kristyc

Well Gary, I have definitely learned a lesson or two since Feb/Mar of this past year about this hobby/interest, and a lot about some of the photographers in it. That's for certain! What I know about this incidence is that (at that time) I barely had six months of inexperienced shooting under my belt with just enough new PS info to be considered 'dangerous' to someone like you who must shoot for compensation. But I've already stated that.

 

The lesson I hope you'll take away from this is to NOT have a knee-jerk reaction and fly off the handle in the future when you see something you don't like or understand fully, and to just ASK someone about their methods before trying to purposefully ruin their name before you are certain of what you are talking about. All you had to do was ask me or contact me with your questions--but you didn't. You didn't even try?!? Instead, you chose the 'low road' of trying to smear my name and images across your website blog, only to try to bolster your own reputation without gathering all of the facts first. So you want to discuss ethics, you tell me what is ethical about that? Besides, I would have gladly told you how these images were achieved.

 

And, if you think that "my photos are so nice," it's VERY difficult for me to tell that from this vantage point. However, from yours, I now can see how you might think someone was trying to pull the wool over your eyes. But, if you had even taken one second to read what I wrote, you would have seen that I called it "MY INTERPRETATION" of a well photographed place. And, under the "manipulated?" section it says "yes" if there is no other info inputted there. Plus, I also mentioned in the other version (horizontal) in reference to another photographer who commented on it, that I too expressed interest in his creative interpretation where the image was upside down. And finally, I made an effort to say that I was a beginner and if someone wanted to know something and if I could help explain it, I would! So what gives???

 

In fact, what you don't realize is that these two images started off in a conversation about being a comparison between the two images from a creative viewpoint by using the filters, but that conversation was not put into "typeface" here....in retrospect now, I guess it should have been. And when people started saying "nice job," for me, it was in reference to the creativity of my interpretation!

 

What I experienced on that trip was factual but I can see how it could have been misconstrued from your point of view, which was not my intention at all. In fact, if you look through the dates on my responses, I simply answered the questions being asked at the time and it took me nearly a month or more (most of the time) to respond because I was not able to spend as much time on PN due to personal reasons....NOT because I was trying to purposefully avoid telling folks about a very poor job of filter use.

 

Now, if I had submitted these images for publication in a magazine, for example, and not disclosed how the shot was taken/made, and expected to be paid for it and for it to be interpreted as a 'natural scene', then I could see how you would have a gripe with me. (I DO understand that point of view.) But this was a place (PN) where I thought I could be creative among a few "friends" --what works, and what doesn't. Obviously, this doesn't work for you---and truth be known---it doesn't work for me either now that I have grown a little in this hobby. That's one reason why I haven't posted much since March, because I've been on a quest for more naturalistic images, when my health has allowed me to get outside and shoot a little. In fact, I am agreeing with your point of view on this matter in the digital age.

 

You can be sure that after this, I will state EXACTLY how the shot was taken/made on any other posts here if I can afford to renew my membership. (At the moment, I have a bad taste in my mouth as you might guess, and not really sure I want to.) In fact, what I find so crazy about all of this, is out of the millions of photographs here on PN, and with less than two dozen images in my folio, how any of my work was noticed at all!!! And for what?---a filter effect that's not even that good! Do you see how utterly ridiculous this is to me? But trust me when I say, I can see how important it is to you, Gary.

 

So, now you know the score, and if you are a man of your word, and you truly are apologetic "for being harsh," you will remove any reference of me and/or my images from your website blog article immediately! It's fine if you want to have your opinion here where I can have a chance to defend myself from misinterpretations. And, it's fine if you want to write about any subject you choose on your own site by using one of your own pics to manipulate it any way you see fit for illustrative purposes in order to discuss your topic. But it is NOT OK for what you are doing at my expense to gain more readers to your site. If I ever wanted to pursue trying to do this on a more professional scale (for pay) later on, you are causing me a tremendous amount of harm now and what you are doing is defamation of character....of a 'newbie' with a camera trying to experiment and learn! I, for one, and I'm sure others too, would have appreciated all your efforts and attention more in the form of a mentor here instead.

 

 

Hello to all....wow, I never could have guessed that an image could stir up so much emotion (Crabbe). Well, let me put everyone's fears, hopes and dreams to rest. Read on.

 

John, Michael and Jerry, I appreciate the expert attention you have paid this photo, everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, and like anywhere else, it is welcome here.

