Blåvand

The image effect is terrific but it does not look like a photograph. Where is the line drawn between photography and image manipulation? Is it stll a great photo if I use photoshop to alter the fundamental appearance? How far can that go and still call it a photograph? IF I don't alter the qualities of the image but remove an element from it, it is still a photograph but not one I could have taken. So where is the line drawn between true photography and what amounts to 'new photography'? This may be a photo but is it one anyone could see with their own eye?

I think this is great. I'd love to learn how to do this style in postprocessing!

Photography can be an art form , but, not always so.
Photography , these days, is often a just craft. Photoshop techniques applied to digital photos make photographs attractive.
This particular photograph , in my eyes, has little artistic merit.It belongs to 'view & forget' category. Photonet can add a para or 2 as to why this photo was chosen in the 1st place!

Please find another acronym for this coluum. To many of us "POW" has a much more powerful/heart felt meaning.
Bob Sheldon

This rates a "ho hum" from me. Processing is too obvious and makes it look like an illustration rather than a fun shot. Nice try but for me it doesn't work. It is simply too "studied" and "posed".

Let's see if i can say something constructive ...
Strengths - I like the pov. And the deep dof which probably is the result of a wide angle lens and shooting with a lot of light. Placing the subject's face in the middle of the frame made sure there was no distortion. Overall, yes I do get the feeling that the guy is slipping down that slope ... of him being caught in the midst of slipping down.
Weakness - hahaha this processing style is so yesterday IMHO I wonder how it'd look with a less agressive less illustration-type processing. As it is, i think the processing competes with the substance of the image
ps: i was tempted to ask if this was retro week or if the elves were just playing catch-up LOL

This is not photography. This is tomfoolery with a heavy dose of Photo shop. I hate to think someone would pay a lot o money for photography equipment in order to take this and call it photography. I don't know who judges this stuff but they need to back and retake photography 101.

I find the photo intriguing.  I am guessing that it was created using HDR.  The grittiness of the photo I think enhances the overall feeling.  I keep coming back to look at it and find myself wondering is he falling down?

Oh, and who is Isabell? 

Bettie makes a good point about art coming in many forms, and perhaps any form. However, not all art is good art, and poor art deserves to be panned especially when it is put on public display. Despite this difference, I enjoy reading other people's views and have no reciprocal contempt for Bettie. As she says to Christian, Bettie "Continue to express yourself in whatever way you choose..."

I'm unable to respond fully to the photographic side of the image. The Photoshopper's work is new to me. Is it a self-portrait? I made some with a role exploring amateur dramatic aspects and one of the frames has a sole up close to the 20mm lens of its 35mm film camera. I like the view, though in some circles it is customary to take offense at being shown a foot as deliberately as this. Would that framing of the photo and the photo itself, the screened frame here for that matter, bridge the chasm to open a discussion on body language?

Nice angle, but far too much processed for my taste. I dont' think this can be called photography anymore. Pity.

well i'm not really sure what this is a photograph of. I can't make out if the man is hysterically laughing or crazy with anger. Can the hand be the problem with trying to identify the feelings of the man? maybe the photographer was venting? however, i found this lacking emotional direction and short on entertainment.

It seems to me that the mans foot was stuck on the surface of the "rock".  With a "I can't believe this" attitude, he finally lifted his foot and is now showing the bottom of his shoe to reveal residue. The imprint of his shoe still shows on the surface by his other placed foot.
     The graffiti on the object spelling out Isabel is just that, graffiti.  This photograph is obviously retouched after a HDR effect was applied. The outline of the mans right leg reveals incomplete work. The sky is too dark also and would have allowed the man to "pop" if given more contrast and color.  Other than that, good capture of photo, but nothing special as HDR did most of the work.

I truly admit that this POW has a bit of a weird approach but I have been trying, myself, to achieve some pictures like this one without much success. My sole goal was to master the technique because it can be used in various degrees of "weirdness" here and there, not necessarily being my primary goal.
Good photographers have to try everything and be very clever to use what is good to himself/herself and discard what is not good according to his/her opinion.
This POW triggers the imagination and can be the source for nice pieces of art. I think that was the main reason behind the choice.
Finally, for those that never tried (and succeeded or not) to do something similar, I suggest first trying it and then criticizing it.
Bressan

great picture i love the perspective and surrealism in it.

 Love it. Primal scream. The expression doesn't feel terribly authentic, which combined with the HDR makes it more comic-book like.

I especially love how it tweaks the sensibilities of some of the other critics. One of the great things art can do is to stir discussion or controversy, and make us examine our values - what we consider "art", or "good", or "valid".

Lækker efterbehandling af dine billeder. Kan være interessant at høre din metode ;-)

As someone who ordinarily hates HDR, I like it -- somewhat. The composition is gripping, and the HDR contributes to the comic feel of the photo. (I often go heavy into postprocessing when I do parody.) On the other hand, the comic feel has only to do with the extreme perspective and HDR, and not to do with any of the ambiguous features of the photo. I, too, am left confused. Cute idea, just poorly implemented.

On a side note, I am inclined to attribute my own meaning to it. After Hurricane Isabelle, our town was covered in what we affectionately called "toxic orange sludge." I'm sure that's what's on the bottom of his shoe, hence his expression of utter horror! :-)