Continuing my exploration of submerged roots, here’s another. It’s like opening little holiday presents when you download the files and see what the camera saw. You don’t know what you’re going to get, and each one is different.
Specific Feedback Requested
The colors really were there, but did become brighter/more saturated with processing and I dialed them back some as I went. Still, the color is pretty wild. I like it, but would be interested in others reactions.
Hi Bonnie,
I really love the colors and patterns in this one! The brighter blue part in the top left corner distracts me just a little bit. It’s beautiful as is, but I played around with it over my lunch and instead of darkening, I just shifted the color slightly to the blue green and also the yellow. I also just left the color alone and darkened the blue edge slightly. It was amazing how much a slight adjustment could change the feel of this image. I think you must have had fun editing this shot.
For some reason I want to see this printed out huge, or maybe a version on metallic paper.
This is such an intriguing photo, Bonnie. At first glance, it seems to be water but then what else is going on? I still am not quite sure which makes it wonderful. With regard to your question about the colors, I think they look good as is. They are vibrant but with an abstract photo like this, I do not think you need to reign them in. In fact, I like the stronger colors because I think they add to the mystery of the scene. Well done!
This is amazing and wonderful!! No need to even think about what it is – it’s a perfect abstraction and I can get lost in it for a long time! I don’t feel any need to change the colors or tonalities but there is probably a huge range of possibilities to play with.
I can see why it would. I think it’s not so much the brightness, but the higher contrast between the green and blue, unlike the rest of the frame that doesn’t have such stark contrast changes. It didn’t bother me, but I shall fiddle with that corner to see what changes may do.
I actually have printed this (at 10 x 13) and it’s hanging in a member’s show at the local art league. Compared to some of the other pieces it looks rather small, though. Printing big feels like more trouble to me (matting, framing, etc.). I need to explore other printing options that don’t involve framing.
I’m glad you and the others don’t find the colors too over-the-top.
I used to print big (I LOVED some of the papers) but matting and framing was a lot of work and shows (especially sales) dried up years ago. There are some good places doing canvas prints, which are a good alternative. Bay Photo has been very good in my experience. A friend has been using Easy Canvas Prints for a long time and I’ve tried them a few times with surprisingly good results for the price.
Bonnie, this is an outstanding “water abstract”. The ripples and reflections add some great textures while the roots hold everything in the frame together. I highly recommend metal prints, especially with bright colors like these. They come ready to hang, so the extra expense in printing actually results in savings since mounting, matting and framing goes away. The only caveat is that you need to use standard sizes to avoid unprinted areas on two of the sides.
Thanks, @Mark_Seaver. I’ve thought about metal prints, but haven’t ever tried them. Those acrylic ones might be good, too, but I’ve heard they’re quite expensive (and I’m not looking to sell anything).
Wow the colours are so luminous and the distorted shapes are evocative without being too obvious or too distorted. A perfect, very painterly balance! As others have suggested it would make a fabulous print. If going very large, it may be a good idea to clone out some of the bubbles in the LRC and in other places, so as make it purely painterly but, of course, this is entirely a matter of vision and taste. A gorgeous image!
Bonnie, What a gorgeous image. I love it! It really stands out and draws me in. It has a tactile quality to it that makes me want to reach out and touch. I wonder what it would look like printed on glass.
The only thing I find a little distracting is the bright spot on the bottom left corner and the green space above it. Because it’s such a bright spot I find my eyes are drawn to it but, because it doesn’t have as much detail as the rest of the image I find it’s not as rewarding.
I’ve attached a version with the darkened areas.
It’s a subtle thing and subjective, but either way I think it’s a great image.