 

First of all, let me say that NONE of my "creative story" is BS. We had a wonderful time exploring the canyon after some summer storms last year and there was standing water in the canyon. In fact in places it was waist-deep and we were only guided to the edge of that. The guides even joked with us about how we could go further if we wanted. We did wade through some areas, and we did have to slide pass areas, jump across rocks and shimmy next to the wall to avoid water in many areas down the path. Believe it or not, that was the case.

 

Now, I can certainly understand your skepticism here so allow me to let you in on a few things. One thing that you should know about me that I am able to tell you is that I am a brand new photographer with about a year's worth of experience....but you wouldn't know that because I never put that info in a BIO on my homepage. (Oh no, another newbie glitch... I'm expecting thrown stones now!)

 

Anyway, I purchased my first camera in 2005 that pretty much stayed in my closet and was pulled out once or twice a year, nothing serious. Then actually a year ago this month, I became seriously ill and had to take a leave from my job. When I was able to go outside, I found an escape in photography. We went on that trip to get away and to get back into nature to get away from stress.

 

During my downtime, I had the opportunity to try to learn PS and try to experience different takes on images. As anyone knows, there is so much to learn here in the arena of post processing and about photography in general. If anyone here (especially the last few gentlemen above) wants to look at the rest of my gallery, have at it....what you'll find is an array of newbie LEARNING and nothing more. You'll see my first waterfall picture that has a great deal of cyan to it, you'll also see some oversaturated pictures, and you'll even see a horizontal version of the very image above...and yes, with the rock removed from the picture! You know why??? Because I was learning new techniques, and wanted to see what folks thought. That's it, no deception there! I thought that's why we were here at PN to learn from each other what works and what doesn't.

 

Jerry, I appreciate your benefit of the doubt, but I don't have to provide you with a RAW file because this is a REAL picture of Lower Antelope Canyon with a REAL flood filter on the bottom of the picture. The only thing I am guilty of here is being so new that I didn't know how to categorize pictures better and to make sure I had a neon sign on it. And even after this shot was posted, I think I only posted 3-4 additional pics after that, because I felt I needed much more practice with the camera in order to capture that "REAL beauty" Crabbe was talking about. this image actually inspired me to try harder to achieve that, and I have been putting more effort into capturing better images mostly because of this site in general and from a TRUE desire to learn.

 

With all that being said, I also want to note my utter disappointment in being judged and being treated so rudely by certain individuals here. I am very offended by Mr. Crabbe's statement in particular implying that "I lied about the origin of this photo." I did no such thing! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and joy can be found in many places and who is to say that YOUR vision of beauty is the only vision there is to consider, 'real' or otherwise? And what happened to just asking someone politely about their work instead of calling them names and demeaning them? I will be happy to enlighten anyone who asks me how I arrived at an endpoint of an image...albeit, anyone who asks politely.

 

I don't usually feel the need to explain myself or my actions to anyone, and in fact, I didn't even know these comments were here. My subscription ran out on the 16th of this month and I hadn't renewed it due to financial reasons (from being ill). I was checking to see if the page still existed and found the comments. I felt I needed to defend not only myself here, but all the 'newbies' out there who may not know that they HAD to divulge whether or not their image was completely objective. I tried to recreate a seldom seen "feeling of being" in a place so well documented. I've seen plenty of other images of this place that were not the exact representation, but it was a recreated feeling of place.

 

One thing I will say, is that this has been a learning experience for me, and these recent comments have affected me deeply on a personal level, and not in a good way. I hope this puts any questions about this image or the horizontal version of this image to rest. However, I hope others will continue to enjoy them for the creative forms they have taken.

Gorgeous colors and magnificient sky! "Wow!" doesn't hardly cover it! Great job! Kristy :)

Just gorgeous! I mean it! Perfect rendition of the area in Spring. Love, love, love the DOF and composition here Ray....EXCELLENT JOB! Congrats, Kristy :)

 

PS-7/7 for me but PN won't allow it just yet.

