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03-JUN-2011 dawn

Hibiscus

A bit different--these were 2 hibiscus my dad
brought along for me when we were in New Zealand.
Within a short span of time, they started to wither
away and ended up as these. I wanted the image to
seem a bit nostalgic hence the texture/tones/desaturation.

Thoughts?


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Joe Lasker20-Aug-2011 02:22
Can't compete with CJ - let me just say that the treatment really works here. :)
Georgia Roessler19-Aug-2011 19:50
They look like I feel!
The processing goes well with the look of the flowers.
And it's refreshing to see a flower that isn't trying to look beautiful.
Nice job!
DAVE (PARAMAN) 19-Aug-2011 15:45
Nice processing Like it
Guest 19-Aug-2011 08:59
Excellent texture and colour ... it's the floral equivalent of photographing a ruined building
Guest 19-Aug-2011 07:29
Just fabulous, love the process you did.. yes, more space on the sides..
Guest 19-Aug-2011 07:28
I for one think this type of image would sell, my sister is a lover of this kind of thing and i see a number of examples this is lovely. Very well done keep it up
Guest 19-Aug-2011 07:14
Just had another thought - how's about treating us all to a lesson on the techniques used to achieve this effect - I for one would appreciate it!
Guest 19-Aug-2011 07:13
This extremely interesting and well thought out image all goes to show that we are often too quick about disposing of faded/dying flora - there's obviously an image to be had right to the very end....I love the antiqued effect
Dale MacKeown19-Aug-2011 03:37
Yea, what CJ said.
CJ Morgan19-Aug-2011 02:07
Oh Dawn, this image is wonderful. Keep doing this. I don't mean keep making the same image over and over again. No, what I mean is let's just think about it for a moment: you have a certain skill set within you where it comes to the technical aspects of making images. That's good, that's a baseline start, that's like someone who has enough language so they can articulate themselves well. But just because we have mastered some language, it's not really of any use unless we have the first requisite for any writer or speaker: having something to say. And once we have something to say, then we use our knowledge of language to communicate that well.

Here is a case where you have some withering flowers. And you didn't just record them in your normal manner (which, admittedly, you do well and certainly better than 99.999% of the rest of the population). But in this case you really thought about these flower, thought about their "withering condition" and then constructed an image -- bringing all your skill set to bear -- to convey in that image that sense of withering you noticed there with the flower.

And this is what GOOD ARTISTIC COMMUNICATION is -- no just observing the subject matter and recording it (most good photographers can do that) but forming an opinion yourself about the subject matter you see and then using your craft faculty to convey that opinion, and to do so in a manner so that there is a degree of harmony between what the subject matter is, and how you feel about the subject matter.

In this particular case, what the subject matter is is not just "flowers" but "withering flowers". And the opinion that you see in that subject "withering flowers" is to bring to your craft construction of that image as sense of the "old", a sense of "nostalgia" and convey this by way of how you handle dealing with the textures, tones and desaturation of the image itself.

This is, quite truly, artistry at it's very best -- the image maker not only shows the subject, but also does so in a manner where her handling of the image making is employed in such a way as to help to convey her opinion about the subject matter ... in this case a sense of the old and the withering of these flowers, and so a technique applied which, harmonious with the subject matter itself in it's seeming dying stages, communicates to the viewer a sense of the
old or the nostalgic.

Do you understand what I'm saying here? It's not just a matter of recording flowers, but also bringing to the matter your own opinions about what you see. And in doing this, the final image then reveal not only the subject matter, but also reveals the "voice" or opinion or thoughts of the image maker herself.

I'm not quite sure if I'm articulating this right, but suffice to say that it seems to me that the camera always looks both ways and that any truly good image making will always reveal not only the subject matter but also the image maker themselves.

So to me, this is a sort of milestone image for you. Yes, it seems to me you have a goodly number of "milestone images" as your image making mastery has progressed over the years. But this particular image is perhaps just a very good example which well exemplifies what I've been talking about here -- that good image making holds within it the first requisite that any artist needs: having something to say.

These are not just flowers, they're withering flowers. And this is not just a recording of flowers, but the image making has been handled in a way which is congruent with that observed opinion that the flowers are withering -- the image has been given a treatment to better help convey that sense of the old, that sense of faded coloring, that sense rougher seemingly weathered texturing.

Really I'm ecstatic about this image. But even more than that, your very handling of technique here has been used to lend itself to your opinion of these flowers -- that they
are old that they are withering, and gosh darn it, you made an image which best shows us
and conveys that observed opinion ... and the result is, as least to me, all quite masterfully done.

Yeah, nice good with the construction of that photograph. It's a winner. It all communicates quite well.

CJ

a bit nostalgic hence the texture/tones/desaturation


they started to wither
away and ended up as these. I wanted the image to
seem a bit nostalgic hence the texture/tones/desaturation.
Bob Gilley19-Aug-2011 01:10
Beautiful image Dawn. I really like how you processed this!
Janet Forjan-Freedman19-Aug-2011 00:58
Lovely work Dawn. This weathered pair remind me of a pair of loved and battered ballerina sleepers..
kim hoshal19-Aug-2011 00:43
I agree there could be a little more space at the edges, but I love the treatment. It definitely gives the photo an antique look. Well done!
Yiannis Pavlis19-Aug-2011 00:38
Fabulous picture.
Excellent composition.
Guest 19-Aug-2011 00:36
I think a bit more space all around would add to and balance the picture.

Don
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