Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
Looking for first impressions. What do you see? I don’t have any, but I’d be curious to know any emotional reactions.
As always, I appreciate all comments and suggestions. How are the colors, contrast and processing in general?
Other Information
Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is.
Image Description
ICM capatured a few weeks ago on Sonora Pass. The area is rich with the Western Juniper and this is a motion blur ICM of a large trunk. The lighter parts are a weathered gray branch stub off the main trunk.
I see the white area with the yellow-ish point as the head of a bird - probably a sleek looking immature seagul. Have no idea about the rest of the frame, but I thought it was a pretty cool looking result.
Technical Details
Single frame ICM. Nikon D800E, 28-300mm @85mm, f/13, 1/4s iso 100 Handheld.
I diagonal movement at the same time with a little shakin’ going on. At least I think that’s what I remember.
Lon, my first reaction when I had just seen the thumbnail was “The Worm” (from the Dune movie). I really like this ICM and its flowing motion. The angles and subtle lines clearly show motion from right to left to my eyes. I also like the colors. Everything I am saying keeps taking me back to Dune. Nice image you created.
I’ve been reading a book on the geological evolution of north America lately. This image looks like a monumental motion blur of the assembly of a mountain range to me, though I suspect its a muddy stream. Still the same thing-just a vastly different time scale.
Well, I really blew the source for this-didn’t I? I still like it. Just shows that the content of an image-any image, is in the eye of the beholder.
Once I saw it I can’t stop seeing it. I see a Seagull in a Sandstorm! Like Egidio there’s lots of swirling sand. That’s what drew my eye at first. Funny, it’s said that the eye is attracted to bright areas, but in this case it was the sumptuous dark colors and swirls. Then my eye rested on the white area and Gull head appeared.
Like @Mark_Muller, I first saw the whole, as a rich abstract. Then I saw a Corncrake’s head, based on the pale part, and I too am now always seeing a bird. I think a shot like this allows for many reactions, and that perhaps adds to its appeal. I might burn the orange “beak” just a bit, as it is the part which speaks “bird” most. Or if many people see a bird, then it could be a cool logo! (OK - now I’ve read the blurred part).
I love this, Lon! My first impression is it looks like a photo from Utah where there are the big red rocks and you’re inside looking at a shaft of light coming through an opening from the top. (My first thought for a title was ‘Shifting Sands’ )
Now after reading everyone’s comments I can’t stop seeing the seagull!
It’s interesting when I look at the details I see what I originally saw but when I 'step back ’ and look at it as a whole image I only see the seagull! It’s kind of like one of those pictures that when you move it around you see different things… not sure what those are called. Anyway I think between the colors and the motion it makes for a really interesting image that you could probably see many different things in it, especially made into a really big print! Beautiful work!
Fascinating image Lon! Upon first glance I saw a seagull struggling to catch a fish. The only area that contradicts my initial impressions are the earthy colors. Shifting the colors around the bird to blue tones may look interesting.
I’m liking the overall composition and contrast levels. The image image has a wonderful dynamic energy to it.
My initial impression was “Smoke on the Water”. After reading the other comments and looking again, I see the seagull. I really like this abstract image Lon. Well done!
What a thought provoking image you have created here!
I studied this for awhile and my interpretation was that of blurred and turbulent water, more specifically, the brackish brown water as seen in most parts of the 30 mile stretch of the Cape Fear River leading from the Atlantic Ocean at Southport to Wilmington, NC, it’s a waterway where some naval ships as well as other commercial ships dock, even submarines travel that stretch of water and the water truly is the color of this image. Although the water looks dingy and uninviting, that is where many species of saltwater fish, menhaden bait fish, mullet, dolphins, porpoise, crocodiles and alligators thrive.
Given the above, I see a porpoise or dolphin just under the surface of the water going after some type of bait fish like menhaden or mullet for example.
I used to use cast nets to catch menhaden in the Cape Fear River, throw them in a large live well, then go out to sea to fish for King Mackerel and Tuna. (Those were some of the good old days for me! )
I just read your description and I see the Seagull but I still see a Dolphin as well.
Well done, Lon!
I don’t have a good title suggestion for ya unless maybe something like “Surface Tension” appeals to you. Does it really need one? Just a thought.
Thank you all for your comments and observations. One of the fun things with ICM - is simply allowing the imagination to take over, freeing yourself if just a bit from reality.
As is often the case, once you “see” something, or it’s pointed out, you can’t “unsee” it. Most times that is ok, but other times your mind gets cornered in to seeing something you might not want to otherwise…
I definitely see the “blowing sand” , and even the dolphin reference or even the “Dune” reference. I’m glad to know this triggered many different interpretations.
This may be a stretch, but I’ll throw this out there for fun. If you see a bird, a gull, then would it be a stretch, if the colors were different - to see eagle in the US Postal logo? Am I reaching? ha ha - Well, I’m changing the Title of the post anyway…
The colors are beautiful.
