The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
I came across this scene hiking along the Boulder River in Colorado. It was originally the shape and texture of the weathered tree stump that drew me in. Once I noticed the water “dancing” behind the stump, I knew I had found an image. The simmering water was like spirits swirling around the fallen tree. I took several images, just waiting for the “spirits” to fall in the right spots.
Feedback Requested
Does the water conjure visions of spirits for anyone else? Is there a sense of interconnectedness in the natural world in this image, or is it just me?
Technical Details
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
Focal length: 40mm
Shutter speed: 1/2s
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 100
What a wonderful capture. And, not easy to see. I wonder how many walked past without a second look.
If I hadn’t read your opening comments it would have taken a little bit longer to work out that the background is actual water. The exposure time is perfect.
I’m not feeling spirits or interconnectedness, but I can certainly appreciate the feeling of resilience and wonder how long the stump has been standing there and how long will it stand there. Death against the lively fast-flowing river?
Black and white has worked a treat here.
I wonder if there is another version with some of the brighter highlights in the water burned down a little? Just a tad at the top and bottom.
Top notch. Great vision here. Looking at the thumbnail, I thought it was a rocky spire surrounded by wispy clouds. The answer to both your questions is yes.
Wow! This is so very cool and very, very unique. My very first impression was - this had to be a double-expsoure, most certainly an abstract. It took a few seconds to wrap my head around this one.
Upon opening this one to the larger view, I’m even more impressed! I can see the reference to dancing spirits or something like that, but the practical part of my brain actually see simple, whispy clouds - which could be dancing in the sky. It really doesn’t come across as water until you’ve looked at the large view.
What’s as impressive to me are the sharp details, tones, contrast, etc. of the weathered stump AND the softer, but just as detailed texture in the water - everywhere, not just the whispy dancers.
Sorry, I’m all over the map here and not sure why. This image is just fantastic! Oh, and your processing on this is absolutely stunning.
No words really… maybe that’s why I’m all over the place. I LOVE this image.
What a mind bender. Because photographs are two-dimensional, it takes a minute to sort out what’s going on here. I’m in full agreement with the others that this just wonderful when it all comes together. I especially like that swirl of water over the base of the stump on the right; it provides just a touch of “grounding” for the eye. Black and white is working very well here.
My only thought is to emphasize the stump/water interplay by softening the stump’s luminosity just a tad, and increasing the water’s sharpness a tiny bit:
Wow, this is super. I definitely got the feeling of spirits raging around the stump, but not interconnectedness. Like Lon, I thought it might be a composite at first, but no! Really well seen on your part.
Todd: I love old stumps and would definitely checked this out. You’ve really done well here with your conversion and the effect of the moving water is icing on a very fine cake. Oh, and speaking of spirits, when blown up all the way I see a face in the lower center of the stump. Perhaps he was summoning the others. >=))>
