Never in a Million Years (+revised)

[Lon_Overacker]

Revised Version

Revision 1 (latest)

What changed: Thought it might be interesting to post the unprocessed raw image. One thing is most certain with these abstracts is that the cropping and processing options are endless… What I posted is within the original, but nothing close to what came out of the camera

Added after receiving feedback from the community.

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Original Version

Critique Style: Standard

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

And you thought I was done with my Yosemite images… ha! I’m not even going to bother with the “Initial Reaction” Critique style, although of course I would love to hear your initial reaction. But there’s no text or information I’m going to hide… Even I can’t explain this one. Yeah, I remember exactly where I was when this was captured, but my mind still hurts trying to figure this one out.

Feedback Requested

As always, your reaction, feedback and suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated.

Curious about the processing, colors/contrast, etc. etc. More importantly, what do you see? Is there enough interest to keep the eye/mind engaged? Or just too dang confusing to want to even look at this too long?

Very curious with this one. Later on I’ll disclose more about it.

Technical Details

Camera: NIKON Z 7_2
Lens: NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR
Focal length: 31mm
Shutter speed: 1/4s
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 31

2-image in-camera multiple exposure. 2 different motion blur ICM’s combined in camera

[Youssef_Ismail]

Lon,

Looking at these ICM images you make leaves me speechless. They are paintings with light. Literal brush strokes of light. This, if you don’t mind me saying is like a mad man got hold of a brush and just went to town on the canvas. Funny that is what I thought and to read that you have no idea how you got this one - maybe you have gone mad.

[Don_Peters]

Lon, I see a landscape with some sort of event going on in the sky. I like the shapes, lines and colors. I get uncomfortable looking at it because everything is leaning to the left. Other than that I think it’s terrific.

[Marylynne_Diggs]

Hi Lon,
I really like this one, and I’m still trying to figure out your method: ICM on each image, and then combined as a double exposure in camera? I gotta try that.

This one feels a little less controlled than your Matrix image from a few weeks ago, but that doesn’t make it less interesting. In some ways, it’s more so. It is leaning left, which brings to mind a left-handed writer, and the bottom right feels a little like a japanese character or Torii Gate, so that’s interesting too.

I really like the color palette, very natural, which makes the abstraction so much more effective because we have a sense of its elements even though they are not realistically portrayed.

I’m going to do another experiment with our new work space here, both cropping using the visual notation tool and cropping and uploading a more heavily cropped version as well. I don’t seem to be able to upload two processing examples, which makes sense. Why should I upload if I don’t have a single better crop option ;-).

Anyway, for me, the Japanese character creates a kind of structure (a man-made kind of structure) that dominates in your version and my cropped visual. In the uploaded processing example, I tried to strip that away a bit more and eliminate the harder edge of the greenish white swath mid frame.

[Crop] removes the heavy dark green band below the japanese character shaped thingy

I think 1:1 is a great ratio for these, and my only cropping suggestion is to remove some of the heavier colors at the bottom edge.

Regardless, this is fantastic. I like the original, both of my crops, and I can see another crop of just the top as well. Nicely done again,
ML

Visual notes based on the original image:

Processing example based on the original image:

[Lon_Overacker]

Thank you @Youssef_Ismail , @Don_Peters and @Marylynne_Diggs for your intial comments and reaction!

@Youssef_Ismail

Funny that is what I thought and to read that you have no idea how you got this one

Too funny! Actually though, I know exactly what I did. What is so perplexing is the outcome. And just like Forest used to say, “…you never know what you’re going to get.” I’ll edit the description above, but there’s just a basic horizontal swipe, doubled in-camera with a vertical swipe. And know what the subject is and where I was standing, it’s even more bizzare. What I need to do, and always forget is to take a “normal” frame of a scene before (or after) any ICM work. BTW, this was a one-off; ie. I didn’t stand there trying various swipes.

@Don_Peters

I get uncomfortable looking at it because everything is leaning to the left.

totally get that Don. And actually this was rotated just a little to make the darker area on the bottom a little flatter. Also, this was flipped vertically from the original capture.

@Marylynne_Diggs

I’m still trying to figure out your method: ICM on each image, and then combined as a double exposure in camera?

I’m not sure if this feature is on all cameras, but basically the camera has an ME, or Multiple Exposure mode - 2 to 9 exposures and 4 different blending modes. This was set to 2 exposures and you simply use your camera normally, this happened to be in manual mode where I set the shutter speed to 1/4s and adject aperture as needed. You simply swipe like doing a single ICM. Only now, the camera does not “close” or advance to the next frame, the first image remains visible (think 50% opacity) while you take the second frame. Then the camera does the rest, blending the 2 based on blend mode. In this case I use the dark blending mode. When you download, you only get 1 image in JPG format, And there’s nothing in the meta data that tells you its an ME.

@Marylynne_Diggs

the bottom right feels a little like a japanese character or Torii Gate,

Showing my ignorance here, but I’m not seeing or understanding the reference. But after googling the “Torii Gate,” I get it now.

Love your last crop! It sure transforms the image and for me really makes this so much more mellow and soft, as oppossed to the “madman” impression!

Thank you so much for your detailed response and suggestions!

[Bonnie_Lampley]

Very nice, Lon. I do like Marylynne’s crop to eliminate the dark band at the bottom. My only suggestion would be to increase the contrast via a slight S curve. Not a lot, but I feel like a touch more brightness would be nice. At any rate, it’s very cool! I love the natural colors.

[Igor_Doncov]

Visual notes based on the original image:

[Crop] I think this crop suggests a landscape

I thought this crop would be less confusing than the original.

[system]

The original poster added a revised version of their image.

[Lon_Overacker]

Thank you @Igor. This is a good crop and I agree that it more closely resembles a landscape.

Truth be told, the scene was the scene above the bridge at Yosemite falls - mostly water and rocks

[Huw_Thomas]

Hi Lon

Surprised no-one has seen the “winged griffin passant sinister” in the uncropped image ??

You are so inspiring with new ideas -I’m not really an ICM fan - but will try this.
Your 2 phase ICM seems to work just right for water falling - main movement vertically but enough from side to side so the brain takes it as almost natural

By the way the ME technique will work great in camera too FOR POLENKA DANCING FLOWERS , as long as you take the still image first, line this up in viewfinder before the longer exposure moving away from the still image.

Sony A7’s don’t seem to do ME , but my canon 600d does so will have a play

Visual Notes for Revision 1

GRIFFIN, HEAD TO RIGHT - [A1] wing

[A2] HEAD

[A3] BODY and legs