I think this year was better than last year for me. I went in a bit of a different direction. Interestingly the editors picked none of my favorites. These are my 3 favorites as of right now. You get attached to them and it becomes hard to decide which I like more. These are the ones I gave the most thought after the shot was taken. I like each for a different reason.
Number 1 is my favorite by a long stretch, I like it quite a bit. I like 3, good feeling, mood and emotion and 2 isn’t doing all that much for me as presented.
I have spent more time on #2 than the others. #2 actually has quite a bit of emotion but in a more subtle, abstract way. It is the one which encourages the imagination more than the others. At least, that’s how I see it.
3 VERY different images Igor. I love all three but for different reasons. All would look great printed and hung for sure. The first one has tremendously moody atmospherics with color pop but in a very narrow tonal range which is exactly what gives it it’s mood. It’s soft and sensual but begs to be explored. The second image is abstract in nature to me with soft contrast but like you said, it begs to be interpreted. My interpretation is something alien in nature like a mothership upper center and a small pod either leaving the mothership or returning to it. However, I can come up with lots of different interpretations with this image.
The third image is classic American West in every way. Fall colors with a mountain backdrop in great light and a cluster of trees that appear to be close nit family. I see Grandma and Grandpa, the two large trees to the left, two trees bent over giving mom and dad a hug and two smaller siblings watching on. This image resonates the most with me. It is the most emotional for me. It’s the two trees leaning that speak volumes. You can come up with story after story for those two trees and the setting is classic. This is my favorite by far.
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Thank you for your input on this David. I have come across several photographers who feel it’s important to do a self assessment at the end of the year to see what you’ve accomplished and how far you’ve come since the previous year. This Weekly Challenge made me do it and I like the idea. I picked 3 but there were some that could have been chosen instead. It’s fun to go back and see how my opinion changed over time.
The first is really a classic feel good intimate landscape. I loved what I saw and how it made me feel and looked for a comp that showed how wonderful the world is if we just take the time to see. It’s an image that’s easily understood and appeals to everyone.
The second took time to like but it quickly caught up and passed the others. It has great symbolic value if you give yourself the freedom to explore it. It would be the one that I could hang on my wall on not get bored with it. It’s not something you would expect at your dental office. It also has artistic qualities in both color and texture.
The third was taken last month. It was a moving scene but not in a positive way. I saw the coming of hard times. I rushed the shooting and didn’t have a lot of time to fully absorb it. But when I downloaded it to my laptop I felt I had something special. I would go over my jpegs almost nightly during the 3 week trip and this one always stood out. I suspect, however, that I wouldn’t like to have it on my wall at home. It’s a downer. It’s something you can appreciate when you want to but not have it affect your day unexpectedly. Also, it looks more like a photograph than art and I tend to like artsy images on my walls.
A nice collection of favorites, Igor! I personally liked #2 the most. It’s unique and raised my curiosity right away. I spent a lot of time trying to imagine what caused it to erode into these strange shapes! I also love the details and textures in the large version.
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Igor, these three are all excellent looks at things that most of us would pass by. I really like all three. The variety of golds and reds in the grasses along with the textures in #1 look very good. I’m thoroughly enjoying the minimalist/abstract character of #2. The tow raised bits have me thinking about and ear and earring. #3 looks like a very peaceful and inviting place to stop and spend some time.
#1 I like the abstractness, but at the same time I am missing a subject (to subtle, I probably have to get used to this kind of photography. The colors on the other hand, really nice and moody.
#2 Imho the most attractive of the lot. Simple, abstract, nice shapes and subtle colors.
#3 a totally different picture, not abstrakt at all. Stiil a lot of mood. I like how the trees break the sky in a balanced way.
Good point and it’s something that I considered when making this image. One was shot with a longer focal length that made the trees ‘below the mountain’ and the second was this. When I got back to the computer, there was no comparison.
I like all three of these images, Igor, for much the same reasons you talk about in an earlier response. Number 2 speaks to me a lot, but not knowing what was above the frame, i keep wanting a bit more room above the very neat formation at the top.
What a nice treat to see these again … and to see again more reactions by other photographers.
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Quite a fine triple, Igor. All different, all wonderful.
#1 very delicate look at the the natural grasses and forbs
#2 an alien, galactic abstract, with inquisitive shapes tones and and depth
#3 a somber piece indeed…the last stand
Enjoy the Holidays!
An interesting group of images Igor, they are indeed very different, but representative of your style and body of work. I tend to prefer images that are both simple, yet open to interpretation and symbolism. In others words, images that engage the viewer by making you think beyond the literal.
In that regard, #2 is my clear first choice, there are just so many ways that one can interpret that image, and it has a lot subtle elements that invites further exploration and interpretation.
Oddly enough #3 is my second choice. While yes it does look more like a traditional landscape photograph on the surface, the shapes and stage of decay/decline on the trees elevate this image beyond the traditional view. The trees make me stop and engage with the image on a deeper level, which is what i am looking for. Those trees have Soul, to use your phrase. And the light in the image helps reveal the soul of those trees. I also think the image has simplicity because the mountain and sky are not overwhelming visually. They do not intrude much into the study of the trees, yet they provide a time and place for the trees to be.
Image #1 has simplicity, and it has emotion from the warm color. But I find it less engaging for me than the other two. It’s still a good image, but I find myself reacting to it emotionally, rather than engaging with it intellectually. Nothing wrong with that, however.
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