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Canon Image Challenge | all galleries >> History (Best Of) >> Best of C*I*C >> Best of 2012 > - 2nd Place -
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03-JUN-2012 kchristian

- 2nd Place -
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A baby tree frog in the throat of a daylily.

Note: this image has been rotated and flipped.
Original image here: http://www.pbase.com/cichallenge/image/143786399


other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Canon Image Challenge05-Jun-2012 22:02
I feel a little bad about my last missive on this...Chinese, and the far Eastern languages are, generally, though this is changing due to Western influence, top to bottom, not right to left as may be fairly inferred from my comment.

It is Farsi (Persian), Arabic and Hebrew that is read from right to left, unlike the Latin based reading of left to right. The question I hadn't thought about is, Does the positioning of the main element in an image become more or less aesthetically pleasing depending on how your brain and eyes are trained to read?

Sorry for the confusion.

Best Wishes, Traveller

Canon Image Challenge04-Jun-2012 22:28
It is such a wonderful image, each of us has to do whatever is required. The Western eye reads left to right, the Eastern eye otherwise....it really is better this way, for our brains....someday I may be in Asia and I'll ask is this way better, more pleasing, or, I'll flip it again...the eye reading right to left and ask which they prefer?

A very interesting experiment....and easy to do because this image will always be here in the Gallery so I can show it to people.

Still, the genius of the shot is yours.

Best Wishes, Traveller
kchristian 04-Jun-2012 17:29
Okay, Traveller -- I've been pondering this all morning. I really like the version you posted in Pending ... In all the years I've been taking photos, I can't remember ever turning one upside down. I have flipped a couple to get a mirror image, but not upside down. Something about that just doesn't seem right, as it can totally change perceived reality -- and i think it does so in this case, as well.

BUT ... I think the image you posted is better, more eye-catching and more interesting. So, I guess you can teach an old dog (photographer?) a new trick. I'm switching to the rotated image.

Thanks, Traveller, for caring so much about photography and taking the time to post this.

-- Ken
kchristian 04-Jun-2012 13:39
Thanks for your comments, Traveller. The blurring is due entirely to narrow depth of field. This was shot with a 100mm macro lens wide open at f/2.8 from only a few inches away, so the depth of field was only a few centimeters. Only his (her?) eyes, nose and the top of his head are in focus. The only post processing was minor color correction, resizing, a tad bit of sharping and then adding the thin border.

As for the rotated version you posted in pending: I like it, but it has a totally different "feel" to it. This version has more "tension" because the frog is hanging upside down, which, in fact, he was.

I also agree about needing a title ... so, I changed it. Don't know if its any better, though, or not.

Thanks, again.

-- Ken
Canon Image Challenge04-Jun-2012 10:45
Please also see here in pending:

http://www.pbase.com/cichallenge/image/143779180

Best Wishes, Traveller
Canon Image Challenge04-Jun-2012 02:57
You do need the title for this loveliness...but this really is excellent...is the blurring in PP or shallow DOF? Best Wishes, Traveller