Rain Gutter Ripples: This caught my eye and I photographed it. Is it a strange picture or does it grab you? I ask because I feel like I have an offbeat way of seeing things.

Craigdca Loc: California

This caught my eye and I photographed it. Is it a strange picture or does it grab you? I ask because I feel like I have an offbeat way of seeing things.

(Download)

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I like offbeat! I follow a group on flickr called Abstract Reality. Check it out:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/abstract_reality/

Re your photo, the blurred lower right corner distracts me, and I think the top doesn't add anything. I like a crop from the crosspiece down to where the water starts to blur, and removing all the shingles. I could also find more interest if you rotated 90 degress to the left

Craigdca Loc: California

Linda From Maine wrote:

I like offbeat! I follow a group on flickr called Abstract Reality. Check it out:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/abstract_reality/

Re your photo, the blurred lower right corner distracts me, and I think the top doesn't add anything. I like a crop from the crosspiece down to where the water starts to blur, and removing all the shingles. I could also find more interest if you rotated 90 degress to the left

Thanks, Linda

You may download and edit - I'd like to see what you're thinking. I had cropped it down to this to make it obvious that it's a rain gutter and to put the main ripple on the lower thirds line.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

The eye tends to go where the sharpness is. In your shot there's more soft ripple than sharp ripple and the most eye-catching part is the metalwork above the gutter. All of that makes it difficult to discern what the intended subject is.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Craigdca wrote:

Thanks, Linda

You may download and edit - I'd like to see what you're thinking. I had cropped it down to this to make it obvious that it's a rain gutter and to put the main ripple on the lower thirds line.

I couldn't crop the way I wanted without distorting the pic to remove the out-of-focus shingles. Maybe some day I'll learn to try out my suggestions before sharing my thoughts

I didn't like the rotation, but I am still having problems with the blur. I like your idea of making the subject obvious, though for me - having not spent a lot of time on rooftops, lol - if there were more shingles and all in focus, I would be better able to ID.

I cropped a little and brightened. The brightness now looks more abstract in the ripple, though that isn't necessarily the best idea either.

Thanks for the conversation, Craig!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Craigdca wrote:

This caught my eye and I photographed it. Is it a strange picture or does it grab you? I ask because I feel like I have an offbeat way of seeing things.

I think I see what you are going for here I do like the abstract reflections and patterns on the lower part of the frame, but for me mid frame it is a little bit dark and the cross brace is a distraction, so overall it does not really grab me. But I like offbeat, and I resemble that remark, so I like what you were trying to do. ;)

Craigdca Loc: California

R.G. wrote:

The eye tends to go where the sharpness is. In your shot there's more soft ripple than sharp ripple and the most eye-catching part is the metalwork above the gutter. All of that makes it difficult to discern what the intended subject is.

I see what you mean and I think you’re right. Thanks for the feedback.

Craigdca Loc: California

Linda From Maine wrote:

I couldn't crop the way I wanted without distortin... (show quote)

Thanks for the sample. I can see we’re in rescue mode now. It would need to tone down the cross bar but I like the brightened ripples.

Craigdca Loc: California

JD750 wrote:

I think I see what you are going for here I do like the abstract reflections and patterns on the lower part of the frame, but for me mid frame it is a little bit dark and the cross brace is a distraction, so overall it does not really grab me. But I like offbeat, and I resemble that remark, so I like what you were trying to do. ;)

Yep, thanks and I appreciate the feedback

Craigdca Loc: California

So it’s a wrap! Great feedback that helped me see it objectively instead of my intended concept. Next time I see something I have more to think about when composing the snap.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Craigdca wrote:

So it’s a wrap! Great feedback that helped me see it objectively instead of my intended concept. Next time I see something I have more to think about when composing the snap.

I appreciate being reminded that it's a good idea to choose between recognizable and "quirky" or an abstract from reality.

The flickr group I mentioned has a lot of both pov's. It will be fun to try your way next time I need a theme!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Craigdca wrote:

Yep, thanks and I appreciate the feedback

Getting the real image to correlate with our mental image is the hard part. Please keep shooting. And most of all, have fun.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Linda From Maine wrote:

.. it's a good idea to choose between recognizable and "quirky" or an abstract from reality ...

I get the impression that most of the art world suffers from that lack of differentiation in varying degrees. We get similar problems from the way that obscurity is often misused.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I like it, I think you've got enough contrast in there, but I wonder if a greater depth of field would make a better image. I'd also like to see this head on.

Craigdca Loc: California

John N wrote:

I like it, I think you've got enough contrast in there, but I wonder if a greater depth of field would make a better image. I'd also like to see this head on.

Thanks, John. Do you from directly overhead?