What changed: This is selected from a different half of the original frame and rotated in the opposite direction of the preceding image. I’m going to share one more, a vertical, tree-trunk version (inspired by Lon’s suggested revision below).
What changed: I did a diagonal rotation, with a little more cropped off to find the room for rotation. I like how this one feels like it was shot from inside an off-kilter building with windows in the upper left and lower right corners.
Added after receiving feedback from the community.
The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
The title of this image is a definitely play on Lon v. Long, as I experimented with @Lon_Overacker 's Double-Exposure with ICM technique last weekend while on some foggy Olympic Peninsula beaches. It is both a Lon shot and these are always a bit of a long-shot. After lots of playing, I learned turning off image stabilization helps a lot. And then remembering to turn it back on for other kinds of photography: that’s good to remember too.
I’m curious about your thoughts on the color combination, the density (for lack of a better word) of shapes and patterns, and well as the luminosity of this one. It’s a two image double exposure with vertical and horizontal swipes focused on driftwood logs/roots that had some bleached wood and bark patches.
Feedback Requested
Any distractions, overly bright sections?
Do your eyes explore the whole image and gravitate to a particular part and rest there?
What feeling/mood does it evoke, if any?
Technical Details
Camera: Canon 5DIV
Lens: 24-105mm L
Focal length: 40mm
Shutter speed: 1/8
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 200
Flash: no
Tripod/handheld: Handheld
Focus method: Auto
Filters: 4 stop maybe?
Technique: vertical and horizontal swipe with in camera double exposure, dark mode, single image result
Conditions: cloudy beach late afternoon
First of all, I’m flattered to be honored in your Title and thank you, I’m glad to know you’ve been inspired to try some new technicques! Fun ain’t it?
As I’m sure you’ve learned right away, the 2-image multiple exposure combined with the movement, pretty much obscures whatever the original subject was. I would have no idea there was driftwood and sand involved here. Althought one of the things that pops out is the color - or lack of or variety of colors.
Of course now the monochromatic nature of the beach scene you described explains it all . And so without color variation, you get to rely on shapes and graphics, contrast and tones, which this image is full of. I really like the “interwoven” nature of the result. There’s a nice balance as well between the horizontal and vertical elements.
My first response actually was that the strong horizontal was suggesting that a 90 degree rotation might work. At first I wasn’t sure and so I kept playing with different orientations. To what end, I wasn’t sure. For me though it’s that strong central streak that is a blessing and curse (too strong a word..) But I did settle on an alternative. The only other suggestion was to reduce the darker areas of that main streak. But then again, that contrast may be what is appealing to you.
Anyway, below is my attempt. After studying this for a bit and yes, I am able to explore all the textures, lines and shapes - in fact some of the driftwood texture comes through, which really helps soften the graphic nature of this overall. I also cropped a bit more.
As I’ve mentioned before, the great thing about these abstract images is that one can crop all day and all night and come up with many alternatives. Not to mention the colors… For a brief moment, I turned it blue with the color temp slider… YMMV!
Thanks, Lon. I’m going to keep playing with this, and I love the idea of rotating diagonally. I considered the vertical band of dark bark, but it felt too centered and too much like a tree trunk. I’ll post a couple of diagonals as revisions.
Great call on the diagonal! Why didn’t I think of that??? What you said about a building - totally, this crop really turned that driftwood beach scene in to a mechanical construction site - or high-end hotel atrium or something… Good job on the new rendition.
Marylynne, the revision is very good. It has a sense of depth that I like. Lon’s revision does resemble a tree, as you note, but I’m not sure why you were reluctant to go in that direction. Personally, I think abstracts tend to work better when they evoke something familiar.
I don’t care for the square crop. It feels like the composition is being forced into a box that doesn’t really fit it.
I’ll share the full frame, Don. I know what you mean about abstracts evoking something, and I was going for a general mood or feeling from this while processing it. I’m not sure why I didn’t want to evoke a tree trunk: too obvious maybe? maybe I thought it would end the curiosity?
ML
Thanks, @Lon_Overacker, @Don_Peters, and @Diane_Miller. The more I look at Lon’s “Tree Trunk” version, the more I like it, especially that little rise of “roots and dirt” at the base of the “trunk.” I’m sharing the full frame here in case you are interested. I’m going to play with a vertical 8x10 tree trunk variation and probably share an alternate square crop from a different section and rotated differently as well.
