original jpg

© Stephen Shoff

original jpg

Uploaded: March 26, 2013

Description

Exif: F Number: 7.1, Exposure Bias Value: -0.30, ExposureTime: 1/200 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 200, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 32.70 mm, Model: NEX-7

Comments

Stephen Shoff March 26, 2013

How should I finish the bottom of this?. Including the original JPG so you know what I have to work with. #1521033

Debbra Bailey March 26, 2013

Love the sharpness of this! The points on the top really stand out. I am not fond of the burning ON the cholla towards the bottom... I am not sure what TO do though... It might look cool if you created the illusion that you were looking down at it, so to get rid of the point at the bottom... might take some cloning... guess I would wait to see what everyone else things! #10624923

Stephen Shoff March 26, 2013

Good to hear from you again Debbra. Its been awhile.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I'll wait to see what others might suggest. #10624957

Teresa H. Hunt March 26, 2013

I love the contrast and detail you have here. Very cool.

I'm not sure that I have a good idea for the bottom either. I think right now your image has a floating in space look, which I kind of like. However if you wanted to add back in some of the dirt to anchor your plant it might work. I really don't know. Sorry I'm not much help #10625030

Jeff E Jensen March 26, 2013

What if you just cropped a bit off of the bottom and right sides so that it intersects the frame? #10625036

Kristin Duff March 26, 2013

Stephen...why do you want to add something to this? I think it stands perfectly well on its own. I saw a whole series done like this at the Kew garden photography competition a few years ago and it was outstanding. The strength of the photo comes from the plant form itself which I think you have done a beautiful job capturing. #10625039

Stephen Shoff March 26, 2013

Kristin, my question isn't suggesting that I want to add to this image. My problem is that I'm not satisfied with how the bottom of the picture appears -- Debbra called that the area of burning (i.e, darkening) the base of the cholla into nothingness. As it stands, it looks muddy to me. Teresa called that "floating" as in incomplete or not anchored. I agree with both those descriptions. So my question was how do I finish post-processing the bottom of the plant so that the image looks complete.

Here is Jeff's crop suggestion reformatted to 5:7 aspect ratio, and a couple of distractions cloned/healed out. #10625053

Debbie E. Payne March 27, 2013

I think the anchoring that Jeff's crop provided did the trick for me. The burning could be lessened just a tad but other than that I think this is gorgeous. #10625559

Dale Hardin March 27, 2013

Stephen, I think the crop works best for this. As you know, I took the same shot and ended up treating it much the same way except that I rotated it 90 degrees for a vertical format.

By the way, thanks again for sharing a very fun weekend in the desert. #10625694

Teresa H. Hunt March 27, 2013

Yup, I like the crop #10627632

Peter W. Marks March 28, 2013

Without the title I would have no idea what I was looking at so the image did intrigue me. Thanks to Google I now know more than I probably need to but while there is still a bit of room in my head created by all I have forgotten then it's all good.
The first, sharpened version works for me better than the cropped version. I understand (I think!) what you guys are saying about anchoring it but really do not see what that adds to an image such as this. If the desert floor was visible then anchoring it would give that sense of what and where it is, but arbitrarily cropping it to an edge does nothing I humbly submit, but am ready to consider an explanation. #10628874

Beth Spencer March 28, 2013

I do like the crop better, but what would a flip do. My eyes keep going to the corner. Just wondering?
I think the crop works well, if you were going to use the desert floor I think the background would need to be desert. #10629639

Elaine Hessler March 28, 2013

I am late on this one. Thanks for posting the original-I am amazed how well the edited one looks. I thought you might have taken this in a studio with the nice black background.

I do see what you guys are saying about the original floating. And agree that the edited/cropped picture works a little better. That is a tough one, but looks pretty nice after the editing. #10631351

Rita K. Connell level-classic March 29, 2013

I think the edit looks really good! love what you did with it. #10633390

Michael Kelly level-deluxe March 30, 2013

I looked at this a long time. The original edited post looks good, but does have the issues mentioned. Like Kristin said it does stand on its own pretty well just being the plant against the black. For me though the last post which provides some grounding and the other small fixes works slightly better.

Peter the crop gives the illusion that there is more plant to the right thus it is not just floating in the black BG but growing up from the right where there is more plant and somewhere it is grounded just out of sight of the viewer where when completely surrounded by black it appears to float in space. #10634780


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