINOR thing) is the white streak in the sand on the right of the image. On one hand I like it as there are other streaks in the image. On the other hand I wonder if it could be a little distracting. This is basically splitting hairs as this is an excellent image that would do very well in any composition. Excellent work! Posted: 12/21/2020 10:46:04
Thank you, Dale. I appreciate your comments. I believe the streaks at high water lines. There are three in the photo. I kept them in because I liked how they radiated out from the kelp to create subtle leading lines. Perhaps I need to rethink my intentions. Posted: 12/26/2020 06:59:54