I really appreciate it! It really was luck that the airplane passed over during the composition of this image and the jpeg compression takes out the definition of it's V-shaped exhaust which makes it look really cool. (That's why it's best when viewed larger) And for it to be such a tiny element in the image, I think the plane serves as an important & meaningful anchor in the sky and to the theme of this image in reference to the petroglyphs. Thanks again for taking the time to comment! All the best, Kristy :)

Rick, the colors here are magnificient! What a fantastic shot! Like some of the others above, I too, have seen this image time and again (and I hope to get over there someday to take a shot or two at it myself!). But EVERY image is unique. And although there are similiar images out there by other photographers, there will NEVER be another image exactly like this one of yours! This is just an iconic place brought once again to our attention through the brilliance of your work! Congrats on a job well done! Kristy :)

PLEASE VIEW LARGER FOR MORE DETAIL

 

These are rock art representations (petroglyphs) by Anasazi Indians

at Atlatl Rock in the Valley of Fire, Nevada.

 

What interests me most about this image is not only does it show

modern man's current footprint (air travel in the sky), but it also

depicts ancient man's past life recorded on the canyon walls as they

lived and traveled through the desert. Interesting how far technology

has brought us as a species isn't it?

 

Thanks for looking. Kristy :)

This is one of my favorite images. These canyons alone are worth the trip to the U.S Ferg! Plus, there are a TON of other photographic opportunities in the same regional area. Let me know if you ever decide to come over and I'll send you a list of some of the beautiful places you can visit in the same area if you plan to spend a week or more here in the states. Take care, and thanks for your comment! All the best from Las Vegas, Kristy :)

I appreciate the warm compliments all the way from Scotland! Take care, Kristy

You know, it's interesting when I was getting this image ready for posting, I thought the waterfall looked like it had too much of a cyan-ish tint to it. And because I thought people might not like the blueish tinge to the water, I actually tried to take it out to make it appear more white...but it didn't budge much. So, I left it alone.

 

I wonder if it has something to do with the reddish/orange background coming into play. Most of all the other waterfall pics you see on PN have a really solid dark brown/black background or have lushy green foliage around it. I can't think of any "desert" waterfalls I've seen on here. If anyone has any desert waterfalls, please share them with us.

 

And Chris, I love the square format that is coming back into style again and I see what you mean about another crop here. I wish I knew how to plug in a link into the comments section with a version of the crop. Maybe you could if you know how to do that here.

 

I think it would be cool to get out to Red Rock all at the same time, because it certainly seems we've all been missing each other out there! Every guy I see with a tripod, I think....is that 'Elvis'? LOL :)

 

Thanks everyone! Kristy :)

I'm not much into taking flower pictures (well, yet anyway) but this guy just leaped out at me from the side of the highway saying "take my picture!". And while I saw other buds getting ready to open, none where shining like this one.

 

Sometimes I think it's nice when you are focused on a photographic subject (i.e. landscapes) to step back a minute and focus in on the small elements that make the whole so exquisite and add those to your collection. A "macroscape" if you will...that is, a smaller representative slice of a larger landscape.

 

Thanks again for taking the time out to comment! It is so appreciated, Kristy :)

PLEASE VIEW LARGER FOR MORE DETAIL

 

Wasn't quite sure which category to place this one in, but thanks for

enjoying my interpretation of these fine examples of ancient Indian

rock art. I view this as a "macro" view of a larger landscape. Thanks

again, Kristy :)

I really appreciate the comments on this image. As long as I have lived here (about 7 yrs now), I have never really paid attention to the "desert blooms" that occur in Spring here (since I'm an east coast girl by origination). But since I picked up a camera seriously about 7 months ago, I am seeing the world in a whole new light! And this flower just begged to be photographed! LOL! :) I feel like I'm experiencing a new world through the lens and I'm happy to share my little discoveries. In fact I'm excited to share that this image was recently posted on the desertusa website at the following link...so have a look there to see other beautiful wildflowers in bloom. Thanks again, Kristy :)

 

http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/nv.html

This was my first attempt at a longer exposure with a waterfall. Like I said it's just a dainty little fall but I think with the bold natural colors around it, it works and it looks really sweet!

 

Thanks again and take Care, Kristy :)

PLEASE VIEW LARGER FOR MORE DETAIL!

 

The cool thing about visiting Red Rock Canyon National Conservation

Area near Las Vegas, Nevada is, in the spring you are treated to

beautiful little waterfalls like this from the melting snow. Granted

it's no Niagara Falls but it is definitely a sweet little surprise to

come upon when hiking the trails. This one fell from about 25ft

overhead.

 

Thanks for looking! Kristy :)

The compositional elements here are simple and fantastic!

 

I love that in this image it is a cloudless sky bringing more attention to the moon. Plus the fact that you have choosen a wonderful foreground with the red rocks complimented by the darker, striated hills in the background. I also love the hint of green grasses to make the earthy colors pop between the grass, the red rocks and the blue sky.

