Visiting winter

This is a wonderful image experiencing quiet and solitude. The exposure is very good. As others have said, I would like to know a little more about post work. Also, if you controlled the figure, a moderate red or orange ballon, even though "traditional", would have added aditional impact. I believe your choice of blue was to tie in the sky which is a good idea. Since I prefer pos. and neg. comments about my own work, so as to grow, some observations--the prominent peak in the Middle bothers me some and the snow covered hills appear to be a little artificial. I think eliminating most of the blue sky, except for the pieces under the clouds, would actually strengthen the quiet and solitude of this fine image.

Despite my neg. comments, I do like the creative idea of seeing this and/or putting it together. Joe Dragon

 

Kathryn, my point is that Ceslovas does not need clichés like the blue balloon to make a strong image. Look at some of his other remarkable images. Without such clichés he would have shown strength and independence as an artist - instead of making something that looks like a somewhat cheap pastiche.

Kathryn, Anders-
Blue balloon for me is an element linking the picture with childhood

Thank you everyone once again! This was a very useful experience

Hi Ceslovas,
congratulations on the POW. For me, I have had no doubts this image is unreal since first I saw it. This is what does not work for me: the shadows - man's one is very different than the ones of trees as already pointed by some people; the hills - I feel the more distanced hills (particularly the three in the middle) should not be that bright (and perhaps sharp) as the foreground ones (I don't see problem in color differences); and what was the first, most catchy and obvious thing for me is the snow cover - it is identical on the left foreground hill and the middle one (and other ones too).
Hope this helps, and wish you a good light in the new year!
Jan

This is such a joyful surrealistic photo. Technically, it is done simply perfect. From the perspective of idea, I simply see a character from one of the Tom Hanks movies. (His characters often had a strange way of living. )

I saw this image a while back in the daily sampling and it caught my eye then. I like many things about it. The colors are clean and crisp. It has an amazing spaciousness that I love. The perspective is powerful and it is definitely a surreal landscape. I find that the shadows of the man and the leaning tree being a different angle from the shadows of the other trees bothers me a little bit, but not enough to change my opinon of the image. I don't personally like the ballon, but I did see an explanation of why it was included and it makes sense to me now.

I don't feel that I can really comment more on the PP because I am not very experienced in that sort of work. I do want to say that the feeling that I get from this image is that it is representative of a dream, a fragment of Ceslovas' mind if you will. That creates a sense of connection in a way and I have great resepct for him in sharing his work with us. When we take up our cameras and create images, regardless of the methods we choose, we leave a part of us in those images. They are very personal in many ways and to share them with the world requires a certain courage. I like this image not for it's technical details or how it was made, but for the feelings and the thoughts that it evokes.

Katherine

I love thought provoking images and this one has all those qualities. I however am not sold on the blue sky even though it fits into perspective. I think I would really like to see this image in Black and White.

Very great composition, but... I'm very confused!

 

PhotoNet is not about photography?

Also is not a space for photographers with at least 1 year of experience?

 

How could anyone believe that this image is a real photo?

How could anyone ask details about exposures, colors etc.?

 

Again, very great idea, composition etc., but this image is not a real photo!!!

First of all I congratulate you Ceslovas for making it to POW. Secondly, I congratulate you on your photo editing skills, which I'm sure are the envy of many in PN. Thirdly, I challenge anyone who finds this image unworthy of POW due to it's manipulation in post production to look at their own portfolios and find where the balance between post production manipulation and un-manipulated images leans. Fourthly, to imply that image manipulation , no matter how great or small, somehow cheapens its photographic brilliance or takes away from the photographer's photographic ability implies a level of ignorance and cynicism. Ceslovas, you have done a remarkable job here. Well done

I find the manipulation here very effective. Well done too... I like this little fantasy world that you have set up. It brought a smile to my lips, and then I started thinking, that this image was in fact a cute and smart portrayal of image manipulations, precisely. The man holding the baloons seems indeed to be walking in an all-pure and tidy world. No sharp edges on the hills, no problems, no boundaries, just an absolute freedom to find his own way, bringing his favorite colors along...:-) Like a modern "Alice in Wonderland"... Fun and smart... Nice ! Congrats.

The moderator refuses to allow any negative comments. Why is this?

This is just an amazing photo. I feel like seeing a fairy tale painting. Great work.

It is an "image" but not a "photograph". When we lose sight of the difference we have ignored art in favor of a work ethic. Neither is to be criticized but differentiated. All of us could have created this image in PS but none of us could have captured it in a PHOTO which is the title of the contest. We can do better than this.

Really stunning work, very clever.

@Peter Smith: The POW is explicitly NOT a contest , and while in my personal lexicon this isn't a photograph either, it doesn't in any way make it less art- or discussion-worthy. Perhaps the forum should be "Picture of the Week" instead, but I think the ground rules have already been laid out pretty clearly here. I don't think all of us could have created this image in PS--it is from Ceslovas' imagination and he implemented it with unusual skill. It has been differentiated--it has clearly been presented as a manipulation and the elves/mods have repeatedly asked that the discussion focus on the quality and application of manipulation and not on whether or not it belongs here.

As for a critique on the posted image, it is beautiful, no doubt, and is a wonderful concept. If there's anything for me to criticize it would be that I'd like to see the more distant hills fade more, blend into the horizon with a little more haze. The shadow cast by the man appears to be a little bit too crisp and dark in comparison to the shadows cast by the trees. And composition-wise, I feel like I wish the trees weren't in quite so straight a line.

Real or not, I love it. Congratulations!

 

PS: (for Claudiu), this site is called photo.net, not realphoto.net or notdigitalalteratedimages.net :)

 

 

C'est la phartage, oui...? Non...?

geras!

Unique and fantastic work! Please keep sharing. Regards!

beautifull high key

 

All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.

Friedrich Nietzsche

 

 

One should die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly.

Friedrich Nietzsche

 

What a fun image. Perfect art.

 

Who is the guy with the baloon? What is he doing? The tracks lead to the right, change direction toward the left and back right again. Is he aimlessly wandering or just changing his mind as to where to go?

 

Architectural Photography by Peter Montanti, www.mountainphotographics.com

The blue balloon and shoes trail are very interesting. Amazing picture! Good job!

This one is fantastic! So beautiful and original, with perfect tones all over. The surreal feeling makes me think of the artist Magritte.

 

A favorite for me!