Abyaneh, my past...

But why . . . and to what end? It's a scene that could be full of mystery and subtle shifts of light, a scene with great subtlety, instead made way too clear and distinct, way too open, way too "impressive" to no avail, not feeling like anything organic, though the elements are all there. What's wrong with a little darkness enveloping an alleyway at this time of day? Why must my eyes immediately be drawn to the completely out of character and over-bright colors of the woman's clothing, which has no relation to the way they'd be captured in this light? This would sell to the masses, for sure, and I didn't look but I imagine it would garner high rates on PN. That's about it.

The promise of digital editing, IMO, is in the nuanced and creative use of it, not in making real scenes like this look completely implausible while destroying their native character and the charm of the decreasing light of day.

Hamid, with all due respect for your very fine photographic perception of subject matter and its "mise en scène" (your daughter is key to the emotional beauty of this image), I have to agree with Fred about the heavy hand on the Photoshop sliders. This for me would have been a fine scene if more subtlty perceived and created. Would it work better in more subtle color tones, I don't know, but I expect that it would? Would it work as a monochromatic image, given the power of the latter to convey subtleness and enigma? Maybe. I spent 30 seconds attempting a B&W conversion and dampening down of the punchy contrasts. It didn't go as far as I would have liked to take it, but it is here for discussion purposes and I think it places more emphasis on the little girl. It won't please the avant garde colorists.

"Colors on steroids" seems to be a favourite of many and certainly including our elves (I think that their B&W choices seem to avoid that - for me- aesthetic "trap"). Sometimes it works well, but mostly I think not. I believe that creativity is best exercised in the mind of the photographer at the visualisatioon stage and less often in the post treatment, except for corrective and minor modifications consistent with the previsualisation. The world of color is fascinating, with fantastic subtle variations, like the varying greens in your "foggy morning" photo of your own portfolio "Lovely Iran" (a most beautiful and historic region)

B&W point of view

Congratulations Hamid.My best wishes.

This photo demonstrates quite clearly, I think, that Hamid is a skilled photographer both in terms of image capture (with the final result in mind) and in post-processing to create the final image. As others have said, this is particularly true with regard to the exposures. The colors in this photo are wonderful and the image as a whole looks very clean and crisp.
The final image (depth of shadows, contrast, saturation, etc.) is - as Hamid says - largely a matter of taste/style. With enough data and enough skill, multiple and different "final images" are possible. I respect Hamid's taste/style even though it's different to mine. Taste/style can change over time and often does. Initially, I missed some shadows where I would normally expect to see them. And my brain kept telling me that there are too many reflections off the water. The more I look at the image, the more I get used to it.
Although composition too, is a matter of taste, I think a different role for Hamid's daughter (closer? more central? looking or walking towards/away from the camera? with others?) might make the composition stronger. At the moment she seems like a sort of isolated accessory to the view up the street. Something to consider.
All in all, I think this image is a good photo of the week. It shows off Hamid's skills (and his lovely daughter!) and there's enough to discuss.
Mike

I leave the interesting and informative discussion, that I have also been following here on the technicalities of this image etc. To the experts.
However, I think it is a beautiful, artistic and unique image. Interestingly composed with lighting and colours that are particularly impressive, with a certain style that marks your images. Congartulations and Best regards. Dara- (And now a few words to you in Farsi my friend)

سلام جناب فرزندیان به شما بابت برنده شدن عکس هفتگی بسیار تبریک میگویم. عکس بسیار زیبا و منحصربفردی گرفتید با نور ترکیب و رنگهای جالب. با این عکس استادانه زیبایی کشورمان ایران را بخوبی نشان میدهید.همچنین با مجموعه عکسهای جالب و زیبای دیگری که در پورتفولیو شما دیدم. از کارتان بسیار لذت بردم و امیدوارم که همیشه این راه را ادامه بدهید. برایتان همیشه آرزوی موفقیت و سلامتی میکنم خدانگهدار و خسته نباشید. دارا

Hello Hamid, congratulations on having your image selected for POW. I find this image from an alley in Abyaneh beautiful. From what I read in Wikipedia, Abyaneh is one of the oldest villages in Iran, located in the Isfahan Province in the middle of the country. You are showing some of the houses with the special terracotta/red color. And I guess that the shy little girl is either a local girl, or perhaps your daughter, wearing the traditional Abyanaki woman costume(?). She looks very sweet and proud. Maybe the clothes are new?

The image was taken with perfect timing, as the sun is setting and shining down the narrow alley. You have handled the rather difficult exposure and the post processing very well. And the result is a well lit image, showing the details of the houses and the little girl, yet it is not too bright. The use of filters have obviously been an important part in achieving this result. The exif data show that you did not use a flash. But it seems like you have used something to brighten up the girl, which I am sure was necessary under those lighting conditions.

The photo from this picturesque village is very pleasing to my eye. I think this photo should be one of the photos from Abyaneh in Wikipedia. Very well done, Hamid.

Best regards
Ann

I have a tired day and this shot had taken my mind all the way that I forgot my day. Very nice one and "Eid NowRoooz

Mubarak in advance"

 

I have red all the comments and I would like to highlight a point. Most the photographer that came from film days they

don't like digital over processing while those that have started digitals they do processing way out of imagination which

I like both.

