Art by Sea

[FootLoose]

Carved by the sea, revealed by sunlight and shadows.
Comments are welcome but please DO NOT alter, revise or edit this image in any way.

Sea-Art_I-84A6555-1 by Greg, on Flickr

[Wavelength]

Well conceived, captured and captioned!!!

[Rita]

I like this very much. There is something of a sense of mystery about it

[Wandjina]

Well done. I love it. A tactfully lit nude rock!

[mugge]

I like the idea very much but I think there is just too much on the right side that needs to be revealed. That is only my opinion.
Cheers Ole

[Wavelength]

Yes, you may please trim out some part from right side to bring more space in front and less space behind, i think

[DanK]

A very interesting image. I agree with Nandakumar: I would crop on the right and leave more negative space on the left. if you have no more space on the left in the image, this is a case where Photoshop will do a flawless job in extending the canvas (because it just has to extend a pure color).

[xpatUSA]

Very nice and a very good theme!

As to the negative space I agree with Nandakumar and Dan ...

[Wandjina]

I like the amount of negative space you have on the right hand side. This is the area where the "implied" part and the "ambiguity" of the image lies.

[FootLoose]

I like the idea very much but I think there is just too much on the right side that needs to be revealed. That is only my opinion.
Cheers Ole

There is nothing to be revealed on the right except featureless sand. But I understand your desire to see more, the human mind is keyed that way.

[FootLoose]

A very interesting image. I agree with Nandakumar: I would crop on the right and leave more negative space on the left. if you have no more space on the left in the image, this is a case where Photoshop will do a flawless job in extending the canvas (because it just has to extend a pure color).

Nanda, Dan, Ted: are you able to say why and how you think more dark space on the left would improve the photo?

[FootLoose]

I like the amount of negative space you have on the right hand side. This is the area where the "implied" part and the "ambiguity" of the image lies.

Yes, you're on my wavelength Martin. The mind always wants to complete partial figures/pictures (according to Gestalt theory) and I have allowed enough space on the right for the viewer to think that the rest of the figure is there in the dark. I often make use of dark space like this to allow the imagination to play.

[Wavelength]

From the very first look, it suggest a nude figure, but i can't imagine such a fat nude one to occupy that much space behind; i imagined some what slender....

[DanK]

Nanda, Dan, Ted: are you able to say why and how you think more dark space on the left would improve the photo?

Yes, although it will sound a little abstract in this case. Note that I am suggesting a guideline that often works, not a "rule". Often, a composition looks more balanced if there is more negative space in front of the subject than behind it. This is particularly clear with people or animals: one generally wants them looking into a bit of space, not at the edge of the frame. However, I think it often applies to inanimate objects too, if they have a strong directionality, as your composition does.

You could try changing the balance in this image--more on the left, less on the right--and see what you think.

[royent]

Dan do you think that you would like more space on the left because ( presumably ) you read from left to right ?
Roy

[DanK]

Dan do you think that you would like more space on the left because ( presumably ) you read from left to right ?
Roy

An interesting question. My native language is English, so even though I do know one language that is read right to left, I'm used to scanning left-to-right.

So, I saved the image, popped it into Photoshop, and flipped it on the vertical axis. It still didn't look right, but it then looked odd for an additional reason: I clearly expect the detailed edge to face left. That, i suspect, is because of how we read in English.

[escape]

I m not sure about adding more space. I looked at the image upsidedown which adds more space to the left and highlights different aspects of the image.

[FootLoose]

From the very first look, it suggest a nude figure, but i can't imagine such a fat nude one to occupy that much space behind; i imagined some what slender....

It seems you have misunderstood me, Nanda. I wasn't implying that the imaginary figure is Rubinesque. I have left enough space on the right for the viewer to imagine the rest of the figure is present, PLUS space between the edge of the figure and the frame.

[FootLoose]

Yes, although it will sound a little abstract in this case. Note that I am suggesting a guideline that often works, not a "rule". Often, a composition looks more balanced if there is more negative space in front of the subject than behind it. This is particularly clear with people or animals: one generally wants them looking into a bit of space, not at the edge of the frame. However, I think it often applies to inanimate objects too, if they have a strong directionality, as your composition does.

You could try changing the balance in this image--more on the left, less on the right--and see what you think.

Some practices become conventional for a good reason - they work. Along the way they accrue meanings via associations and when used they might evoke associations that inflect or add meaning to the image. When I asked how you thought your restructuring might improve the image, I assumed you had something like that in mind.

The structure you suggest works but it is not bettter, only different. In fact, it is something that I looked at when originally editing this image several months ago but I rejected it because it does not support my conception for the series.

These rocks were excavated by a storm. They were only above ground for a short time before another storm buried them again. I thought of them as antiquities and I have presented this photo in the style (convention, if you will) of an image in a book of classical sculpture/statuary to evoke that association. If you are not familiar with that type of book then you will not make that association.

[Wandjina]

I thought of them as antiquities and I have presented this photo in the style (convention, if you will) of an image in a book of classical sculpture/statuary to evoke that association. If you are not familiar with that type of book then you will not make that association.

Ah! Not only is the image statuesque and cleverly lit, but the material is of significance to.