Haunting Memory

Now that you said it, it does look like neurons. It reminds me of something, or someone, attempting to create a memory, but their mind is flooded with so many things, yet cloudy at the same time.

I love the title... it's absolutely perfect for the photo, and I really think that without the title the photo wouldn't have the same power.

 

Sometimes I think that logically minded people shouldn't be allowed to comment on the artistic self expression involved in photography; in this case, the title. The title is just as much a part of the artistic expression as the photo itself. There is more to a photo than just an image of an object or setting.

Nice Shot!!

I have no problem with the title. I took the dead tree to haunt by representing the memory of what was once in this place i.e a living forest. It's fairly literal really, a reminder of the past. Maybe the living trees in the background perhaps detract from the simplicity of the image, but they do add contrast to the dead tree, and so are successfully in keeping with the theme, I think.

Wow ! What mood ! Fantastic light, DOF really adds to this, and the dark tree on white mist is just great. 7&6 from me....

Wow! This is sad and chilling. Filter used? Love the lighting and the time chosen to capture this. I am enjoying my own reaction to this.

First, the photo. I like it. It's eerie, yet peaceful at the same time. It's well composed. A good effort overall.

 

Next, the title, etc. To be honest, I would probably not have noticed the title if it had not become a topic here. Oddly enough, although I generally ignore titles I much prefer to have a narrative to go along with a photo. I always like a story behind people in a photo, but even some background on how the image was made I find enjoyable. Although I think a photo must be able to stand on its own merits, for me it makes the photo more personal by adding involvement with the subjects, the photographer, or both, to have some story behind the image.

 

Another reviewer indicated a preference to not have any information beyond the photo itself. That is, essentially, the direct opposite of my view.

 

What do the rest of you think? Does a story or title add to or take away from a photo?

Great shot

This is an excellent shot! quite a masterpiece.

 

My only comment, if any, would be that there is a tad too much space on the right. I have not read all the comments that this picture has recieved, so I may be repeating this - would it be possible to shift your position a little to the left so that there is slightly more separation between the two stumps popping out of the water? I am assuming the shorter stump is nearer the photographer than the other one.

 

But that is just a quibble. Incredible picture.

 

Cheers,

Vishal.

Thanks to everyone who left explanations about their reactions.

Annie - I consider myself a logically minded person trying to exercise my creative side. I welcome civil constructive criticism from both the left- and right-brained. I think you're overstating a bit about a title being as important as the photo itself, but I take your point about the whole package being part of the expression.

Kezia - I have on ongoing struggle with teetering between liking and hating the simplicity of my "best" photos. I suspect that if I'd thrown the background more out of focus this scene would get too plain. (I guess I'm in a "liking it" phase.) However, if I get time I'll experiment with that look via post-processing. Thanks for the interpretive comments, too.

Teresa - No filter.

Joe - I think this goes along with Annie's point, too. I love getting a bit of prose with a photo! The idea that a photo must stand on its own (without any textual narrative) is the conventional wisdom, but I'm reluctant to go along with that. I think that most of the time a terrific photo can stand alone, but sometimes ingredients combine into something better than the raw materials alone. However, I can't think of a compelling example right now, so maybe I'm on shaky ground. A lot of photojournalism appears this way to me -- there's a lot more to digest after reading the caption/story. Also, I enjoy reading about the experiences of other photographers, but that's a slightly different kind of appreciation.

Vishal - Is the primary issue the space between the stumps or cropping the empty space on the right?

I see a monster (a gentle and kind one, naturally) flailing its arms about as it gasps one last time before sinking. This image is full of pathos. Nice toning. Well exposed.

 

I would crop this print on the right, but if you could reshoot, I would recommend you shoot it a bit more from the left (as Vishal said).

This picture is striking in so many ways. To my eye, everything is perfect up to the top of the fog. The blur and color of the background trees draws my attention from otherwise perfection. Robert Ottohall's interpretation is perhaps closer to what I have in mind but a little too aggressive; again, competing with the subject. Perhaps a more muted background to enhance the image is the best I know how to describe my feeling. And how I wish I had an opportunity to shoot such a scene!

Wow, this one toke my breathe!

Bang, smacked right in my face. Awsome

Really nice work. A place i'm looking to at.

I like round figures; lets make 100.