Fall colors with GBH

Just playing with some chaotic fall colors, it's not just about the bird but the whole mileau.

I'm finding it a bit too chaotic for my tastes (or mind). I can't find anything to settle on.

Unfortunately I cannot argue with that Titus.

I'm sorry but nothing is appealing in this one.

I agree with Titus as well. You can SEE the bird in the shot, but its not big enough to catch the eye and, because of that, the rest of the scene is a bit too busy.

Chauncy,

I'll have to agree - a little too busy to be a photograph. Have you considered an artistic rendering of some type? Below, the attempt was to unbusy the image then bring a few things forward to provide a center of focus, such as the weeds to right, branches to left and the bird. Not an idea for processing, just an example of an overall direction - simplify then highlight. (Only spent about 5 minutes in PS. Because it's your pic, I'm sure you would spend more. )
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Edit: P.S., what's "GBH?"
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It's a Great Blue Heron Dan...I not sure that the image deserves any more time because of the chaos factor.

Wow! I really am surprised at how much that rendering changes the image! It does simplify it! This makes a cave of darker shadow for the bird to emerge from. I think I would clone out the leaf reflections near the bird and expand the tranquil smooth water to leave the curved framing reflection.

I keep coming back to this Dan and it's beginning to grow on me...care to tell us how you did it?

Eyes to See wrote in post #11338437
Wow! I really am surprised at how much that rendering changes the image! It does simplify it! This makes a cave of darker shadow for the bird to emerge from. I think I would clone out the leaf reflections near the bird and expand the tranquil smooth water to leave the curved framing reflection.

Agree. See below.

chauncey wrote in post #11338902
I keep coming back to this Dan and it's beginning to grow on me...care to tell us how you did it?

Of course, my friend. But understand sometimes I just poke and pick and don't take notes, and get lost in processing. But I think I remember about 90% of it:

- original image
- Nik colorefex, indian summer
- add black mask
- brush in summer (orange) effects only onto areas I want to highlight (weeds right, branches left)
- flatten
- dupe layer
- topaz buzsim, default values
- add mask
- brush back in detail that buzsim destroyed in same areas (weeds, branches). This is where Eyes to See is right on target. I noticed after posting it that there was still too much detail in areas I did not want to highlight. Especially water around bird and especially that clump just under the bird. If I were to do it again, I would diffuse that area a little more and the clump to remove distractions and highlight the bird
- flatten
- nik glamour glow
- add mask
- brush the glow effect onto only those two areas again
- flatten
- call back in original unedited image
- add mask
- brush bird only back in
- Finished

Because it was a five-minute quickie, I took no care in detail. For example, the branches at left were hit with one large brush (which included background under them). If the image were mine and I was doing it for real, I probably would do individual leaves or at least take more care with a smaller brush.

It's inherently a good picture with nice comp, but just too busy. Remove the busy and artsy it. Also, I just noticed the reflections of the white tree trunks in water lower right. I might also do something to bring those halfway up as well as the same trunks lower left. Hope that helps.

That's what I was afraid of Dan, those PS plug-ins, now I gotta figure out how to do it with CS5.
But I really like the direction that you took it.

I like the direction Dan has taken this image too. The natural circular framing of the GBH becomes obvious and the bird actually starts to stand out. Nice idea.

Holy cow!
Dan!
You've made that image an awesome artistic rendition.

maybe a tighter crop though?

Viva-photography wrote in post #11340180
Holy cow!
Dan!
You've made that image an awesome artistic rendition.

maybe a tighter crop though?

Thanks, appreciate that, but not totally. All I did was throw a few things at it that stuck.

Sometimes we all forget that the old adage is true: "you can't make a silk purse out of a cow's ear."

You can tweak, tonemap, twist and turn an image all you want, but if it does not contain some strong elements to work with, you have nothing.

This image has good elements. Sometimes you just have to take time to ponder images. For example:

- the long grass to the right - exquisite lines and textures and reflections in a nice isolated clump. Upon further thought, if it were my image I might even add a tiny bit more ripple to the reflection to emphasize the water effect a little.

- The branches to the left that create an incredible circular frame - a tunnel

- and the bird, couldn't be better placed to fly out of the tunnel.

- and those great white thin tree trunks across the bottom. Birch, possibly? Another element that can be worked with, but that I did not see.

You have to take time to examine images, and you have to be willing to modify digital images away from their natural state and transform them into the art (when appropriate and allowed).

To be honest, I hesitated because I thought if Chauncy was a (photograph) purist he would be offended, but thankfully he wasn't.

I actually really enjoy the original. It strikes me as being lush and rich in texture rather than chaotic--though I confess that if one files this image under the concept 'traditional picture of bird' then by that comparison it is chaotic.

It looks like care has been taken with respect to the compositional elements--in particular I dig the detail of the 3 linear elements at the bottom right).

I think this is worthy and should be seen LARGE.