it evolved this way

[Dennis Bishop]

I usually have a reasonable idea when I snap the shutter what the final image will look like. Or at least what I'm going to do in post-processing. When I took this shot on the Pequonnock Valley Greenway in Connecticut, my vision was nothing like this, however. It was a few days after Christmas and cold outside. Still, I was surprised when I came to these exposed rocks and saw icicles. The vestiges of the icicles are still apparent, and the colors are from the rocks, the moss growing on them, and a few fallen leaves. The darker orange on the bottom is more leaves.

When my usual workflow wasn't giving acceptable results, I did two things. Well, actually more than that, but two of them contributed to the final image. Because the usual stuff wasn't working, I applied some presets I normally don't use. As it turned out, the one that worked was in a program I use infrequently, and it was a preset I didn't know was there. (I do like the program, but I think its effects should be used sparingly.) The second thing, the one that often yields the best results, was to walk away from the computer with no conscious thoughts about the image and relax. Here's what happened.



Nikon D3s, ISO 1600, f/11, six-exposure HDR at 1 EV increments, zoom at 70mm

post-processing highlights

• flipped horizontally for composition
• Alien Skin Snap Art -- saved watercolor wash preset, Hard Light blend mode, 32% opacity
• Belle Fleur texture -- Overlay, 38%
• Alien Skin Eye Candy -- Swirl preset, Luminosity, 77%
• Topaz Simplify -- saved watercolor preset
• three Fractalius saved black & white presets -- Multiply, 97%; Divide, 50%; Multiply, 66%
• Snap Art -- saved black & white Line Art preset, Multiply, 24%, masked
• Simplify -- saved black & white edges preset, Multiply, 74%, masked
• Eye Candy -- Swirl preset, duplicate layers, Normal 100%, Multiply 93% (The Swirl output is somewhat light. Multiplying a Normal layer with its duplicate darkens it and adds contrast.)
• background layer -- Linear Dodge, 7%
• Snap Art -- saved black & white Line Art preset, duplicate layers; Multiply, 20%; Divide, 8%, moved slightly left and up (The offset black lines from Multiply and white lines from Divide gives the 3-D look.)
• Simplify -- saved black & white edges preset, triplicate layers; Multiply, 100%; Multiply, 100%; Divide, 77%, moved slightly left and up
• uniform gradient vignette

[Judy Howle]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this! All those swirls and colors look amazing! It would make a nice background if you found the right subject. I bet it would also look good with the saturation pumped up a bit. You know how I like bold colors.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Dennis,

Greetings. Oddly recognizable Dennis Bishop style but with a twist ;-) If only the swirls were alternating, this would have a water swirling look. A dash more saturation per Judy's suggestion would work for me (but might push it out of the Dennis Bishop look). As it is I like the color variety and depth. Thanks for posting.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Nancy Bell]

Super cool abstract! I like the continuity that the repetitive tight swirls provide and all those variations the colors and looser swirling lines & drips provide. Very OOTB!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Dennis, I love this new direction Very cool, very OOTB, kind of a hybrid Edvard Munch/Salvadore Dali. I like it a lot.

[Dennis Bishop]

Thanks, all, for your comments. Believe it or not, I did selectively pump up the saturation of several colors and the vibrance in the Camera Raw filter. The fact that my eyes are particularly light-sensitive might have something to do with the level of saturation I use. Or it might have nothing to do with that.

I can see the Edvard Munch similarity, Cheryl. Many of the swirl pairs look a lot like the faces in some of his paintings. It just worked out that way. Salvadore Dali . . . What reminds you of his art?

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Visually arresting, with the shapes and the muted colours. It could be ghosts or souls flying around, but whatever the abstract reminds you of it is VERY engaging!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Dennis, the dripping clocks - Persistence of Memory

Thanks, all, for your comments. Believe it or not, I did selectively pump up the saturation of several colors and the vibrance in the Camera Raw filter. The fact that my eyes are particularly light-sensitive might have something to do with the level of saturation I use. Or it might have nothing to do with that.

I can see the Edvard Munch similarity, Cheryl. Many of the swirl pairs look a lot like the faces in some of his paintings. It just worked out that way. Salvadore Dali . . . What reminds you of his art?

[Dennis Bishop]

Hi, Dennis, the dripping clocks - Persistence of Memory

Ah, yes. Nice extrapolation on your part. Your knowledge of artists and photographers is incredible.

[Anita Bower]

Wonderful swirls, muted colors and distribution around the whole image. You encourage me to try presets I ignore, who knows what I might find? I looked at the image before reading your description of the subject matter, and found the icicles a bit distracting. I like the subdued colors.

[Dennis Bishop]

Wonderful swirls, muted colors and distribution around the whole image. You encourage me to try presets I ignore, who knows what I might find? I looked at the image before reading your description of the subject matter, and found the icicles a bit distracting. I like the subdued colors.

Thanks, Anita. In this version, I pretty much minimized the icicles intentionally. Until the last minute, I debated whether to do a fourth version in which they'd be healed out right at the beginning of the processing. It was only because some of them seemed to merge pretty well with the swirls that I decided to keep them there. I'll have to think some more on that. I appreciate your comment about it.

[Anita Bower]

Thanks, Anita. In this version, I pretty much minimized the icicles intentionally. Until the last minute, I debated whether to do a fourth version in which they'd be healed out right at the beginning of the processing. It was only because some of them seemed to merge pretty well with the swirls that I decided to keep them there. I'll have to think some more on that. I appreciate your comment about it.

You are welcome, Dennis.
I find that I more and more want to point out, not only the strengths of the images I see here, but also the one or two things that are weak. Yet, few of us do this, so I'm hesitant. Yet, my experience of having the weaknesses pointed out to me, here and elsewhere, are the experiences in which I grow as a photographer.
It is a delicate business.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Good for you, Anita. I am positive that my commenting on others' images have made me a stronger photographer and it's one of the reasons that I encourage people to comment on other people's images. Not just the gratuitous comments after you post an image but something meaningful. Of course, it's a little harder when you're dealing with someone's creative vision but there are always (or at least almost always) things that we have overlooked in our own images that need a good second pair of eyes to point out to us.

You are welcome, Dennis.
I find that I more and more want to point out, not only the strengths of the images I see here, but also the one or two things that are weak. Yet, few of us do this, so I'm hesitant. Yet, my experience of having the weaknesses pointed out to me, here and elsewhere, are the experiences in which I grow as a photographer.
It is a delicate business.

[Dennis Bishop]

Good for you, Anita. I am positive that my commenting on others' images have made me a stronger photographer and it's one of the reasons that I encourage people to comment on other people's images. Not just the gratuitous comments after you post an image but something meaningful. Of course, it's a little harder when you're dealing with someone's creative vision but there are always (or at least almost always) things that we have overlooked in our own images that need a good second pair of eyes to point out to us.

I agree. Absolutely. Very well said.

[Nancy Bell]

This thread has drifted a bit but I totally agree that participation makes one think more about an image, both the one up on the screen and while we are creating our own images. I love & very much appreciate having those second pair of eyes commenting on my images!

[Kerry Perkins]

This is really cool and I love the dripping paint look. My only comment is that is seems a little dark, but that's your vision.

I agree with thoughts about critiquing, but I also feel compelled to point out that we are stating our opinions, and the comments need to be taken in that light.