 

There's hardly a thing I could suggest to make this image better. Maybe you could dodge the moon ever-so-slighty to make it a hint whiter/brighter. Otherwise, this image is a real WINNER!

 

Take care, Kristy :)

What a fantastic work of art! This is so out of my realm of photography, but there is something about this piece that intriques me. Maybe it's just the raw talent you have, maybe its the feminity of the image, maybe it's just the way my eye is drawn to every detail from so many angles. This piece is VERY unique and definitely an "inspiration of women's beauty!" Congratulations on a fine job Janusz, Kristy :)

I, too, struggled at first as to which category to put this under Mike: Flowers, Portrait, Landscape?...in fact it is all three I suppose.

 

However, the Flower category seems an apparent choice, but to me it's almost a "macroscape" slice of a Landscape. That is, not really a macro photo of a plant, but rather a small "snapshot" of a Landscape segment, and the freezing of it's "time of year" element in the RRC Conservation Area...i.e. the capture of "Springtime" and I don't think there's a category for that, LOL!

 

It's interesting to see how an image can evoke different responses from people.

 

Thanks again to you both for taking the time to leave such nice comments, Kristy :)

PLEASE VIEW LARGER FOR MORE DETAIL-

 

This Joshua Tree's flower is one of the very first blooms I've seen

this year of any of the expected Spring wildflowers at Red Rock

Canyon National Conservation Area. The whole flower head is about the

size of a football. Please enjoy, comments welcome, and thanks in

advance for looking! Kristy :)

In fact, I recognize this woman from a National Geographic Taboo program I saw on TV just last night! How bizarre on such a coincidence!!!

 

She is the matriarch in her community I believe it said. And in fact, the rings do not elongate their neck, but rather push down the shoulders and compress the ribcage giving the appearance of an elongated neck. And the rings are removeable during childbirth, trips to the doctor and upon occasion if the brass is causing agitation or allergic reaction, or need adjustment. And in fact, do not give the head support as the rings are wound somewhat loosely around their necks so they can continue to bathe and feel their skin underneath.

 

The NatGeo program showed a teenage girl who, with the help of your subject, had the rings removed and walked around fine without "fear of their windpipes being crushed" to show her friends her "long" neck. Later the matriarch re-fitted the young woman with a new set of rings. I thought it was so fasinating to see such an old tradition being upheld today. It also mentioned that your subject had worn her set of rings for almost 40 years!

 

Thank you for posting such a cultural piece combined with your fine photographic skills! You brought to print a wonderful example of the human spirit! Congratulations! Kristy :)

Kevin, I really enjoy the seascape images that I see here at PN, but this one is one of my favorites! I love the tones and the delicate details on the rocks. But mostly, I really appreciate the shutter speed that you used here to capture the flow of the water....not too long, not too little....just right! Would you be willing to share what the shutter speed was here in this image? It's just beautiful!

 

On another note, congrats on winning the landscape photo on BP last month. It was well deserved! And one last favor, would you please post my very favorite image (Last Moments of the Day)? I'm sure everyone would love to see it and learn just how gorgeous your seascapes can truly be!!!! Congrats on all of the above, from Vegas! Kristy :)

Beautiful colors and perfect light....everywhere! You did an outstanding job with this image Fergus! I love it! Congratulations from Las Vegas, Kristy :)

I just stumbled across your portfolio and I love what you are doing with your panos! You always see the vertical waterfalls with this silky look, but this is a real treat to see this cascade's long exposure in the horizontal format. One thing I must say from the start is that I really appreciate that you share what you are doing here with your images at PN.

 

On that note, I am curious though, did you shoot your six frames vertically or horizontally on this one? I saw that you stitched them but with the 30 sec exp for the foreground and 2 sec exp for the sunlit forest...I was curious as to how it matched up so well with the different exposures? Did you have a much larger original print and crop it down to this final image? Or did you do some manual blending on this one?

 

Just wanting to learn some new techniques and I just love the effort made here. Congrats again, Kristy :)

I'm always amazed at how your images always look like paintings with such a surreal feeling to them Marc. I love the warmth the light projects here. Thanks for sharing this one, it's one of my favorites in your collection. With kind regards, Kristy :)

Thank you for commenting on this image. I really appreciate your warm, kind words so much! Take care, Kristy :)