L Dune

Great work, Brad--I finally figured it out in terms of where the sun was, etc. Even so, could you possibly show us the original?

Congratulations on having it chosen as photo of the week.

--Lannie

wups, I meant to address my last post to Brett.

I picked up on that Doug. This just does nothing for me. It seems very contrived, maybe going for Mondrian-ish, but without enough scene elements to pull it off. There's nothing to follow except the textures in the sand, and nowhere to rest when you're done trying. The straight line of the rock isn't dynamic or tantalizing or profound or daring in its perpendicularity (perpendicular as I assume it was a landscape orientation capture, could be wrong there). The empty space does not make itself an asset like empty space must. It seems awkward and forced and incomplete, like a crop where the original sense of composition was lost. The whole thing is dark and flat too.

Very good shot with detailed and sharp contrast.
I am also with other's feeling of erotic.

Its quite fasinating to me, at first sight I thought it was a very close macro of a part of a finger print. The longer I look the more I see a super detailed macro of a finger print where the subject is holding, pinching something very small. Its hard to find a typical sanddune picture great shot.

Brett, I think that what appears to be rock is a wall created by subsidence of the sand on the lee side of the dune (away from the prevailing winds). The process is more visible in this photo from the same folder:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6797043

The "wall" of sand appears more obvious in the photo of the week because of the sun coming from the right, casting the "wall" into dark shadow, I believe. (Perhaps contrast was added as well in order to make this area appear even darker.)

Brad, please tell us more about how this photo was made. Again, please post the larger file so that we can see the cropping options. I still think that it is a very creative shot, although, once the illusion breaks down, it is probably not as good a dune shot as many of your others. It is a real eye-catcher, though.

--Lannie

Although I like this, I'm not "blown away" with it, I don't feel it has that kind of intensity, and possibly not that kind of intent, but I do find it interesting enough to examine more than once Assuming deficiencies in tonal quality could be attributed to variations in monitor calibration, I think there's enough variation in texture, tone and light to keep me involved.

Brett, responding to your statement "There's nothing to follow except the textures in the sand, and nowhere to rest when you're done trying," I'm feeling as though I don't need a place to rest, although I acknowledge that the act of viewing a print is usually more enjoyable when there is a sense of finality in arriving at a particular spot, conclusion, or emotion. On the other hand, I see this as more of an abstract. The dune shot referenced by Lannie, as a quick and handy comparison, is more realistic, and thus (to me) judged differently. With this picture, the enjoyment is not entirely in what the picture is , and how cleverly it has been recorded, but also in what the picture could be . I have to allow my mind to go beyond what I know it is, and enter a realm of what I might want it to be. In that respect, finding a resting place would be counter productive because the energy I get from it is in the ambiguity.
I'm amazed, again, at how various individuals can look at the same thing and come away with different impressions, each with equal validity.

I like the way the ridges of sand look like a giant maze, but the dark area at the lower right and the blurred area at the bottom of the rock ridge bother me, making the photograph seem somehow incomplete to me. I do like the use of the square format, though, and the use of space.

As much as it is an interesting beautiful image, I find that it is so abstracted that it has no reference context. No sense of scale, perspective etc. Is it miles long or a few hundred feet? It would have been nice if there was SOME visual cue...a shadow, a bird...something...

MODERATOR REMINDER. Please take a look at the link in Patrick's intro to the Photo of the Week which can only be seen when you click on "Read Discussion".... Many people are unaware that the POW is strictly a critique forum and the content of all comments must be actual critiques. Complaints about the choice, endless discussions about photo vs image and manipulation, one sentence negative or positive congrats posts are always deleted or edited. We're looking for constructive positive and/or negative points to help users understand why a photo is a good one or not.

Very nice... Like Doug, I feel a bit disconcerted about scale and orientation, but that's what makes it great for me. You dealt with a landscape with an authentic eye for abstraction. As a result, you've achieved a wonderfully composed abstract. Perhaps just a tad more contrast selectively in the dune's sand would give this even more visual impact, but this is definately the sort of abstract landscape, that I would hang on my wall... Very well thought out. Congrats !

The compostion is awkward and unbalanced. The tones are flat and unappealing. The lack of scale and lack of decernable orientation are annoying. Erotic ? I must be seeing something quite different to other or else we have a group of copraphaganists amongst us. I would rank this image at the bottom of the pile in Brad's dune folder. Many of the other images in that file are a pleasure to look at.

I like the composition, the falling dune continues takes a curve to the shadow on the right. The sensual feeling in the small image is lost in big one, for me anyway. As a dune photographer i find intriguing the viewpoint, like you're in an high position, from the air. It is an unusual dune photograph.

Brad,
thank you for sharing a very interesting and exciting image. As others have said, I was first intrigued by the small image which then seemed erotic, but when I opened the large image I found a very strong nature composition, with lots of small details which fascinate me. This is an image I would happily have an my wall, and put it my favourites folder here on photo.net. . Lots of admiration - and envy ;) ;) Congrats with the POW !

Per-Christian

"It is an unusual dune photograph" indeed, and Miguel certainly knows a lot about such subject matters. The intriguing viewpoint and rootless abstraction is what's so interesting for me. Here is another one, a bit more conventionnal, but very well composed, in Brad's folder: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6981572 , which reminded me of your POW, long time ago, Miguel.
I agree with Gordon, that there are many other nice and better contrasted dune shots in this folder, but they are way more common. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but "unusual", the word used by Miguel, is exactly appropriate, and for me, makes this one more interesting...This "unusual" image leaves many doors open for discussion... as Gordon and Miguel's posts attest.

