untitled

In the thumbnail form, this photo had a creepy ghost-like look. Then I opened it larger and realized that it's not a ghost...it's rocks in water! This photo has a very surreal look. the white lines that surround the rocks makes them look as if they've been placed on top of the water. I can't figure out if the reflections a tree or a digital enhancement. Doesn't matter. The shot has a very unusual, yet pleasing feel. Good job with the picture and the theme.

Beautiful image, PT! Nice mixture of reality and fantasy. I like the water edge around the stones and the "flames" going up (3 stones, 3 flames!). But what I like the most is the gentle merging of the two worlds, as if a painter made the calm and well-defined lower part of the image, then went crazy, and finished the picture in a state of trance. I think, a square crop (removing the top) is no less powerful. It concentrates the viewer's attention on the main subject (stones and flames), meanwhile decreasing (balancing) the shadows in the image. However, the composition selected has the strong advantage of supporting the association of flames going up to the sky. Maybe, that sense of motion is what makes for the otherwise complex image to be easily accepted. Nicely done. What about the reflections? As another PT would say "I hadn't consciously spotted them" :-) Regards. Blago

 

Blagoy and Melissa, thanks for your comments. I spend a lot of time wandering in the woods and enjoy shooting this type of shot.

 

Melissa, the white lines are reflections of tree trunks. I actually had to do some burning to tone them down. In general, I don't do anything to my photos that I couldn't do in the darkroom.

 

Blagoy, thanks for your very sensitive commentary. The square crop would also work fine, perhaps better in terms of simplifying the overall composition.

 

PT hasn't much else to add. This was a longish exposure, I think 3 seconds. A little levels, then dodging and burning in PS. The image was toned and sharpened.

 

Thanks for the interesting comments!

Something about this one reminded me immediately of The Deepest Sleep. Though they are quite different, could it be the same PT? At first I thought the rocks were wet and reflecting, but on closer inspection it looks like it may be bird droppings. I'll try to keep envisioning reflections... it's a little more pleasant. I'm surprised you were able to get such clear ripples from a three second exposure. It seems they'd have blurred and melded more. I like that the reflection of the closest rock is partly cropped, however I'm not convinced I like the cropping on the farthest rock. I'm also not sure the upper third does enough for me, but in general I still like the image.

Wow PT! An incredibly artistic shot, very eery yet peaceful to me at the same time - I can't remember the last time I looked at an image that made me feel such different emotions at once like this one. There could be some minor improvements here and there, but as a whole, and as is; this is a perfect theme fit and a very good image PT. Good thinking and great capture!

Excellent picture PT! It fits very well the theme, has a very good exposure and very nice shades. Well done.

 

Regards,

Calin