fine art waves Golden Wave

For me, this is a terrific shot. I don't think we should worry about Photoshop. It's part of modern photography. Without it this should would not have been truly possible.
I saw Rankin on TV last night trying to emulate 7 of the world's greatest fashion shots (one for the last 7 decades). In it he defended Photoshop when ribbed by David Bailey. Nobody argues that Rankin is one of the worlds best portrait photographers and he uses all the technology he can get his hands on.
A good photographer captures the image and enhances it, a bad one takes an average image and tries to con us. David Orias has taken a great shot and improved it - well done David!

MODERATOR NOTE: Once again I find I need to remind people in the POW forum that this is not the place for discussion about "photographs vs images" or a place to question if the POW is a photograph or not.

Manipulation may be discussed, but, only as it realates to the quality or effectiveness or lack of such, etc.

As ususal, the offending comments have been removed. Discussions about "images" vs "photographs" etc, may occur elsewhere on photo.net. This forum is a critique forum. Feel free to critique the manipulation (although the photographer has stated that it is not heavily manipulated) but NOT that photoshop was used.

Thank you.

This is the original RAW file downsized to 800 x 532. My workflow involves adjustments in Aperture which include adjusting the color balance, brightness, contrast and vibrancy/saturation and that will you get you pretty close to the submitted file. As mentioned, I did take the 16 bit TIFF and adjust the saturation a little more with a Velvia plug in in Photoshop. I believe this was originally placed in the Fine Art category.

http://www.pbase.com/sbdigitalimages/image/108289751.jpg

I wanted to add that this was more underexposed than my usual technique based on the histogram. For the many who shoot RAW files in low light situations, the contrast is usually on the low side like seen here.

Wow, what a difference. It was dead on the vine and you resurrected it. Good job.

David,

What an awe inspiring Shot !!! I am an Artist as well as a Photographer, and I can realy relate to your sense of Color , Composition, and Work Flow. Wonderful absolutely Wonderful. It took my breath away !! Your eye is well trained. ^ Five.

Let us see much more of your work in years to come.

Terry S. Butler

David, thank you very much, now we see the difference. One of the main values of the image, i.e. the blurred wave, is still there, that should answer some of the questioning in this thread.

As Marc pointed out, slow shutter photos of waves certainly is not a unique idea. Taken as a whole David's wave shots have a distinctive style to them, which is pleasing to view and does make them stand out from the pack, both in terms of technical savvy as well as aesthetics. I like the image, it is quite spectacular as are the other waves in Davids folder.

I appreciate David uploading the jpeg of the raw file before adjustments, doing so helps to inform the discussion here.

For my taste, the saturation , vibrancy and contrast have beem pushed too far. The motion effect, with the long lens, give the image a wonderful softness and delicacy which I feel becomes diminished when the saturation starts to approach levels this high. This image, more so than some of David's other wave images, flirts dangerously close to that limit beyond which the oversaturation obscures all other considerations. In some ways I actually preffer the feel of the raw image before all the boosting of levels. I think I would have enjoyed an image that fell between the flatness of the raw file and the hard boost of the final photo. Sometimes, less can be more.

Both images are nice but I like the original raw image far better!

really love your waves shots, can't wait to try out some myself.

Please would you take a look at some of my images and tell me what you think?

Cheers, Jacob

I just gave this shot a cursory glance when I first saw it. It seemed to me to owe too much to photoshop and too little to reality.
And then, last night, I saw 'this' shot in a movie, just for a fraction of a second. The same movement blur and, incredibly, similar colours, which made me realise that I was wrong to dismiss this shot. I still feel that the colours have been overdone but I now appreciate that the photographer saw a simple subject and used his imagination and skill to bring it to life.

Truly stunning. Love the colour & movement in this.

Wish I had taken it!

I must say at first glance the shot looked like one of mine.

This is a common theme of a wave as someone else said, the tonal qualities are interesting. Now for the other side.

Even though I said it looked like one of mine, in fairness I have to say it's very typical of what one woud do with a shot that at first glance they thought it was good, then got it home and said, what can I do to this to make it look bettr, ah...Photoshop it.

It does look like a painting but depending on one's taste, it could be over done.

But over all It caught my eye. So that's good.

David, I think its a real good image, very strong and vibrant. Water in motion has long been one of my favorite subjects for both viewing and photographing, so seeing this is a pleasure. Seeing your raw file has given me the urge to play with some of my favorite water images which usually do not stray much from the reality of capture.

Architectural Photography by Peter Montanti, www.mountainphotographics.com

Differant way to see and creat gives all new aspects!

Ouzi

Gorgeous. The wave looks like paint. I love this image.

Like brush strokes by a painter,

Using oil on canvas.

You have caught the colour of the sunset,

surreal yet so real.

Beautiful.

Another beauty - congrats!

Serge