Rock Garden

I quite like this one, Lon. It has a great abstract look, lots of great detail and tones and invites contemplation. Works for me. 

Hi Lon,
I think you are on to something here.  It might just be me, since I've been into abstracts of late, but I think this would work better with a more selective crop.  I'm not sure what you would remove or keep, but these kinds of images work especially well when they create some degree of intimacy with the specifics of the rocks as individuals.  Maybe focusing on a few that show the wear of time, or on several that are very different in size?

It's crisp and worth playing with. 
ML

This one does not work for me, Lon. I understand the message you want to share and it is highly valuable and clear. However, I do not find that in your image. I don't know, maybe it is just a matter of composition or the lack of something peculiar related to the subject or maybe it is just me :-) 

Mattia 

I find this interesting from a time standpoint. The rocks that have been in the stream longest are more rounded, and the rocks that fell later are more angular.

The tones are real nice, and I like the way the rocks seem to falling toward the central pool. I do agree with Marylynne, that there are other possible crops with the pool playing a leading role. This does work nicely as it is though.
--P

I'm glad you said "what the heck." Lon.  I wonder if you said that when you noticed this, and took the time to expertly capture and process it.  There are many times when I stare at rocks, trees, water or sky and wonder as you did, how this came to be.  However, I usually can't find a composition, and move on when I say "what the heck."  In this case, I think you found just enough of a centered composition to catch the attention of some of us, but I don't know how many.  Those of us who do stare at little pieces of the landscape and wonder "why" will stop and look at this.  I wonder the same things you do, and also wonder if maybe someone may have been here moving rocks -- perhaps ages ago -- looking for water or food or a special rock.  A snapshot of this in just any light may not make me look, but your processing that brings out the textures, forms and tones makes makes this too real to ignore.  To me it's the opposite of abstract. 

Lon, I like the graphic quality and I think you did well to go with B&W to emphasize the form and detail in this "bunch of rocks." I like the tones and all the shapes and sizes, and I could see this hanging on a wall. However, I am not 100% sold on the comp with the centered darker pool. I have delayed commenting while I contemplated my issue with the comp. Unfortunately, I still can't say exactly what bother me.  I guess I see this as a sort of a tweener image. It's not really just an abstract because it contains a focal point (the centered darker pool) but I don't find the focal point very compelling.    

I hadn't intended to comment on this one because I couldn't find anything significant about it. It just seemed like a random puddle. But Wayne's comment made me think and give it more time and an association did come to mind which had been buried somewhere for many years. I spent many years fishing for trout in the Sierras (and most anywhere) which involves a lot of walking and hiking in waders over rocks and stones along streams. It's a tricky affair because all is angular and you can twist an ankle very easily. After a while you get an image in your mind of where to step to get the flattest surface and these small puddles are what you look for to provide the greatest stability. Somehow it all got stored away for me and the association of walking along stream banks and troufishing are associated with this image. It's not an image I would hang on a wall but it's not an image that I feel indifferent about. Anyway, that's what this image means to me.