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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge 144 - CLUTTERED COMPOSITIONS >> Challenge 144 - Eligible > Rocks & Leaf
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12-OCT-2007 Lonnit Rysher

Rocks & Leaf

New York

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
1/4000s f/5.6 at 68.0mm iso400 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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ctfchallenge22-Oct-2007 23:15
ah well, as long as we try :)
I agree this is a tricky one to convert and make look as interesting.
-Techo
Canon DSLR Challenge20-Oct-2007 19:12
Back! Just did. Not impressed. Leaving as is. Surprised. Thought it was a great idea. Wasn't. Oh well. :) ~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge20-Oct-2007 19:09
Yes, Aam, it is - but I don't think they like to throw their flag on the ground! LOL!

I think you're right about the sepia, Techo. Maybe I'll give it a go. :) ~ Lonnit
aam1234 19-Oct-2007 22:34
Isn't the mable (spelling) leaf the symble of Canada.
ctfchallenge19-Oct-2007 21:33
Shot looks great on my screen. If the red leaf does seem to be main focal point , then perhaps this shot would also look great in b/w, maybe with some sephia tone.

-Techo
ctfchallenge19-Oct-2007 21:25
I don't get the Canadian reference, other than the leaf connection. I'd played with it darker but this is what I ultimately settled for. And see... I told you it wasn't blown! LOL! ;) ~ Lonnit
aam1234 19-Oct-2007 20:07
Btw, your Canadian friends will like you even more if you darken it a bit :)
aam1234 18-Oct-2007 19:01
Interesting result. Darkening it a bit using Levels in ACDSee (in 2 seconds) didn't eliminate the over exposed part, but resulted in a different feel/character to the photo. Try it out if you have the chance.
aam1234 18-Oct-2007 18:53
Upon further review I don't think the highlights are blown, just a little over exposed. I'll play with it a little then report back. Don't worry I'll delete it immediately. Hate to leave other people's pics in my PC.
Maurice Allain17-Oct-2007 11:32
:) ...I like the comments though!
Canon DSLR Challenge15-Oct-2007 13:51
It's on its way! ~ Lonnit
Rod 15-Oct-2007 07:32
You would need a bleeding rope to try & drag me eyes to the darkish grey stones from the really bright red leaf.......Unbebloodylievable :-)
Photogenix14-Oct-2007 22:40
I am with CJ and Rod on this one. Nice picture, but doesnt convey clutter.
- RK
ctfchallenge14-Oct-2007 20:04
Thanks, TV. I was afraid, like CJ, that it wouldn't be on-topic... not cluttery enough, because it's not messy, and has a strong focal point.

Yes, Aam, it was the light shining on the leaf that caught my attention. I loved the lighting and that's why I shot. :) ~ Lonnit
Rod 14-Oct-2007 19:39
You & me both Carole, I'm gob smacked:-)
ctfchallenge14-Oct-2007 18:02
While I really like this picture, I never would have thought this would be on-topic because of the focal point being so strongly on the red leaf. I obviously have no idea what this challenge is about! LOL! CJ
ctfchallenge14-Oct-2007 17:55
Whew! Nicely done take on the topic. I was hoping someone would see the possibilities of simplicity within the clutter. The contrasting leaf does it. Its pull as a singular focus point is offset by its diminished proportion balanced against the cluttered bg. The glare on the leaf robs it of some of its color, but on my monitor, I wouldn't consider it "burnout" except at very high magnification. -tv
aam1234 14-Oct-2007 04:27
Hey, to make you feel better...it seems there is an invisible beam of light that's shining on the leaf. Which I like a lot! Was that done on purpose?
ctfchallenge14-Oct-2007 03:25
It's not the opinion I'm arguing, it's the facts! LOL! Fact: it's not blown. Opinion: it's overexposed. :) Ok, so maybe the leaf is a bit bright, but I liked that in comparison to the dark around it. So, we can agree to disagree in our opinions on that. :) I was really just concerned about the overall pic, and if I have my gamma right. I thought I did, so I got worried when you said you'd like it darker. I thought you meant the whole thing, not just the leaf. So, your opinion of the leaf being overexposed is a relief to me! :) ~ Lonnit
aam1234 14-Oct-2007 02:53
Lonnit, my sis, Lonnit. What I see is an over exposed leaf. You shouldn't be concerned whether I like it or not. It's your opinion that matters at the end.
aam1234 14-Oct-2007 02:47
That's almost the same argument Cat used once. More effort = Better results. Not necessarily so.
ctfchallenge14-Oct-2007 01:47
They aren't blown here! I was very careful about that. The lightening I did was in the upper 1/4, where it went darker than it is. The lower half, all but the leaf, I burned in a bit, to balance the background more. The leaf is most definitely not blown. I made sure exposure and recovery didn't miss a pixel. :) ~ Lonnit
aam1234 14-Oct-2007 00:39
Damn! He did :)
Rod 14-Oct-2007 00:27
:-)
aam1234 13-Oct-2007 23:01
It's around the stem (is that the right word. English is not my first language) meets the leaf. Dear I mention it has blown highlights. Hope Rod doesn't read this :)
ctfchallenge13-Oct-2007 22:14
I'd already compressed it here. Guess it didn't go far enough. Just re-recompressed. Let's see where it goes.

Darken it? Yeesh! I had to lighten it a bit b/c it was already too dark. Now I'm wondering if I have my gamma set right - new computer, new monitor. I'm on a Mac Pro with a Dell LCD. The ramp looks good, and everyone else's images look good... how the heck bright does it look to you? Like it's even possible to answer that question. It looks great on my monitor. So what do I do now??? ~ Lonnit
aam1234 13-Oct-2007 20:37
Excellent photo.

Exposure-wise, I would darken it a bit (using Curves).
ctfchallenge13-Oct-2007 19:23
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