What technical feedback would you like if any? What artistic feedback would you like if any?
I’ve been on the fence about this one since I made it. I love the colors and textures, but it obviously doesn’t have a point of interest. Of course, abstracts often don’t have a point of interest, but for some reason that is bugging me here. Any thoughts are welcome.
This is from the upper Sacramento River near Castle Crags.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Single frame, a7, 35mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 1000 (probably hand held).
This photo has such depth that the colors and movement draw you in. I immediately had to take a closer look at it. Felt I was halfway between standing in a Monet garden and viewing it through the Starry night.
Bonnie: One MUST view the largest version to get the full impact of this. The colors are wonderful and the fine details in the foam spots are icing on the cake. Nicely done. >=))>
Hi Bonnie, I wouldn’t worry about having a central point of interest, the image can stand on its own for its beautiful colors and shapes. My eye was drawn deeper into the scene by the contrast of the darker “channel” leading up from the bottom and all the bubbles add interest. Nice capture.
Hey Bonnie - sure do love the flow and colors here! The waves create a beautiful “canvas” on which to display the image. To my eye, there are three layers of complexity… 1) the color pattern itself, 2) the flow of the water/waves pleasantly transformed by their flow, and 3) the white bubbles superimposed on the other two. For my eye though, the bubbles distract, probably because they create their own texture and pattern that, at least in my vision, competes with the subtle waves and color patterns. The bubbles at their present brightness and pattern keep me from looking deeper into the other two patterns. I’m not sure I have a better suggestion on how to manage this…I’d be interested in your thoughts on why you were on the fence regarding this image.
@Jim_McGovern - Yes, the bubbles do compete with the colors and waves, but I figured the theme was “busy”, and this would fit in perfectly. I didn’t try to tone them down. As far as what doesn’t work for me, I think its the visual balance (or imbalance) of the color blocks as compositional elements.
I like this a lot, Bonnie. It’s a really cool abstract. If you’re looking for a bit of a focal point, there’s a nice swirl in the red line about 1/3 of the way up (see attached image) that you could subtly emphasize that might get you where you want to go with this.
Bonnie, this is a neat abstract. The flecks of foam add something different from most reflection abstracts. My belief is that you don’t need one or more focal points in many abstracts. One thing that you can do to hold the viewer’s attention is to create areas of extra contrast. The swirl that
Dennis points out is a good one. I see a similar bit of swirl in the upper left (orange/brown) and you could go for a triangle by working on the mostly green with a bit of blue in the middle right.
This is a great abstract reflection shot, bonnie! I love all the colors and shapes plus the detail (especially in the large version). It works perfectly for the theme and doesn’t need a primary subject.
