Four Tree Works

DaddyO · April 27, 2013

4 for your consideration. Would be great to have your thoughts if you care to share them about these results. Good bad or indifferent.

Works for you or not. Thanks much :thumb

#1

#2

DenseBareTreesSunset%20WMweb_3713-XL.jpg

#3

#4

Richard · April 27, 2013

1: Outstanding. I love it.

2. Pleasant, I suppose, but lacks a focus of interest.
3. :nah
4. I'm thinking that this one might work better in color. I'm guessing this is another infrared shot, so maybe you could experiment with some of the neat false color possibilities that Craig used to post here. In B&W it feels like the sky and the tree are competing for attention rather than complementing each other. There's some drama here, but as is, it doesn't quite work for me.

black mamba · April 27, 2013

I think Richard's assessments pretty much parallel my own. I very much agree with him about #'s 1 and 4.

Tom

Earache · April 28, 2013

Yeah, agree, Richard did all the heavy lifting here - #1 is super!
Your fondness for abstractions shows here.

Richard · April 28, 2013

Earache wrote: »

Yeah, agree, Richard did all the heavy lifting here -

Nah, Michael did the heavy lifting--I just sat back and watched. :cavig

DaddyO · April 28, 2013

Richard wrote: »

1: Outstanding. I love it.
2. Pleasant, I suppose, but lacks a focus of interest.
3. :nah
4. I'm thinking that this one might work better in color. I'm guessing this is another infrared shot, so maybe you could experiment with some of the neat false color possibilities that Craig used to post here. In B&W it feels like the sky and the tree are competing for attention rather than complementing each other. There's some drama here, but as is, it doesn't quite work for me.

black mamba wrote: »

I think Richard's assessments pretty much parallel my own. I very much agree with him about #'s 1 and 4.

Tom

Thank you gentlemen

for taking the time to express your sense of these efforts. You know how it is when you work on a piece long enough, the attachments can dull common sense and objective goes right out the window.
Taking in your points Richard

3 of the 4 are IR returns. In the conversion the colors are doing very odd things. Making it tough enough to just move to BW and figure out what the deal is later.
Could be a simple as the white balance if off and needs to be reset. The conversion result often looks very grungy. Dirty specks everywhere. Reminds me of poorly cleaned and dried BW film. Another hurdle to figure out.

These things get old. This could also be an exposure problem. Avg. IR for me is underexposed. Sticky problem.

1. Of the 4, it was 1 that I had hoped had enough interesting features standing out artfully to stay in the game and be the quality visual for what was there. Nice you all find this one to be the best in set if there was to be just 1. That is good news. Will note that I really thought the cloud cover type in BG could be detrimental to the overall. Glad to see it works ok there.

2. I'll take pleasant as works enough. Lacks a focus of interest. This is an interesting point. I take that as meaning what is in focus isn't all that interesting or compelling. No drama or lack of it relayed or suggested well enough. I can hang my hat on that.

In my ponderings it is this point that is getting the most run time. Tom smoked an image of mine over this very point. I thought it spoke for itself and apparently it did not. Even a leading title settled nothing. All of these untitled by intention.
You mentioned early on to let the work speak for itself if it was going to all. Anything else could just muddy the water and undervalue the works chance... I thought it great advice from you. For this work, It was my intention to convey certain agonies and conditions of the human struggle. Not a walk on the beach under palms and sunset shot. I find myself coming to the feeling that this shot and many others do need a title to set the stage via suggestion. I could ramble on about this

just to better set my foundations.

3.

Tom was talking sow's ear the other day. No silk for me :nono

I still like the potential is this look. Low key base with a high key edge to emphasize. Good bones. Way too many issues. This is one where the conversion did the dirty grunge look but even at that it held sharp resolution in the details that held together. An experiment, as all 4 are, but here couldn't make muster just yet no matter how much I might wish it. Another shot of it or something like it and maybe that effort will be effective as I think I know where the serious faults can be addressed. Starting with in the camera.

4. I have confessed,

that I know little or nothing about what constitutes a thoughtfully developed and creditable BW result. Understanding there is a start with a suitable image of course

Always in short supply there :cry

So another sows ear deal looking for what makes the difference. In shots 1 and 4 I see it in the water areas best. Practically reflective chrome is my sense of what I like coming out along with everything else. 4 is as close as I've got for appeal without a ton of sweat and tears or fixing every little detail that needs finished. Like the blown clouds up top. Need to fix that. The print came out good. Image 1 here developed shortly after 4. I took what I think I learned in 4 & 3 and applied to 1. 1 is inverted by the way in case you all didn't guess it already. I used spherize in 4 in case you noticed that too. But to date it is so subtle that no one has noticed its effect or said.
The clouds not complementing is a nice way to put that. I couldn't put my finger on it at the time but I see what you mean now. Thats 50 percent of the image needing a hand I can not do much about yet.

A nice try looking for a followup.

Thanks a bunch for your assessments covering your impressions of these 4. Solid state stuff

Delighted 1 has enough to get excited about for real

Sweet. I can trust myself sometimes.

DaddyO · April 28, 2013

Earache wrote: »

Yeah, agree, Richard did all the heavy lifting here - #1 is super!
Your fondness for abstractions shows here.

Am thinking I am focusing way too much on them Eric

But it is what I like to do. Very fond. Very true.
Delighted to hear that #1 does hold on well enough to be super. I have but a few that qualify that good. The ones it took to get there, like here, are the saints for me. Success from trial and error countless times at the shutter release and proving out in our darkrooms. I also like to do that. What ifs are only the desire to see away. Don't ya think?

Juano · May 1, 2013

All has been said, #1 is my favorite of the set.

Dogdots · May 2, 2013

Wow ... I took a shot just like #2 awhile ago. Great minds think alike

:D:D

Yours is much better ... mine has wires in it.

DaddyO · May 3, 2013

Juano wrote: »

All has been said, #1 is my favorite of the set.

Appreciate your feedback Cristóbal

Not all has been said, Yes.
Thank you very much for that.

DaddyO · May 3, 2013

Dogdots wrote: »

Wow ... I took a shot just like #2 awhile ago. Great minds think alike :D:DYours is much better ... mine has wires in it.

Truly it happens and much more than many may see. Amazing thing worth looking into as it is a real as the hand at the end of my arm. The more I experience, the more I sense just how connected we all are.
Apparently the Japanese have a saying... "No coincidence, No Story". Coincidences? Are they really

So yes, minds connected. Great thing

I do love it

Using the knowing is the tricky part.
Better is relative I think you would tell me.

So, how bout you show that effort? I would really like to see the essence you were seeing or feeling at the time. Its a mood that sets it up. That time that moment where the visual in front of us spells out whats going on in us. All 4 of these images convey exactly that. In image 2, in the consideration of title, its pretty clear there could be many titles. No title used to free the viewer as to choice of meanings. All that way, but for image 2 if I were to give it a title it would be simply "Hope Rising". Richard feels the image has no center focus and I respect that POV cause it is that way for him just now. I see the whole image and whats there as the focus. I think it allows for the mind to drift. Free float over what could possibly be being relayed.
Also, you should know that the shot was found under a string of power lines. I might have had to take out 1 line or so. Honestly don't recall. But I know that power line well as it caused me issues on many occasions from that home. This house the huge power lines are closer yet. Sometimes its just make lemonade

Dogdots · May 4, 2013

DaddyO wrote: »

Truly it happens and much more than many may see. Amazing thing worth looking into as it is a real as the hand at the end of my arm. The more I experience, the more I sense just how connected we all are.
Apparently the Japanese have a saying... "No coincidence, No Story". Coincidences? Are they really
So yes, minds connected. Great thing I do love it Using the knowing is the tricky part.
Better is relative I think you would tell me. So, how bout you show that effort? I would really like to see the essence you were seeing or feeling at the time. Its a mood that sets it up. That time that moment where the visual in front of us spells out whats going on in us. All 4 of these images convey exactly that. In image 2, in the consideration of title, its pretty clear there could be many titles. No title used to free the viewer as to choice of meanings. All that way, but for image 2 if I were to give it a title it would be simply "Hope Rising". Richard feels the image has no center focus and I respect that POV cause it is that way for him just now. I see the whole image and whats there as the focus. I think it allows for the mind to drift. Free float over what could possibly be being relayed.
Also, you should know that the shot was found under a string of power lines. I might have had to take out 1 line or so. Honestly don't recall. But I know that power line well as it caused me issues on many occasions from that home. This house the huge power lines are closer yet. Sometimes its just make lemonade

Darn power lines ....

Four Tree Works

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