Gateway

[Arlen]

It's been a while since I posted here. So hi everyone!

I'm hoping that you are willing to give a little feedback. This is an image that I spent quite a bit of time making, but I'm still having a difficult time deciding just what to think of it. Sometimes I think I really like it, other times I'm not so sure. I would appreciate any thoughts you might share. And please feel free to be absolutely frank--if you like it, great, but if not, that will be helpful to know.

Thanks!

[Shadowman]

It's interesting as a work of art, but what's to say that it is in the right orientation? In the strictest sense of a gateway, I don't particularly feel it's inviting, however every gateway isn't necessarily friendly.

[Arlen]

Thanks, John. It's a fanciful title, probably distracting and assigned with too little thought.

[flashback]

As an abstract I like it. Hard for me to determine what it is/was but nonetheless I think it's an interesting image. However, where as the light blue and dark blue *bands* have gradations of color, the grey band appears monotone and bland. Any way you can introduce some variation into the grey band?

[TonyW]

To my eye, this is a pleasant image - well balanced composition and nice colours. There are many variations that could be made. It is perhaps too nice without a lot of punch but that depends on what you are trying to say and what is the conceptual context.

[FootLoose]

I like it Arlen. I find the colours soothing, and the gradations of colour on the left are a nice contrast to the relatively flat grey on the right. I feel like I am looking through a portal of some description - perhaps a plane window, gazing into the clouds below.

[GBO25]

I like it. It's so unusual it doesn't really look like a photograph. It looks more like a work of art. Excellent.

[IzzieK]

I do not know what I am looking at but I like the gradation of colour.

[bnnrcn]

Nice colors , I like it as an abstract

[Arlen]

Thanks to all of you for your kind feedback. It's very helpful to to step back and consider the viewpoints of others.

To "shed some light" on the nature of the subject, it is an abstracted view of the Sundial Bridge in northern California. I have shot it before, and have always been intrigued by the combinations of shapes and colors when portions of it are viewed in isolation. This capture was made as the sun was setting behind me, moments after the sun disappeared below the horizon. It's a long exposure with a strong neutral density filter, to give the partly cloudy sky a smooth, dreamy look.

As for the "Gateway" title: when you enter California from the north on Hwy 5, you travel through mountains for a couple of hours until you get to Redding. There you find the Sundial Bridge over the Sacramento River, and the view looking south brought to mind the symbolism of the gateway to the Sacramento valley. Nothing very profound, I'm afraid.

[Shadowman]

Thanks to all of you for your kind feedback. It's very helpful to to step back and consider the viewpoints of others.

To "shed some light" on the nature of the subject, it is an abstracted view of the Sundial Bridge in northern California. I have shot it before, and have always been intrigued by the combinations of shapes and colors when portions of it are viewed in isolation. This capture was made as the sun was setting behind me, moments after the sun disappeared below the horizon. It's a long exposure with a strong neutral density filter, to give the partly cloudy sky a smooth, dreamy look.

As for the "Gateway" title: when you enter California from the north on Hwy 5, you travel through mountains for a couple of hours until you get to Redding. There you find the Sundial Bridge over the Sacramento River, and the view looking south brought to mind the symbolism of the gateway to the Sacramento valley. Nothing very profound, I'm afraid.

I had to look through about twelve different images to find the angle at which you captured this photo. Very inventive composition.

[gregj1763]

+1 to Grahams comment, if it was enlarged and framed it would sit comfortably on any art gallery wall. I really like it.