I have followed Brad's work and liked some of his dune photos which are very good. This one does not work for me ,composition wise. The L side is lighted nearly overexposed on the upper part , the R side which takes a big part of composition is textured, but has no interest, very even and leave my feelings flat. The light and shadow play which are so nice in some of his other dune works ,is missing in this one. The gradation of passage from lighted to shadowed areas, especially on the upper R side of the black part, is sharp like a snippet, not very organic looking in my eyes.. and I don't see its sensuality as well. This one was chosen , but I think that there are much better works in his dune files, and in many of his other works , representing him.

Brad beautiful image, and I do agree with others; for some reason it is erotic (7/7). I must ask what is scale or/and the wavelength of these ripple surface features? It appears as if these features were small in scale (centimeters or so). Thank you.

Dear All,
WOW... I am impressed! And I feel the power of PoW! I can easily see why Photo.net is the greatest photography site on the whole web world.
I am currently tied up up on something, and so cannot dispense enough time to study all the comments, but I will put aside some of my time soon to study this thread carefully. I am sure this will become a good nourishment for my photography.
In the mean time, for the reference, I attach herewith the original capture from which this image was cropped.
Thank you All for your time and contributions!
Brad Kim

An awesome photo, Brad. Looks great. Two things, though:

1. I don't mean to be rude, but I just cannot get over how much this photo looks like a crotch shot, when it's viewed small and at a glance. I know that's crazy, and it's probably my own personal hang-up, but that's what I thought. As far as analogies go, though, first class crotch reference there!

You need to rename this photo, "Fishnet Stockings."

I could explain, but you know some readers have delicate sensibilities.

I sometimes find myself telling people with landscape photos, "Pick a subject and make a composition." Well, you picked a subject and made a composition, alright! I'd have to give you a "7" on originality for that!

This is the end-all, crotch-shot landscape photo! I will probably remember it with a chuckle.

2. Which way is up? This is one of those photos where I look at it, and I feel that it was rotated or made from an angle of view that I don't understand. It's somehow unusual in the respect that I don't feel a good sense of "grounding" for the photo. The exclusion was so strong, I don't have a good sense that the entire photo is oriented correctly.

On the positive side, there's such a strong communication of tone and shadow, that I feel like I am looking at a good photograph. But, the rotation problem particularly, broke my interest. I have even picked up the laptop and rotated it in my hands, trying to understand the photo's orientation.

All of the "natural interest" generated by the first point was somehow broken by the orientation confusion that developed after a moment. Nice photo, though. I'd give you a "5/7", with that five solely because of the orientation problem. Still, it's a shot of a lifetime. Good job.

Congratulations on Photo of the Week. "Proceed with confidence!" J.

I know from the other web site that the author can grasp the feeling of a wild landscape and the beauty of women. Picture of dune is fine but deserves no second glance like a pattern on the sand that lasts a split second. This is simply the photography. Congratulations.

This picture is great from multiple aspects. I like the tonal range, the soft tonality of the shadow in the waves of the dunes and the crisp rock. I does bring erotica to mind at the first glance. In my opnion, its just a test of how the mind works. Going through the discussion, I see a significant number of people have interpreted it the way I did (whether they laothed it or adored it is a different question). Its marvellous to notice that most of us perceive texture, curves not as an unknown combination but often attempt to associate these with something we have seen before, even if they are not related.
The photo is surely a marvel but whats even more intriguing is the opinion of others that shows how we think. This is one of the threads I have enjoyed the most...

When I first looked at it, I thought it was coral, but couldn't figure out the dark area. Wondered why this was photo of the week. After I minute I felt like Marie Barone in that episode of Everyone Loves Raymond, where she made the abstract sculpture. At any rate, I find it a bit overexposed on the left, but other than that, interesting patterns.

After reading the comments, I'm relieved. I'm not the only one who thought this was a crotch shot...
Amazing work!

Why didn't Brad just name it "Vulva" and be done with it?

--Lannie

Brad,

I also am an economist by training. Unlike you, however, I have never taken photography as seriously. All I have ever wanted, as far as photography is concerned, is to take decent casual photos I can be happy with, which has proven to be quite elusive.

My first impression is that your work is a study of composition on asymmetry and contrast as demonstrated by the four sections in the photo with abstract elements including some patterns. Upon further investigation, I notice the subtle yet tangible gradation in gray in each section mainly caused by light, and I realize that it is more of a study of light in contrast and gradation with a compositional twist.

A more interesting thing to me about the photo, though, is the spirit of exploring unconventional/non-traditional beauty. The concept of conventional/traditional of beauty is mainly drawn upon form and to a lesser degree color as far as photography is concerned. One common way to challenge it is to soften or even annihilate form by various means, most notably blur. A more popularly acceptable way, yet possibly far more difficult to execute than, say, to incorporate simple blur, is to introduce less familiar and variously interpretable forms as you are doing here.

I find that a big portion of unconventional beauty is to be accounted for by the aesthetic concept of “sublime” which can be different from the casual meaning of it. While conventional beauty is intuitive in understanding and immediate in gratification, sublime can be less intuitively obvious and more rigorous although one can get aesthetic appreciation from it similar to that from conventional beauty. Although sublime is usually associated with “formless and boundless,” I often think about the possibility of being so and its inspiration in more defined yet unfamiliar forms (which, for instance, can lead to the elevation of consciousness through reason). Speaking only for myself -- sublime is as subjective as beautiful is -- your work here is rather sublime than of conventional beauty.

One suggestion: If I were you, I would change the title as it seems to reduce your work into something less than what it is. The title strongly suggests that your work be a mundane study of line or curve in a bit uncommon landscape and therefore undermines its potential as a sublime abstract. (As a simple landscape, I find far less value in it.)

You need not click my name as I do not have a profile or a portfolio.

Good luck.