FunkyL Loc: MD

I usually want "beauty" in my photos, and wasn't comfortable posting this grim reminder of nature's harshness in the gallery, but was curious as to how others might respond to it, so I'm asking for your thoughts. My dog found this during the winter near the Potomac River in Williamsport MD. I would have missed it otherwise - the skeleton was almost exactly the same color as the winter killed weeds surrounding it. From a distance, I thought at first that it was a ragged length of braided rope hung up on the cable between the fence posts.

Using PSE, I changed it to black and white to reduce the ick factor, and tinkered with various B/W versions to try to make it stand out more from the background. I reduced the clarity a bit, which seemed to increase both the separation from the background and the spooky look, and added a soft vignette.

(Download)

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Your use of the non-standard (i.e., slightly imperfect and mildly askew) 'S' curve --as imposed by basic reality-- contributes to a solid, working composition. Were it not for the blown highlights and a subjective 'want' on my viewing side of things for the blacks to be blacker, I'd say 'bravo!'

Beauty is typically a subjectively sought for thing, but objective reality --warts and all-- can convey a certain sort of 'beauty' just as well and just as eloquently. What some might consider an 'ick factor' would possibly be considered rightly icky if and when they were actually in that place, and a certain smell persisted. Otherwise, everything's fair game. (Or fairly gamey?)

I do not know what your 'usual' type of image might be, but this one has some merit.....

FunkyL Loc: MD

"I do not know what your 'usual' type of image might be, but this one has some merit.....[/quote]

I probably blew out the highlights in my attempt to separate the skeleton from the background; I don't think they're blown in the original RAW photo, so I can retrieve them, and also darken the shadows, and see if I like it better that way.

Thanks for your input. Dude (the dog) also thought it was fair game, but he thinks fairly gamey is just fine.

LindaBowers Loc: Hilton, NY

The photo is quite unusual. But I love what you did with the gruesome subject matter to make it more palatable.

FunkyL Loc: MD

Thanks, Linda. I appreciate your comment. I'm beginning to appreciate black and white, though I still love color!