* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #870 / Revived #090 on 2024 12 18 *

This is a good example of a symbiosis of text and photo. The text reveals important important information, revealing details, which would otherwise be overlooked, and transforms how the photos are seen. It would be easy to overlook the snow cannons in the first, and their presence raises question marks about what seems to be an unspoiled and natural landscape. The second is a wonderful tranquil scene in the mountains, until the text draws attention to the drama which is unfolding in plain sight.

I like the inclusion of the tree in the foreground of the first to show depth, and I don't mind at all that it is cut off and appears from nowhere - it works fine just as it is.

The tail of the dragonfly is hidden by the wings in the first shot, making it look as if it met with an unfortunate accident, and that spoils it for me. I much prefer the angle of the second shot.
The background is excellent, being very smoth, but with variations in colour to keep it interesting.
I prefer the warmer colours in the first photo, which are particularly noticeable in the background, so my suggestion would be to warm the second photo to match.

This is a sensational photograph but with our yes naturally tending to focus on the sharpest parts of a photo they are left to wander uncomfortably around the image because nothing is sharp. I get the effect you were trying to achieve and you mostly have imho but I need something to "hang" my eyes on in the scene. I think if the leading horse's head was reasonably sharp with the rest as is, the photo would have even more of an impact than it does already.

Anyway, see what you think since you can adjust the sharpness to whatever suits.

Caspar,

I understand the point you are making. But . . .

I find the original preferable. I have posted my own images here in which there was nothing in the frame in sharp focus. Such images are most definitely in the minority, and the circumstances under which they are effective are limited, but they can be very beautiful. As is this one.

Rich

That's fine. I'm sure there are viewers who will like it as is and I do as well to a large extent, as I said, but having nothing at all reasonably sharp is a little uncomfortable for me. I'm sure there will also be viewers who feel the same way. I just pointed out what would have even more impact on me than it already does, again as I said earlier. Let's see if MikePDX has any thoughts and replies.

Nicely caught action shot that puts a viewer right into the action. Love the tension especially in the hands and fabrics. The background is a bonus - interesting planes of color, no distractions (I just finished editing some soccer photos for someone to get blown up into poster size, and oh the distractions - fans, coaches, bags, bottles, portapotties, light poles) - so I especially appreciate the background!

Lovely set to study and dream on. The second is a frame-able or a calendar page. Exquisite winter beauty in a perfect composition.

Another nice pair of dragons in Christmas colors. I like the second better because his tail is in view, and his arms and legs (?) are in such lovely parallel balance, like he's dancing.

Nice pair, well exposed and framed. The first could be on a "Welcome To Toronto" brochure. I like the second because Ruby Slippers lady looks like such an interesting character.

Thanks for including your own thought process in formulating the image. I think taking the time to do that helps us all. This image is both simple and complicated. It has too much in it, not enough in it, and just the right amount in it, depending on what a viewer is motivated by and looking for. Love the rich muted colors and the effect of light and shadows at a slope. I see the non-scene area as a sort of half frame and I like the effect.

A lovely butterfly (fritillary?) in rich colors. It is no easy task to catch one with fully outspread wings in such a position that you can capture them with every wingtip in view and in focus, but you've managed! Nicely done.

Beautiful. I love this effect, which conveys the emotion of the scene and the power of the herd in motion. The contrasting colors of the lead horses in the frame makes the image stronger. So well done. I see an edit down the thread which offers a sharper version of the lead horse, but I prefer this version with more motion blur and a more muted, magical feeling.

The complementary colors of blue/orange are always a success in my book. Here you also have the contrast between the small oval shape and the large rectangular frames. The direct controlled lighting adds to the effect, causing the artwork to leap out at us, larger and more intense than it really is. Nicely spotted.

I appreciate this discussion, as it helps me clarify my own feelings about this image. I fully understand the point Caspar made about wanting something in focus within the frame to give an anchor point. Other comments in another forum were similar.

For me however, and I would emphasize that this is a personal preference, that in-focus area takes away from the sense of motion and action I was trying to achieve. My sense is that the "primary" horse is in focus enough for us to understand that he is the main subject while still giving that overall sense of speed.

Thank you for replying Mile. You hit the nail on the head with your comment about personal preferences. There is no right or wrong in cases like this. We edit images according to our own personal preferences and tastes and viewers enjoy them or not according to their personal tastes. It goes without saying that personal tastes and preferences between creators and viewers do not always match exactly.

In this case sharpening the horse's head and neck a little does not take away any sense of motion or speed for me. It actually enhances it overall with the more in focus raised hair on the horse's neck giving a stronger sense of motion and speed overall.

This is another of those visual literacy discussions. The added sharpening to the closest horse, especially along the mane, looks weird. The out of focus in the image isn't caused by lens blur, it is clearly motion blur right across the shot. If anything, the closest horse ought to be the most blurred. Focus sharpness is appropriate in some images to take the eye to a subject. but usually this is in images that have an eveness of colour tone and so we need the relative sharpness to do the work. Here, the horse selected for sharpening, using Topaz I presume, is the closest horse and stands out from the the rest of the horses a little because of the tone. There is no need for any sharpening of that horse. The movement is clearly the point of the image. Freezing the movement of that horse makes it the subject in a very unnatural way and is counter to the whole point of the image. The result jars in a way.
Incidentally, Hello David/Dan again. Even moderate text profiling shows these posts as being the same person as Dan and this is a very Dan like edit. Would you like to share with us the Caspar/Dan transformation?
And another reminder. The whole point of this thread is to post as well as critique others. You need to post an image each week to participate.

Yes, the point re posting images was made last week and you eventually posted. The other two haven't posted this week. We await your post.
Any childish game is in your continued shape shifting. No body who has followed your adventures over recent years will be in any doubt that Dan and Caspar are the same person and come from a long line of identity swaps. I note that you haven't exactly denied the change of name and I'm not surprised that your answer only says that you are "not intested" in any discussion of the subject.
Re the image. Mike PDX went on to say a little more. I built on that with a more detailed analysis of how the edit affects the image. That's what C&C is all about. It's the consideration of the why and how an image works as it does.

They did not post a photo last week either before commenting so it's allowed. I will try to find a suitable photo if I have time before Christmas.