Some New Abstracts--what do you think

03/05/2005 01:41:32 AM · #1

Abstracts are very personal; I like these, but I'd like to know if they work for others. Suggestions for improvements, and new titles, welcomed.

These were taken during my "pink" entry submission sessions, if you hadn't guessed!

Thanks in advance for any comments. I'll try to return the favor this weekend.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

03/05/2005 01:52:49 AM · #2

These are hauntingly nice. I wish I'd made them... When I see them, I think "Aura" for some reason, so I might title them that way; "Aura: The Creation" and "Aura: First Spring", something like that.

Robt.

Mick

Canon EOS-5D

03/05/2005 02:04:07 AM · #3

These are very cool shots Neil. How did you do them?

Names? They make me think of silk, so I probably would have named them something really dorky like "Silken Dreams" or something like that. :)

bear_music's suggestions sound good too.

Suggestions for improvements? I would try to add some feeling of depth--maybe with some type of focal point.

You're getting pretty good at these abstract images. Keep working it!

03/05/2005 02:33:07 AM · #4

Thanks Mick and Robert.

These were done by camera movement as I've done most of my blurred abstracts, whereas my actual Pink entry was done by Focus Shifting during exposure. The blurry/abstract shots don't go over well with the voters, but that's not stopping me ;)

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

03/05/2005 02:34:03 AM · #5

Nor should it...

Robt.

sher

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

03/05/2005 02:39:38 AM · #6

beautiful! i just love this type of photo!

arngrimur

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/05/2005 05:05:06 AM · #7

Beautiful work Neil.

The composition is good, it has good flow and balance and. The amount of blur is just right so the image does not have that single direction feel. Colours and tones are majestic.

Keep it up Neil.

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

03/05/2005 07:22:11 AM · #8

Great abstracts. I like doing this kind of work as well though have never tried focus shifting during the exposure. Something new to experiment with.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

03/05/2005 08:57:28 AM · #9

i like the second one much better.
better mixing of the colors i think.

03/06/2005 10:53:05 AM · #10

I've been playing a bit with some crops and adjustments on the second one. I can't quite get one I'm 100% happy with.

What do you think of these two variations of a crop (and versus the original). Am I going the right or wrong direction, aesthetically, with these? Which is better?

Notes: Besides cropping, I've adjusted levels, curves, done some USM, and applied some noise in one case.

Alt #1:

Alt #2

Of course, if you think they're both bad don't hesitate to say so. I don't mind honest opinions, whichever way they go. It might also help though to say what's bad about them.

03/06/2005 11:19:17 AM · #11

Alt 2, to my eye, is better-composed than Alt 1, but neither works as well for me as the otiginal, except the TITLE is better (wink). I don't think these images are well-served by their noise, particulalrly. One of the really nice things about your other abstracts is how smooth they are, the tones just flow from one to the other. The additional noise and the added stauration in the alternatives work against that.

Beyond that, the broader framing of the originally-posted version has some very nice, subtle effects happening in the lower right, and these are critical to the imatge iMO.

Robt.

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Canon

03/06/2005 11:30:09 AM · #12

Originally posted by bear_music:

Thanks. (Yes, I definitely agree about the aura look and title suggestion, which is one reason my pink entry was titled Pink Aura, and one of the reasons I varied the title originally here. I am however, still thinking through the naming of abstracts. Should they be based on appearance, suggestion, or be something perhaps orthogonal and conceptually suggestive? Know of any articles on how to name art works?)

The one thing that bothers me a bit about the original is the open space on the lower left. I agree about the lower right, but can't keep it without the lower left.

But I also agree with you that I'm not fully happy with either of these. Will try again later.

Thanks again.

Kavey

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

03/06/2005 11:31:50 AM · #13

From your first post... the first one doesn't work at all for me. The second one is lovely but not as nice (for me) as many of your other abstracts.