I rarely find abstract images or create them from the mundane with ICM, but while purging old photos I came across this one and decided to see what I could do with it. Apart from some basic stuff in processing and a big crop, I didn’t do much.
Specific Feedback Requested
Anything. This is not my usual line.
Technical Details
Probably handheld, but who knows. It’s from last year so I can’t recall.
Lr for reduction in exposure and a big push to lower the darker end of the luminosity scale. A crop to pick this out of a larger field. Some white balance and calibration changes as well as a little to some of the color channels, but nothing too drastic. Some Transform to give a more pleasing angle. Topaz Denoise for sharpening & NR.
Wow! This is gorgeous! I love the hints (more than hints) of iridescence… the light, the glow, the colors, and not to mention the patterns, texture and detail.
Small nit is thinking about the URC. My eye gets drawn there, but not sure best way to deal with, if you chose to. Not an image killer by any means, and it might not have the same effect for others.
And no, not surprised to see you here, but glad you found and posted this beauty!
Thanks @Lon_Overacker - I guess we are the only two who like it. 'tis weird that’s for sure, but I’m glad I rediscovered it in my files.
In terms of the URC, I guess I could try to tone down the color with some darker tones if it is a serious distraction. Figuring out where to crop in something like this is tough especially since the size and shape of the main formation is the way it is.
Hi Kristen, I like this a lot! Lots of cool patterns and textures. I’m still trying to get comfortable critiquing images, so I don’t really have any suggestions on how to improve this image.
I love this Kristen! Sometimes it takes me a while to comment/critique due to a very busy work schedule. The fossil like patterns look great in your image. Very fascinating! I also enjoyed the darker blues mixed with the warmer tones.
Thanks @Glenn_Tunaley, @Alfredo_Mora & @Matt_Payne for chiming in. Since this was a couple years ago, I don’t recall if I ‘saw’ the fossil in this pattern, but I did when processing it so my editing choices pushed me that way. Originally I didn’t see the blue in the piece, but when I did I thought it contrasted well with the burnished copper and other brown tones. Maybe if I had a less literal brain I could find things like this more often, but I’m wired very analytically and so it’s rare that I am able to recognize the potential of abstracts in nature.
This is fantastic Kris! I love the various textures and colors. The whole scene is a festival for the eyes. Glad you went back through the oldies and found this.
VEEERY COOL!! Ice??? (I’m not sure I’ve ever seen ice for real, except in a glass of whisky…) Whatever it is, I love ti!! The UR is a bit of an eye-puller but not a lot. Maybe just lower the contrast but keep the same brightness and color? The overall composition / texture / color rocks!!
And yeah…it’s ice, Diane. Just the river in the backyard, the current makes for some really interesting patterns. You’ve never been north?!! Come on up in a few months and we can walk on the river and the beaver ponds. Plenty of ice. As a matter of fact I’m thinking about doing a photo workshop in Northern Minnesota in February. Hopefully we get a frigid January so a lot of Superior is frozen solid.
Tempting thought! Actually, I used to ski (downhill) but rarely did any sightseeing. Have only been up north in summers. Flirted with winter a few times in the western mountains, but never with enough time for real photography.
Late to pick up on this. Liked this image quite a lot. Love how it looks like a fossilized fish with scales and all. Particularly good find. Also the copper tones and the blue compliment each other perfectly. Works like a charm. Only nitpick I have is the Upper and Lower right corners. They seem a bit distracting to my eye. Cropping them is definitely not an option as it will disrupt the flow of the image. In my suggestion, if you can create a strong vignette darkening out the edges, they will not be as distracting. Also, if you can try and crop so that the ice formation on the right side of the image is not cut out, that might look cool as well. A brilliant image, was really fun perusing over it.
Thanks @subhasish_dutta for having a look. It’s a shot that can be processed and cropped in so many ways that I’m not sure there is one solution, but yeah those areas are more prominent than they might need to be.
