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Chris Brooker | all galleries >> Galleries >> A Photo Every Day, 1st September 2003 - 31st August 2004 > 7th November 2003
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07-NOV-2003 Chris Brooker

7th November 2003

Rothamsted Park. Harpenden

Rothamsted Park is part of the of the old Rothamsted Estate, most of which is a famous agricultural experimental station.

PS levels

Olympus E-10
1/125s f/2.4 at 36.0mm iso80 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Jvan Photography26-Nov-2003 18:30
I agree with Patrick and Paul, And I think Karen Nichols is cool! I love this photo, it is wonderful. The shadows,color, everything about it. I can't wait to see what you come up with next! :-)
Paul Walters12-Nov-2003 23:01
I have to agree with Patrick that a photo doesn't end with the capture. It's all part of art, the post processing, and the picture taking. I look at the original taking of the picture to be the starting point, far from the finished product. Once I have the picture, then I start working with it. :) Some pictures require much less work than others, but working with them is always a part of my photography. You apparently put much more emphasis on the original capturing of the image, and to that effect, you do an excellent job! This photo is very beautifully done straight from the camera!
Guest 12-Nov-2003 06:12
Wow .. outstanding Chris! I can't get over how fantastic this is ... great composition, mood, coloring, feel, and perspective. Very very nice.
Guest 10-Nov-2003 12:04
Perfect Chris ... very good image! BTW I don'tthink you should worry about any post processing you do. I personally look upon the image out of the camera as a half finished canvas. My usuals would be USM and levels or curves. Small amounts of Dodge or Burn are often useful and cropping of course.

Anyways this is a very good image as I say - well done!
Guest 10-Nov-2003 04:12
By far your best picture yet! WOW! It's perfect.
Elizabeth Glass08-Nov-2003 22:50
Stunning. Looks like a painting. I love the soft light.
Guest 08-Nov-2003 18:26
No need to feel badly about that, Chris! :)

Thank you for your comments, both here and in the email message you sent me. I completely understand your intentions in concentrating on the technical process of photography and on seeing what is in the viewfinder. I began exactly this way, as well, and feel that it is a vital first step toward developing a proficient and technically mature "eye." This will be a never ending process for all of us, as our years of photographic experience pass.

That said, I also feel that there are important technical processes and creative vision to be gleaned in the post processing of our images. Artistic manipulations and interpretations aside (which is yet another wonderfully rich aspect of this art form), I feel that the skills we develop by bringing already excellent pictures closer and closer to "perfection" are important, necessary components of our creative process. As Karen Nichols has already so poignantly commented in an essay on this subject, we are, after all, not merely documentarians of what we see - bound by the mechanical limitations and constraints of the technology we employ. We are artists. It is our creative pleasure to present for our viewer's consideration the world as we see it through our eyes. To that end, the tools and techniques we use to sharpen that vision are not shortcomings, but rather additional means to a wonderfully diverse end. In my opinion, post processing is not a method we use to "cheat" our way to an outstanding photo. Rather, it is yet another palette we employ to perfect our developing artistic vision and presentation.

Again, Chris - I salute your achievement in this photo. Post processing opinions aside, it remains a remarkably gorgeous image. Kudos! :)
Kindest regards,
Patrick
Chris Brooker08-Nov-2003 16:20
Thank you Patrick. I try to place my images without any alteration in PS. The idea being to make myself learn from my errors. Since I started on 1st Sept I do take much more care as to what I see in the viewfinder. The problem with this shot was that the E10, although an SLR, only shows 95%. The screen shows 100% but I only use that for ground shots. If I do change things in PS I say so.

Having said that I have just remembered that I altered the levels and forgot to say so.
Head hangs in shame!!!I will put this right.
Guest 08-Nov-2003 16:01
Chris - this is simply a stellar image! Your POV is excellent, the soft, muted colors are lovely, and the lone biker adds the perfect touch. My *only* suggestion would be to crop the photo up from the bottom, just enough to remove the corner of the bench visible in the lower right corner of the frame. Either way, a remarkable composition and capture Chris. Congratulations on this tremendous photo! :)
Guest 08-Nov-2003 00:02
Chris - very lovely shot. It's FALL time!
Faye White07-Nov-2003 20:23
A stunningly beautiful scene Chris!
Ray :)07-Nov-2003 19:23
The composition of this is absolutely perfect. Interesting that the biker is so distant yet your eye is lead to him or her immediately.
Paul Nicholas07-Nov-2003 17:45
Great shot
Guest 07-Nov-2003 17:38
This is stunning and perfect!
Guest 07-Nov-2003 17:26
Wow! What a great picture. I especially like the light on the trees on the left, and the shadows they are casting on the path. The bike rider is great, gives a depth perception. Great job!!
Pall Gudjonsson07-Nov-2003 09:44
This is a very fine capture - the composition is strong and the biker gives it the perfection touch. I like it very much