Still-life with seaweed

Not very good in expressing myself, but for no better word, this is exquisite Julian. Beautifully seen and presented.
John

Hi Julian,

A very elegant image. The metallic bronze colors are very appealing. Compositionally speaking - the image feels slightly out-of-balance with a lot less going on in the FG. I really like the little isolated piece of seaweed in the LLC, but the image looks slightly underexposed there. The colors look a little streteched to me in that area and quite flat. I think I would add quite a bit of vignetting in the FG corners and try to punch up the contrast a little to better balance out the scene. Overall, this is very original and I like it very much. I hope this helps. Michael

Thanks, Michael.

The lower part of the image lies in a shallow rockpool, which is why it's about a stop under what it should be. I should have compensated in the field with a grad but didn't think of it at the time...

Do you mean I should add a vignette to the one that's already there? I darkened down the corners slightly but didn't want to make it look too obvious. I guess I succeeded.

In all candor, I don't know if I'd want a large print of it hanging on my wall (though I love your recent tree shots), but it's a very interesting shot. Like you, I can see some potentially very nice macro shots and other close-ups within the scene. Might be the most complex seaweed clump I've ever seen.

Interesting light happening here on the rubbery surface of the seaweed. It is almost a chiaroscuro effect.

It looks to me almost animal-like. Nice job turning this find into art.

I didn't notice the vignette at all. I also didn't realize it was in water. I think you can go a little more on the vignette and maybe even skim just a bit off the fg itself. Thanks for clarifying.

The light and color is really beautiful Julian, as is the detail and textures. While I really enjoy the image as a whole, the colors and tones of the fronds in the lower right quadrant of the image I find spectacular and, if this were mine, would consider fooling around with various crops. Just a thought of course and one you appear to have considered already.

Great stuff Julian! Love the light! I agree - a great arrangement.

Maybe you weren't going to move but this thing looks like it's ready to move. Nice light and intriguing subject.

SS

I really like the rich textures and colors here. It has a very painterly feel. As I look at this simple clump of seaweed, I can see all sorts of subjects... A woman wearing a dress, or perhaps a bouquet of flowers. What lighting did you shoot this in? It has a very soft, yet warm feel.

Oh gosh do I love this Julian. The copper like tones of this is just beautiful. Still life with such a stunning look and thanks for sharing this fine piece of art.
I think I'll just stare at this for awhile.

This feels quite sculptural. The color mix is wonderful.

I find the colors and textures, along with the light all very nice. I too, don't think I would want this hanging on my wall though. I do see some spectacular potential for some more intimate abstracts.

Chris

Ben, as I recall, the weather was broken cloud with a fair breeze so it was just a matter of waiting for whatever light I wanted to come along. I waited for a bit of cloud-cover for this one as detail shots are nearly always enhanced by diffuse light.