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Winter Bird Tapestry
Winter Bird Tapestry
kanaj


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Wildlife III (Advanced Editing V)
Collection: Portfolio
Camera: Polaroid PDC 3080
Location: Austin, TX
Date: Jan 16, 2007
Aperture: Uncertain
ISO: 100
Shutter: Uncertain
Galleries: Black and White, Digital Art
Date Uploaded: Jan 16, 2007

 I am almost positive that this photo will not fare well in this challenge, but I am submitting it because I think it will at least be very different from other entries, and I wanted to share the first rated photo on this site for this particular Poloroid camera. The camera is EXTREMELY limited in its capabilities, and I used the digital 3.2 zoom to capture the original, which is in my opinion an incredibly poor quality shot. (This camera does far better with no digital zoom for landscape-type shots taken from afar.) So I relied VERY heavily on post-processing to create what I feel is a completely new, original work of art. I don't feel that this violates the spirit of this competition, though, because this doesn't really change the typical person's perception of the composition. I just used liberal coloration to highlight those elements in a new fashion.

(Still, I must say that I would not be terribly surprised if this was my first DQ on the site, simply because I can see bipolar reactions to this by general voters and the Site Council alike.)

Since the colors were HORRIBLE (camera's fault), I immediately two-toned the composition, then cropped to get this perspective and applied an unsharp mask to get a stronger profile. Then I burned the branches and the crow's outline before dodging to pure white the entire sky (which was an ugly shade of blue) behind the branches. Inverted the colors to get this effect, and then dodged the branches some more. I feared that the bird wouldn't draw enough attention since it looked like just a "lump" on the branches, so I used a color replacement pen to make the bird red, in keeping with the bold artistic statement of this composition.

The final effect is closer to a work of modern art than a photo...and for that reason alone I think this will fare poorly in the challenge...but I remain unfettered in my decision to share it, if for the comments alone. (FYI, everyone, I did choose to classify this as "digital art" as its first gallery choice.)

Okay let's see what the voters do with this one!

Statistics
Place: 211 out of 218
Avg (all users): 4.1502
Avg (commenters): 4.2917
Avg (participants): 4.1089
Avg (non-participants): 4.1818
Views since voting: 1543
Views during voting: 437
Votes: 233
Comments: 30
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 02/05/2007 02:39:52 PM
i think this sort of image is the point of digital photography. you can't really do that with film. byootiful
 01/30/2007 04:07:46 PM
I think this pic. is really cool. I don't agree with your low placement at all. I think it looks really nice. I really think you should have gotten an average score of 7 or 8. Good job!!!!!!!
 01/29/2007 04:13:58 PM
I really liked this.
 01/29/2007 03:28:31 PM
I actually like this and don't agree with its low placement. You found a way to turn it into art!
 01/29/2007 07:42:46 AM
a good job. for what you had to work with,
i recently got a great camera. before that i had a crap one.
i know what it feels like.

^-^
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/28/2007 11:44:23 PM
Enjoyed your interpretation. 8
 01/28/2007 11:43:08 PM
really kind of artsy & cool!
 01/28/2007 11:33:26 PM
Too abstract
 01/28/2007 11:21:18 PM
A nice bold try at trying something different. It does keep my interest for the reason I try to look harder, so that's good. Title a side, with the challenge theme in mind I do get it's a cardinal but otherwise I wouldn't have gotten it , I think.
 01/28/2007 08:17:54 PM
Over processed IMHO. Cool effect, though.
 01/28/2007 06:37:30 PM
I like the reversal of color and the spot of red.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/27/2007 06:10:11 PM
Very cool abstract.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/27/2007 05:43:53 PM
bold and beautiful. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/27/2007 12:58:14 AM
Showing some definate creativity. It is getting farther from photography.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2007 09:12:05 PM
too abstract for my tastes. might make a great table mat.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/25/2007 10:08:06 AM
sorry, I just don't like the PP
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/25/2007 09:44:41 AM
I really like this! I think it's perfect, a 10!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/24/2007 11:22:08 PM
This may have started as a photograph, but the processing done here has removed the photographic quality of this image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/23/2007 04:33:42 PM
I like this idea, but it just doesn't look like a photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/23/2007 07:45:56 AM
je ne suis pas certain de bien comprendre. c'est quoi ?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/23/2007 07:17:40 AM
Not sure what you were going for here but this is not within my taste. Sorry!!! Good luck!!!
 01/22/2007 09:03:49 PM
Waaaay over processed. I can hardly even see the bird any more...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2007 08:26:27 PM
I think I see your idea here but it is very difficult to really see what this photo is all about.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2007 06:51:18 PM
Very unique shot. It grows on me the more I look at it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2007 03:26:23 PM
interesting effect. I'll look back to see how this was does. May be too artsy for DPC
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2007 02:47:02 PM
I recognize the idea, but sadly, the effects don't do much for me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2007 11:21:37 AM
good idea but a little overdone for me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2007 08:59:01 AM
PP not doing much for me, sorry.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2007 06:16:35 AM
Interesting work here, meets the challenge in and of itself, I have to wonder what the black hides though. 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2007 01:51:53 AM
Impressionistic and artistic, but not enough wildlife detail for this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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