Pond 1

Posted by GJC (Kyoto (京都), Japan) on 2 September 2009 in Abstract & Conceptual.

I feel like I've been in a long dry spell. Nothing I've posted for a long time has really said portfolio to me.

So I decided to try some new things -- for example some urban shots I posted last week. And here I'll start a short series of nine photos, showing different moods of a pond in evening. These photos are more abstract and painterly than what I usually do, and I enjoyed taking them tremendously. Of course, like all my photos, they are especially concerned with the effects of light, but I loved how the water gave me the freedom to be more abstract and to try some new things. I hope you enjoy them.

There is no post-processing done on these images except to amplify the contrast a little. Otherwise it was all done by playing with the WB settings.
Here an evening mist has just begun to rise off the pond.

vfxy Photoblogs

Comments (24)

Georgie from Orem, United States

I actually gasped out loud when I saw this. It's breathtaking.

2 Sep 2009 5:36am

Hoshisato from Ealing, United Kingdom

This is beautiful, so many colours in the rippling water. Very artistic composition.

2 Sep 2009 5:38am

Benkirane Thami from Fès, Morocco

Ces réflexions sont magnifiées par la lumière matinale (?) et les lignes qui animent la surface de l'eau!
En éliminant le haut de l'image (maison et ciel), l'image gagnerait en abstraction.
Bonne journée lumineuse!

2 Sep 2009 7:46am

Hiro from Kyoto, Japan

I like both what you usually do and what you are trying now. This photo is fantastic.

2 Sep 2009 12:59pm

daina from New York, United States

Gorgeous - wonderful - oh my how very, very good!

2 Sep 2009 2:56pm

Stu from Kyoto, Japan

This is wonderful. I particularly like how you've caught the sunlight on the mist.

2 Sep 2009 3:05pm

Veronique from Sarrouilles, France

this is a wondeful picture...5 stars for this light and mist

2 Sep 2009 4:34pm

Tracy from La Selva Beach, United States

This is beautiful, I love the mood you've created by the exposure and capturing the mist coming off the water!

2 Sep 2009 5:58pm

Liang from San Francisco, United States

Not bad at all, given that it's not really post processed makes it even better, great capture in natural light!

2 Sep 2009 6:18pm

Ronnie 2¢ from Atlantic Shores, United Kingdom

This sounds a fascinating project : always nice to have a plan.

With this one, I keep debating with myself whether it be better if the image were cropped at the eaves of the building . . so we see just the ripples, the mist and reflection.and a small patch of lit sky.

2 Sep 2009 6:43pm

Lucca from Cologne, Germany

This is soooo beautiful. I'm a bit jealous you could see this in real. Thank you for sharing it.

2 Sep 2009 8:29pm

Viewfinder from Bradenton, FL, United States

Truly beautiful; a simple composition with quiet motion.

2 Sep 2009 8:39pm

daina from New York, United States

I find it very odd that some want to re-arrange other’s work. In a gallery or a museum no one questions the work. One might like it or not, but one would not try to re-arrange it or second guess it. I find it objectionable that on blogs some, no matter what their credentials or experience, are arrogant enough to attempt it and see nothing ludicrous about it. One is almost tempted to extend the same “courtesy” to them, but then one would not want to be that rude.

There is integrity to an artist’s work that should not be compromised by outside opinions and it amazes me that some have no comprehension of what that means or even what respect for another’s vision entails. Why do some insist on shaping everything to their own vision which might be limited indeed? Please delete this GJC if you find my opinion too outspoken...

2 Sep 2009 8:47pm

baobab from Cambridge, United States

gorgeous ripples GJC - I really like the soft focus in the foreground, the sharp reflections in the midground, and the bokeh into the shadow, as if you have captured different planes of vision.

@daina - I can't speak for GJC, but speaking for myself I really appreciate constructive feedback and suggestions - seeing my own shots through others' eyes always offers another view and stretches my imagination: it's a learning experience. It touches me when someone takes the time to offer thoughtful feedback, and to let me know what they especially like or would like to experiment with in my shot.

2 Sep 2009 10:56pm

Tracey from Maryland, United States

This is beautifully done. A masterpiece of texture and light. Your images are always very thought filled.

3 Sep 2009 1:17am

daina from New York, United States

Baobab – I also appreciate that someone takes the time to comment on and interpret a work, however that is quite different from attempting to change it. The best critics have always shown the public how to appreciate an art work, but they have never attempted to “teach” the artist how to improve their work. You yourself pointed to various aspects of GJC’s image that someone else might not have noticed which was a very helpful and a lovely job of criticism.

We learn only from the work we respect and seek out advice only from people whose opinions we trust. The trouble is that there is a rather disingenuous attitude that is prevalent in the blogosphere where all opinions are equal etc. This attitude does not allow for the very extreme differences that do exist between people’s art education and expertise. So you get the very strange situation where someone who just got their first camera tells someone, who has been a photographer for decades, how they would have done it. Would you take the unsolicited opinion of a novice in any other field – I don’t think so.

If you really would like someone to tell you how they would change your photo then you can always ask. With your next photo why don’t you try this: Ask your visitors to take your photo and change it to their liking. Perhaps that can become a feature of your bog and you can learn from their experiments. But unless someone asks, I believe it is presumptuous and rude to try altering someone else’s work.

3 Sep 2009 1:18am

Sugata from Newark, United States

Excellent reflection on the ripples! The light is great too!

3 Sep 2009 4:46am

akarui from Kagoshima, Japan

Beautiful light on the pond. I like it.

3 Sep 2009 7:41am

Steve Rice from Olympia, United States

This is gorgeous. Great start to the series.

3 Sep 2009 4:26pm

Howard F. from South Pasadena, Calif., United States

That's a beautiful folds on the surface, golden, silky, and full of life. Dry spell? Nonsense, this is one for the portfolio for sure :)))

3 Sep 2009 4:56pm

Ian Bramham from Manchester, United Kingdom

I go through long spells of frustration myself so I know how you feel.

This is very beautiful and I look forward to seeing how the experimentation progresses!

4 Sep 2009 10:24am

grant from kansas city, United States

love it.

5 Sep 2009 1:22am

Anita from West Nottingham, United States

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!! No PP. Do you shoot RAW or jpeg?

15 Sep 2009 11:53am

@Anita: Thank you so much. I almost hate to admit it because it brings out scorn and derision, but I always shoot jpeg...

Anita from West Nottingham, United States

No derision from me, but I understand your reluctance. I asked because in jpeg the camera adds its own post processing, whereas in raw one must do the post processing oneself. I just wanted to understand your process a bit better.

18 Sep 2009 11:18am

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