It’s been a couple months since my last post, although I did post in Flora a couple days ago. Unlike many who are looking for things to do stuck at home… I’ve been quite busy. I’ve been working from home for more than 8 years, so the current shelter in place hasn’t really altered my lifestyle all that much - but my day job has been extremely busy. Been trying to keep up with commenting and will keep trying.
I don’t want to say too much about this image and let the reactions happen without influence. I have my own thoughts, hinted a little bit in the title. Should be fairly obvious as the technique of rotating an image, flipping and mirroring… is not an original idea. But a while back @Ben_van_der_Sande suggested and reminded me of the technique and I thought I would try it out with this one.
What do you see?
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Any, all. The contrast is heavier than the original and I’m combined some b&w processing while keeping some color with the blues and browns.
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Does this work for you? What’s your first impression
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Original image Nikon D800E, 28-300mm @300mm f/9 1/160th 800iso
What a cool abstract Lon. I don’t know what this is really a photograph of but I see a really cool looking B&W alien type creature with an oval head, two triangular eyes sticking out above the head, pincer type mouth (aka an ant), wearing a bow tie and holding up a perfectly formed Greenish brown bird/bat with 2 eyes, a perfect nose with nostrils, and the wings spread out by the alien creature holding it with two feet hanging down ! The Alien looks like it’s offering it up as a bargaining chip?
I do see that the original photo was flipped sideways as there is a perfect reflection right down the center of the image top to bottom so that everything on the right side mimics the left side.
Can’t wait to find out what this really is. Water???
This looks like it belongs in a book by HP Lovecraft, or Stephen King, it looks downright scary (but in a good way). Talk about visual impact, this image has a ton of it. You nailed the luminosity and contrast of this, the various tonalities look awesome. I also like that it sort of looks B&W, but with subtle hints and accents of color. A nice job of creative thinking Lon, I just can’t stop looking at this.
Have no idea what you originally took a photo of, but I see a teddy bear or kitten holding a frog. Its been so long since I did one of these I’ve forgotten the process. Please remind me.
Lon,
You have my mind working overtime trying to figure this one out. This definitely works for me. At the moment I am seeing a polar bear with the eyes, nose and muzzle; but who knows; next time it could be something else. I am not to sure of your technique other than to say I am thoroughly enjoying this abstract image.
I was seeing a crab like creature (eyes popping out the top), with a mouth and two nasty fangs. Then arms at the side, hands on hips. A goatee or dark bandana under the chin. Then, the brownish pattern - A Rising Phoenix belt buckle - Like something from the WWF - it’s the belt buckle that gave me the reference to a Super Hero.
All just about letting ones imagination get a little exercise.
So, the original is a horizontal of some ripples and reflections in the water, the Merced of course. The darker shapes a the bottom are the rocky granite tops of the valley walls and the hints of blue come from the overcast sky. The rest is just snow, rock, trees reflecting in the river.
The technique is pretty simple. You don’t have to rotate, flip or whatever, but decide which edge you want to have mirrored. In this case, the bottom of the horizontal original was sharper and had more details and focus (it was only shot at f/9)
This is cropped a bit from the original, rotated 90 degrees.
Duplicated the image, then flipped it horizontally
Then you simply expand the canvas large enough in your first frame to accommodate the duplicated image.
Then using the move tool, click-n-drag the flipped, duplicated image on to your original layer stack, move and adjust accordingly to it all lines up.
crop, process to taste.
Nah, you know me Igor. I’m not a deep thinker or try and create too many thoughts or expectations with my images. Again, just for fun and an exercise for the imagination. Interesting though now that you bring this up. I do see more things visually in images, as opposed to emotionally - if that makes sense
Lon, without reading first what others find from this beautiful work. My wife is seeing a rabbit in the top part. I myself saw a little bear with a medal around his neck in the middle and lower part .To me it was fun to read that you did make this by a suggestion from me.
Sorry for my late reaction ! Ben.
This definitely works for me. At the moment I am seeing a polar bear with the eyes, nose and muzzle; but who knows; next time it could be something else. I am not to sure of your technique other than to say I am thoroughly enjoying this abstract image.