Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

I guess I am the odd man out here. Jim, while I like the concept, the fact that the bird's head blends so greatly into the background treatment, gives the impression of a, well ... a headless bird! Had I not read the title and text, upon first viewing I won't have seen a turkey as such.

I tend to look at abstracts as fitting into two basic classes: those that attempt to present an "altered reality" (think Salvidor Dali or other surrealists for example), and those that present line, form, and color as the "subject". I'm not sure I see this image as fitting into either class effectively.

Of course my opinion may be a tad biased. We have a flock of wild turkeys that wander our neighborhood and continually mess on my lawn! Ok, so they're not as bad as the geese, but I still don't like the suckers! :hunf:

jwt Loc: Texas Hill Country

Heck Jim, your opinion is just as valid as any other; If you get a chance please review my comment on my last dragonfly abstract that I posted and it will give you the approach I am taking to these abstracts. As far as the turkey's god, they are also aerating and fertilizing my citrus grove so I really like seeing them come through. Thanks for taking the time to view and comment..Believe it or not it is much appreciated.

:-D

ediesaul

This is gorgeous!!!!!

You've got a straight line from the legs to the eyes and beak; then we see the head. All along, you've displayed her feathers, which, somehow look fluffy, and that splotch of red on the other side to balance the display is perfect!!! Fantastic colors!!!

What do you do with such a gorgeous photo?

Why do you think this is an abstract photo? I don't think it is. You've treated the photo artistically, but I would hardly call it abstract.

jwt Loc: Texas Hill Country

Possibly my understanding of what abstract art really is; in my view it runs the gamut of absolutely unrecognizable subject matter (like paint splotches on a canvas) to having a recognizable subject treated in a manner that is not photo realistic. Maybe my subject in this case is too recognizable.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

I agree with Jim's two described classes: "altered form/altered reality" and line-mass-color-space based renderings, yet I include a wide range of intermediates in a continuum between those two extremes.
The three examples you've presented ( two dragonfly and one wild turkey-based abstracts) fit, to my mind, among those "intermediates" as full-fledged and totally qualified abstracts.
they aren't my style, but you're making me want to continue seeing more of your efforts!

Dave

ediesaul

Jim, how do you get this backlighting, luminescent quality?

jwt Loc: Texas Hill Country

Thanks Dave, I really appreciate that and I hope to show a lot more of the same sort of stuff with different subjects.

:-D :-D

jwt Loc: Texas Hill Country

Hi Ediesaul, I think the best answer to that question is to show what the original looked like it can be seen here http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-327033-1.html
Now if you will notice in the original photo, very bright light is behind the turkey and there is even a strip of grass that is completely blown out with light while the turkey herself is exposed correctly. Now I consider this a base shot for my work and I move from PSE12 at this point to a plugin SPE and find a mask that somewhat represents what I want my final product to look like. I manipulate the control of the mask till it gives me almost what I want and if I'm lucky exactly what I had in mind. From there I move into one or more Macphun products and usually am able to achieve the final image that I am going to post in FX Studio Pro by
Macphun; In that program I can apply antiquing and old canvas effects and then frame the work. I hope this isn't to confusing, but this does encapsulate my work flow. :-D

ediesaul

Thanks very much!! I'm a fan of Harold Davis's flowers, and his photos also have that luminescent quality.

jwt Loc: Texas Hill Country

:thumbup: :thumbup: