brett_cole

It's amazing that there is no coincidence of birds and any part of the figure's outline (maybe one at the collar, hard to tell). If this is the way it was captured, this is quite good fortune/timing. It's a great perspective, how did you get under the subject like this? Great dof and diagnol frame filling composition. Was it shot color or B&W in the camera?

 

Cheers,

Brett

Hi Peter, at this close range it may have benefitted from fill flash. Put your camera in shutter priority (TV) or P mode, and use some kind of flash diffuser. It will bring out alot more detail and form in the bird's body, and still leave you with a nicely exposed background. The diffuser will cancel out any harsh shadows or hotspots from the flash. You can use the fill flash with mirror lock-up and self-timer if the subject isn't moving much, or without if you need to capture a precise moment.

 

Maybe you were going for an almost silohuette though. Don't know.

 

Cheers,

Brett (temperate and tropical bird/nature/conservation photographer)

Tom Meyer wrote:

 

"I'd love to see the image that is buried under this graphic re-orientation. "

 

I agree. It's a striking image, but what does the actual photograph look like? It's so difficult to know what you're seeing on this website. Perhaps two separate site - one for photographs and one for photo art, would be appropriate.

Love it

Try lightening your skies some. They're all too dark. Nice shots though

Attractive scene but very unrealistic photoshop treatment. If you're not concerned about realism then it's a nice image

IMO this has lost it's validity as a photograph and is photo art, appealing nevertheless. It could never be published by a news organisation, and really shouldn't be on here as a POTW. If you could accomplish this same effect with a lens, all the power to you. Alteration of photographs in Photoshop should be limited to color and tonal correction and cropping if they are still to be considered photographs.

With all due respect it doesn't do anything for me. Is it cropped? The composition is unengaging, even unsettling, and the tones stressed. .

THOUGHT #1 - How is someone selling prints for $1,400 of a photograph taken with consumer gear (Canon A2 and 28-135)?

THOUGHT #2 - Maybe the reason I wouldn't call this a photograph (as opposed to a photo-composite or photo-illustration) is that the word photograph is singular, not plural, and by it's very nature suggests something of singularity - an image captured at once.

THOUGHT #3 - This would have been a much better photo if the composition where shifted slightly to the right and the colors a bit punchier. Seems a bit dull for Velvia, although maybe just the scan.

THOUGHT #4 - For those criticizing Dan's work as calendar-like, I wouldn't knock it until you can do it too. Creating that type of image, while not my style or taste, certainly isn't easy, and this photographer's work, manipulated or not, is well-composed, with good light, colors, and other qualtities. The PS work though is over the top, and while seemingly well-executed on the surface, could be much more effective if scaled back a bit.

THOUGHT #5 - The ghosted big people are pretty easy to see. Cathedrals are a cliche anyway and there's so much other original work on photo.net

Sorry, I didn´t catch the fact that the statement in quotes was from the artist, not the elves. In that case it seems like a very misleading statement. I think even people that add stuff in photoshop can be great photographers to begin with, and can create strong images with or without enhancement. I say do whatever you want, art is open creative process, just be honest and straightforward in telling the world what it is you're showing them. RE: $1,400 prints. Lame! People are dying by the millions from AIDS and starvation in Africa. Give your money to them instead you rich art-buying people! And to think I travel all over the western hemisphere doing photography for conservation groups for free...

I think the debate about the merits of this image earning potw should be framed around the reason given for awarding it potw - "The people in this photo gives an awe-inspiring perspective on just how big St. Peter's Cathedral is. " In this context the fact that it is a PS job makes it undeserving for the reason stated by the elves. The people give an awe-inspiring perspective but they're fake. I think PSing in some people at regular scale is dubious if you're going to call it a photograph and not a photo-illustration. Making them smaller to accentuate the scale makes it strictly a photo-illustration IMO. That aside it is a striking image. I find the composition to be cramped on the left side. The wide-angle distortion I think adds the sense of scale. It's a great exposure for a difficult subject. I'm currently in Peru and have pretty much given up trying to get decent exposures in the cathedrals here.

Gary,

 

It's an appealing local and I think the photo conveys that. Depending on how you feel about using Photoshop I can suggest a couple of tonal adjustments. In this version I: selected just the BG and did auto levels then faded 50%. Repeated for various smaller parts of the BG, toned down yellow in FG, increased overall sat. by 5, auto contrast on whole image, low level unsharp mask.

Not original but asthetically striking. The idea that you can't avoid cropping because just framing your shot with a cmaera is cropping is a bogus concept. We choose subject, composition and framing based on the format. Cropping after the fact is totally different. Where does it end? You can take a 6 megapixel 35mm file and crop a minute portion of it at 2:3 aspect, have it be 600x400 at 100%, and call it an original photo- but it's not! Cropping diminishes and devalues photography as an art form. I have a thousand photos that never made the cut simply because they were poorly framed. I couldn't concieve of cropping them all and calling it original photographic work.

great photo. the composition is too tight at the bottom- makes you feel uneasy in an otherwise soothing image.

What's it look like without the crop? I think photographs should be able to stand up without cropping-

this is a really great photo but you could probably improve on the scan quite a bit. i would run auto levels in photoshop, and increase the sharpness and saturation.

that's a bit harsh. it's a good looking image but it seems a bit contrived.

Gorgeous!

Doesn't really do it for me. The composition is a bit awkward and the subject grabs your attention but doesn't really do much beyond that. Nice colors.

An old stomping ground of mine. One of the most amazing natural areas anywhere!

Now that's scary to someone scared of precipitous drop-offs like me. Nice!