Bending the rules

[Meerkat17]

Angel of the North just before Sunset
http://images.fotopic.net/?id=4952947

Yes, there is a lot of empty space to the right of the picture but I think it needs that space. What I wanted to show is just the Angel on a small bank of grass and lots of sky.

How do others feel about it?

Your comments are welcomed

David

[Jemmind]

To me because of the clouds low in the sky and only a bit of the ground showing, It's almost as if he is on the edge of a cliff about to fly away.
That's the impression it gives me. It's a little strange though, it may be my monitor or the size that it is posted. It looks more like a drawing. I would like to see a bigger version of it.
Julie

[LightHunter]

I have exactly the same impression like Jemmind. When is it (it's an angle right) going to jump? What makes this picture nice too is the contrast of blue and orange color and the straight lines in the angel statue and the form of the clouds and bush.
Poster size must be nice I believe.

How does it look like? I mean face etc?

[Meerkat17]

Thanks for your comments, this was the illusion that I was hoping people would have when they viewed the picture.

I had to clone the tops of two fence posts out of the lower cloud area. The shot was taken with a circular polariser which helped to increase the blue of the sky.

LightHunter:
I don't actually have a view of the angel from the front, well not one that shows any detail of the face. However, another member from the NE (Andy Curtis) has and you can view it from here:

http://andrewcurtis.fpic.co.uk/p2357678.html

Exif Details:
Shutter speed: 1/30 sec
Aperture: 6.3
Exposure mode: Manual
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 50
Focal length: 10.0mm
Subject distance: 9.7 m
White balance: Auto
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Contrast: Normal
Color profile: Adobe RGB (1998)

[gsmx2]

Wow...the other picture sure gives a perspective of the angel's size. That's one big mother.

gsm x2

[cgratti]

Dead space isn't necessarily a bad thing, in this photos case its a GOOD thing.

Well Done

[arogop]

I do like the effect. I would agree that for some reason the clouds look a little drawn. I do get the impression that he is about to jump off of a cliff.

[Meerkat17]

I would agree that for some reason the clouds look a little drawn.

I think that this is only because it was saved for the web at Low jpg Quality of 20 - this was within Photoshop.

David

[CDickinson]

Great colors! Classic in the compliment/contrast color ranges...
I"m curious about the angle you shot from --- were you standing up and shooting straight on? I'm asking because I just shot in a cemetery and choose to shoot from three different angles...very low to the ground to exaggerate the angles, straight on and standing up and from the side and low to the ground...taking a look at the pics I took I like the low to the ground angles and when I look at this one you shot, I"m thinking lower down would elimate the tree which takes away from what you trying to accomplish...exaggerating the angel with a different angle and cropping it close to one edge and leaving a lot of open space on the other would give it more of feeling of "taking off"....

C

[Meerkat17]

I"m thinking lower down would elimate the tree which takes away from what you trying to accomplish...exaggerating the angel with a different angle and cropping it close to one edge and leaving a lot of open space on the other would give it more of feeling of "taking off"....


In theory it sounds feasible in practice its not - the shot was taken at a low angle using a benbo tripod which allows me to get really low to the ground. I tried several other angles and the tree appears in all of them and I cannot see any benefit to cloning it out.

What I have is acceptable to me and I feel the tree gives the image stability and adds meaning to the land that its set into. I'm not in anyway religous so wouldn't want to surround the statue with only sky. I saw only the low cloud when I took the shot and knew I had to utilise that cloud in the image - it wasn't till I processed the shot the I realised that it gave the feeling of being ready to take to the sky.

Thanks for your interest
David