 

I remember when people were over processing the negative in print shop I was Amazed how hard they were doing it

now you have the technology to do beyond imagination why I shouldn't use it

 

Best wishes to all of you

I think this photograph no longer looks like a photograph. everything about it looks photoshopped to death. The lighting is not at all natural and makes the girl look like a carboard cutout take from another photo.

It makes me wish I were there.

Best regards......great photo...

n@sos

I do not believe that it was photoshopped to death, if it was so the informed and expert photographers here would have mentioned that from the beginning in their discussions. You are not only wasting their time and mine but you are beginning to insult us with your comments. You only show me a few images of a lopsided cathedral in England (in your Portfolio) where as I have seen the best from real British/English photographers and elsewhere about Cathedrals and Churches in the United Kingdom who photographed them excellently. I have seen the best here in other images as well from Great Britain and elsewhere. So be wise and think about it. Peace. This is a discussion about photography on a forum above all. Be peaceful and open minded and try to contribute. The examples for you are the well written by not only your intelligent fellow country men and women, but from nationaties in all countries whom I respect. Think about it Kindly and openly. Regards and Respect. Dara

Also nothing personal meant by comments and I never try to put down your hard work or style. Respect and Regards. Dara

To me the photo looks staged....the girl looks like she has been pasted into position. the colours seem overly saturated and unnatural.

The water and sky looks like it was digitally enhanced etc.

Hamid, Congrats on being selected for photo of the week since the last time I stopped by! I won't comment again on your great photo, but I remember the first time I saw a photo with such processing with light that looks like you can feel. It was in some expensive shop in Vegas. I was completely amazed. I couldn't afford any of the prints, but I knew that one day I would like to learn such techniques. Hamid I know that you are new to these techniques, and it came out wonderfully.

Reading through the comments, I have to say that I think it's so funny how a couple people trash this photo (beyond constructive criticism) just because they don't like the style. Some of the same people claim style as a defense against critiques of other photos. The hypocrisy makes it tough to respect some people's opinions. ...but that's just my opinion.

Best regards,
Charlie

Dear Hamid, congrats indeed for this work to be selected as photo of the week!!! I feel very glad for you my friend!!! All the best and keep going!!!

NM

Dara P



This is not 'celebrate the picture'. It is a critique request and a poster, regardless of what level you think he's at as a photographer, which is totally irrelevant anyway, is entitled to state his opinion and he did so in a non-mocking, honest manner.

I personally think it is Photoshopped to death and to be honest, I don't see how anyone can say otherwise. When have you ever walked down a street and saw a view like that? The reason why posters haven't said anything is because they respect the fact that Photo editing has become a very real and popular style for a lot of people and rather than look at it as a 'photograph' as such, they are seeing it for what it is - an edited image.

This isn't my favourite style of photography but I respect that there is a place for it so I wasn't going to comment but having seen your ignorant and arrogant response to another posters views (who just so happens to be my friend, hehe), I am obliged to jump to his defence. Respect the fact that it is a critique request and not a 'tell me how good my image is' request.

Regards!

PhotoShopped? When I have any doubts, I usually blow up the image 400 to 600% and look at a "suspect area." Like this one. I also used the Shadows/Highlights filter to help illustrate suspect pixels.

I post this here for anyone who is interested in this method of analysis.

I'm sure that Hamid has some beautiful works in his portfolio but the Elves have asked for input on this one. Yes, I believe the image has been PhotoShopped. No, I don't find in it anything exceptionally well done or aesthetically appealing.

I firmly believe that everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.

IMO, Photoshopping per se is not the issue. Some images do well with a lot of post work and some don't. Some images require it and others don't. It can be done well and it can be done badly, both as a matter of technique and as a matter of vision or aesthetics. I critique based on what the Photoshopping or lack of Photoshopping produces. I don't fault this image for being Photoshopped. I fault it for how it looks.

Just a thought ...
I wonder whether phrases like "photoshopped to death" and "not realistic" are similar to reactions people have always had as successive generations of artists developed new approaches/styles that seemed to break with the previous ones. It's hard to believe now that the paintings of the French impressionists (Manet, Moet, Renoir, ...) caused outrage at the time.
I personally think it's perfectly legitimate to manipulate images to show a different view of reality - at least for this kind of image.
Mike

Mike, interesting point. And yet, Manet, Monet, Renoir, and the other greats are not remembered simply because they were Impressionists or simply because they charted new territory that was as yet unknown and even rejected by people. They are remembered because THEY DID IT WELL and because they were visionaries. There were plenty of forgettable painters trying to do what Monet did that simply wound up on the dust heap of history because they weren't any good. There are plenty of photographers today working with "non-realistic" visions of scenes and with heavy post processing who are doing wonderful work. My issue is that I don't believe that's the case here.

Ok point taken.
My sincere apologies to Mark Stephens for my comments. Nothing personal was meant by them. Dara

Fred, I never concluded that PhotoShop was THE issue. I merely offered viewers a way to make a more scientific determination if it had been used and if yes, how effectively.

Alberta, I wasn't speaking to you directly. I had posted much earlier in the thread and came back to read a whole lot about the use of Photoshop here. I responding to the thread itself.