Taken at Yosemite National Park. There was this house up the hill by Glacier Point that was empty. Actually I think it's a look out but has long been abandoned. I wasn't planning of entering an image let alone having me in the photo itself but this ws just an image that speaks many words to me.
Ran the original through a velvia filter and selective desaturated the entire room except for the view so that the focus is directed there. Used some dodge and burn and finally used the highlight and shadows filter to bring back some of the foreground. Not sure how this one will do as I edited this on my laptop and the last time it happened was in Seattle and I know how a bad monitor calibration works ;)
Shot as a jpeg (go figure). Let's see how this does this time around ;)
IMG_6098.jpg
A Rose That Once Stood Alone
A solitary rose grew in the darkest corner of the garden
Surrounded by many others
Yet remained alone
Time passed and trials came and went
One dealt a severe blow
And the rose began to wilt and wither
Forgotten...
Then... as if by a miracle...
There came a soft and gentle breeze
Followed by a ray of light
As all the other roses fell into darkness
The solitary rose began to shine
Shining with a special light...
And watered by a gentle cascade...
A cascade of love
A cascade of selfless affection
"I do... not now but forever..."
Said the rose to the sunlight
And there they remain
A rose in full bloom
With her sunshine smiling down on her...
You are my sunshine, my life, my very soul
And I your rose blooming in the light of your love.
Statistics
Place: 68 out of 114 Avg (all users): 5.5040 Avg (commenters): 6.2727 Avg (participants): 5.1974 Avg (non-participants): 5.6364 Views since voting: 1517 Views during voting: 450 Votes: 252 Comments: 21 Favorites: 1 (view)
The rock-texture is cool and the colors are sharp, the only thing that bothers me is the "window/portol" on the left is cut in half. Maybe a closer cropping of the right-window only may work better. And more of the empty floor to depict/clarify an empty room, which was the challenge category. My superman baloon was also lower than I expected 41/113 and the 3rd place one had similar juxtaposition, but with warmer colors.
I would have given this a 5. The colors are too oversaturated and the blacks are "clogged". No more laptop for you! :)
It's hard to do a sp. Getting the focus is always an issue with me. This was a difficult scene to capture because of the differences in exposure. Looks pretty good...considering.
Since you asked in a thread......
I dare to differ from the general after-challenge praise, sorry.
I didn't score it, but would have given it a 5 or a 6, and here is why:
The b+w inside jumped out at me as having been desaturated. It's not in keeping with the true nature of the place. By looking so unnatural and "wrong", it holds my attention and achieves the exact opposite of what you were trying to achieve (as per your notes). I would have preferred to see it left the natural color, but perhaps darkened a little if that was necessary.
Much of the sky is blown and the colors outside look over saturated to me.
This whole photo is really all about the view, not the empty room. It fits the challenge, but only in a happenstance way.
Rikki, I love this image. It brings back wonderful memories of the time I've spent in the Rockies, and it also makes me wonder just what you're thinking as you sit there.
The only nitpick I have at all is that the bright blue in the mtns distracts me a bit. Personally, I would mute that just a touch.
I really don't understand the low score!
RiCKY....I don't care what the score is....I still like your image...and the poem...perfect!! Do not live for the scores...live for yourself...do what you dream...and what you desire...shoot what you feel...and what you see...just live RiCKY!!
this is a great photo! i bet people voted it lower because it doesn't have that closed-off empty feel... it's very open. i love it though. i would have voted it high.
Yosemite! I could recognise this before reading the details. I was there this weekend for half dome hike. Made me realise I am not that fit. sore today :(
Nice idea. The clouds look a little blown, but this looks like a tough exposure. Might be a little stronger compositionally if the person were framed a bit further away from the center of the shot.
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