A shocker for PNWNP posts.... + revision.

Okay, everyone.... Secure your PFDs. What do all of the grand landscape masters here on PNWPN think about this macro, abstract thing? I'll try to buck up and take it, so let me have it. Would like to know especially about the DOF and how busy it looks. Is that interesting to you or does it drive you crazy.

It's an ornamental onion in bloom. One feather was there but in an odd spot that I couldn't really recompose for how I wanted the onion to look. So... I did clone in a couple extra feathers (horrors) and did levels and sharpening.
d200, 105/2.8 macro, tripod, cable release, ISO 400, f.5.6.

I like the somewhat monochromatic look. Cloning in extra stuff seems kinda silly to me though. One feather is just as good as three. You could have moved it to a location that created the comp you were after.

I doesn't look too bad though, you did a great job cloning those in.

Thanks, Eric.
Yeah cloning in stuff is kinda silly. But I haven't been able to shoot much. In that case I like to go back and fuss with images I don't really want to toss out. The real feather is the one at bottom left; a straggler in the comp of the onion I wanted. So, the other two were put in to fill a couple noticeable blank spaces. And keeping an odd number is better, right?
There! Now, that's the whole truth in it, and you wrung it out of me!

And this image is a problem, WHY? I think it is a very creative and successful image. It allows me to use my imagination to fill in the blanks and lets me answer my own questions. I would not touch anything. Superb.

Its interesting, but compositionally, I can't really identify a dominant center of attention. If you had placed the feather just off center of the frame, I think it would have worked much better.

Too much going on without a clear meaning of what I'm looking at. The extra feathers don't really help - it's very easy to see that they come from the bottom feather (due to the flat bottom edge on 2 of the feathers that are not on the edge)..... just not sure what this would be used for photographically. But you must have a reason or you wouldn't have posted it.

I really like the abstractness. I would like the extra feathers removed, mostly because they look identical, but other than that, it is a great image.

Interesting and abstract. I would have to give this a thumbs up. IMHO of course!!

When working with any found as opposed to set-up subject and especially in the landscape there are only two things you can control. The first is the light which you control by selecting the time and conditions when you select to make an exposure. The second is the composition which you control by focal length, f-stop, and angle/distance from the subject.
There are conventions and "rules of composition" that many landscape photographers use in their work. Indeed, even when lighting conditions are at their best the landscape photographer
seeks places where the conventions and "rules of composition" can be applied without force.
When working in the landscape without the standard conventions and "rules of composition" we call it an "abstract" but is it really? Is it not more real than abstract, even more real than an image made with the standard conventions and "rules of composition" ? To that end is it not un-ethical to clone anything? When you clone or make any other major change to an image from the landscape you do indeed enter the realm of abstract and then is it really the landscape?

Just my two cents

Doyle

Very interesting to me to read the comments so far. Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts. I don't think I'm going to interfere too much by debating why I took the photo or how it would be used. Just a reminder that I posted it here to see what people, who in general, post what I call 'grand landscapes' (wide angle, vista, scenics) to this forum. I usually would post something like this over in Macro/Close-up or Photo Art. And also, I referred to the image as 'a macro, abstract thing.' It should not be considered a landscape at all.
Doyle: In an intimate lanscape such as you posted in reply, no, I would not clone in anything or clone out much except extraneous spots like dust. If I did it would be to produce photo art or an illustration.
Glad it's got you thinking. Thanks again for looking and commenting. All comments and critique continue to be most welcome.

Here's a little different version based on comments.

Nice Catherine.

Good work on the repost, even on my crappy monitor.