So You Like Tight?

[Arthur Morris]

Let's here your thoughts on this one. I will reveal a bit more about the image each day :) I can say here that it was created with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/500 sec. at f/13 in Manual mode.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[James Salywoda]

It's got your name all over it and it's unique interesting colors and textures. I look forward to seeing more revealing and information.

[Arthur Morris]

Would that "Perverted?" :) More tommorrow.

[James Salywoda]

Would that "Perverted?" :) More tommorrow.

I'll admit my mind was thinking of all kinds of things as well as going off in other areas.. This thread I'm sure will have people thinking. I will be following it sir.

[Sid Garige]

Dont know what it is going to be but very curious

[Marina Scarr]

My first thought when I saw the title was "you're so bad".

[Terry Olmsted]

Hi Artie,
Its looking to me like an extreme closeup of the upper part of the bill and maybe head, at least that's what I am hoping :)...certainly can't complain about the lack of detail...
I'll be watching.
Terry

[john jackson]

Leaving aside the game and hoping you mean it when you say "Don't be shy; all comments welcome."

As an image up for critique I think this has passed beyond cropping for an abstract and landed in the plastic-looking zone where detail breaks down. I don't see a focal point. The details are unattractive. OK for an ID quiz, but as a standalone image... not for me.

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Artie, I have to agree with John's comments above. Can't quite see the point of this image

[Bill Dix]

Doesn't speak to me as an image, but I'll be curious to see where this is headed.

[Arthur Morris]

Leaving aside the game and hoping you mean it when you say "Don't be shy; all comments welcome."

As an image up for critique I think this has passed beyond cropping for an abstract and landed in the plastic-looking zone where detail breaks down. I don't see a focal point. The details are unattractive. OK for an ID quiz, but as a standalone image... not for me.

Honest comments like yours are always welcome. All are welcome to their opinion and I never take things personally.

As for the lack of fine detail, I need to disagree strongly (and it seems that Terry agrees :) Pure pattern images do not--for the most part--need a focal point though some might argue that the intersection in the upper left corner is just that.

As soon as I get today's Bulletin out, I will be back with stage two of this post :)

[Arthur Morris]

Doesn't speak to me as an image, but I'll be curious to see where this is headed.

Hey Bill, Are you trying to give everyone a clue???

[john jackson]

Arthur

I didn't mean there is no fine detail, but that you can crop and crop up to a point where the detail looks (for one of a better description) like plastic. It's a look that is familiar from early digital cameras (particularly compacts) and we do not see it so much these days now we have more pixels to play with. But, it reappears when we have large crops. There is a tremendous amount of detail there that testifies to the superb quality we get from our cameras, but enlarged so much that it has lost its look of reality i.e. it doesn't really look like skin and feathers. (I'll stop there for fear of game-spoiling).

I can see potential for a composition that I might find more pleasing if you could take some off the bottom and reintroduce more from the top, so that the yellowish feathers form an arch (like a fake eye). But, bottom line for me is that is doesn't look pleasing.

John

[Marina Scarr]

PS: This to me is obviously a portion of a Brown Pelican's head in breeding plumage. I have to agree with some of the others that I don't find it a pleasing image. However, it's always fun to see new perspectives and a bit of humor.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts John. And yes, it is a portion of a CA Brown Pelican's head. More soon.

[john jackson]

PS: This to me is obviously a portion of a Brown Pelican's head in breeding plumage.

And I tried so hard not to announce it by mistake! La Jolla? I've never even been to USA (except Houston airport), but my reaction on seeing the image was AM, BP, LJ, CA, USA...

[Arthur Morris]

Yes, I have posted a few LaJolla Brown Pelican images. Several lately, including one that noted that this one was coming. That's why I figured that most folks would know what the subject was. Back in a second.

[Arthur Morris]

Here is stage II. Again, don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[Paul Guris]

Stage I definitely looks like a case of "anything worth doing is worth overdoing" to me. Stage II also. Kind of strikes me as a neat exercise, but I'm looking forward to the full face (not necessarily full head) shot.

[Bryan Hix]

I like the close up/abstract look, but not as much as the second one. Something about having the eye there puts it all together better for me.

[Bill Dix]

The eye does it. Putting the eye more or less on the ROT helps both the composition and the comprehension. Stage II works for me.

[Terry Olmsted]

Fabulous detail, Artie - I love it! I look forward to the next stage - this is fun.
Terry

[Sid Garige]

I guess you are going to show how sharp 800+1.4x is.

[Arthur Morris]

The image in Pane 1 shows that already. I am glad that at least a few folks are not hating the image in Pane 18. I like it a lot and the IQ is fabulous at least from where I am sitting.

And the TIFF for the image in Pane 1 is totally amazing as far as image quality, texture, and color. Robert O'Toole and I were marveling at it the other day.

[Grace Scalzo]

Hating Pane 18? I don't see how. It is deep, I feel as if I can see into the bird's soul. The only thing about it that draws me away from that wonderful eye is the light feathers in the upper left corner. Would a slight crop from the left compromise your composition? The details in it are totally captivating, even a bit hypnotic.

[Arthur Morris]

Hating Pane 18? I don't see how.

See pane 19 :)

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Grace. Anything but a smidgeon of a crop from the left would place the intersection of the three textures that I mention in Pane 11 too close to the frame edge for me. I am glad that you like it.

I will post the full frame capture tomorrow. Nothing shocking though :)

[Terry Olmsted]

My reading of all this is; isn't this technology astounding coupled with a little, well maybe a lot of, artistic endeavor and patience! I never stop marveling. Exciting stuff, Artie - thanks for sharing your insights and efforts!
Terry

[Arthur Morris]

You are most welcome Mr. Olmstead :)

[john jackson]

I like the second one. It retains the abstract feel and the eye is a great focal point.

[Don Railton]

I like the second posting Artie but like many other I don't care for the first. I agree the skin looks plastic like... It's interesting (to me anyway) how the inclusion of an eye make a textured patch of color into a living creature...

DON

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks all for sharing your thoughts. Here is a JPEG that represents the full frame optimized master file.

As for the image in frame 1, I wish that everyone could be sitting here checking the TIFF out on my laptop. The IQ and detail is amazing. With JPEGs, something is always lost in the translation :)