Yesterday I came across a type of water lily here in Idaho that I had never seen before. Much smaller than the lance shaped ones we see in the Cascades, these formed beautiful delicate mats at the edges of a lake I drove by. Getting a good composition was another matter as there was very limited access to the shoreline. There was wind on the water so I just used it to my advantage rather than wait for no movement, which just wasn’t going to happen anyway.
I actually reduced the contrast a bit here as well as some color saturation. It just felt wrong for the subject.
Great eye and nice job dealing with the wind, the colors, etc. I really like this as presented: the texture and highlights in the top, the green swath, and the brownish triangle in the bottom left all give this a very different kind of “rule of thirds” and it works really well for me.
If I were to suggest anything, it would be a slight crop off the top. I think this is roughly 5x7? I can imagine an 8x10 or even a perfect square working here as well. For me, there are a few things at the top that pull me up and away from the lilies themselves, and it feels more balanced with a strip of the top cropped off.
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Those are different. I really like the gentle wind waves, with the could reflections in them. It makes this more interesting. I would agree on cropping a bit off the top; it would eliminate that bit of floating stuff at the very top, but you’d still have the beautiful, soft ripples. Maybe even crop from the left side, too, to eliminate that one section of dark water; it makes a strong shape right at the edge of the frame and grabs my eye. At any rate, this is lovely.
Igor, for me this is all about the shapes and it works quite well. You mentioned the reduction of contrast and color because it felt wrong. I see these lily’s everyday in water behind my home and the colors change significantly depending upon the light.
I believe these small ovals are called “water shield”(dollar bonnet) lilies and are very common in our ponds and lakes in Michigan.
Nicely seen, Igor. The lily group definitely make for an interesting subject as does the reflected cloud patterns in the rippling water. To my eye, I would bring back a bit more contrast. I also think a small crop off the top (to where the small lily pad protrudes into the frame in the ULC) tightens up the composition.
I like this a lot Igor. The diagonal patch of lily pads and reflection of the clouds are wonderful. My only suggestion would be to clone out some of the floating debris.
Igor, I like what you’ve done here. The diagonal of the lilies mixes well with the cloud reflections and wave action. The bit of clear water at the bottom is a nice change from the reflections. Assuming you have space both at the top and bottom, I could also see other possible positions for your crop.
This is most enjoyable, Igor. I love the contrast between the lilies and reflection. I agree about the slight crop and cloning out the extraneous stuff in the water, but I quite like this.
Igor, nice semi-abstract here. I like the combination of the sharp, distinct shapes of the lilies and the soft, abstract reflection sand ripples in the water. These waterlilies look like the same ones we have in Massachusetts, probably the sames species as Alan’s from Michigan.
I agree with @Bonnie_Lampley, I could see a crop from the top, I think it would tighten up the composition, without losing much of the abstractness of the ripples. If this were mine, I’d do a little cloning of debris in the water, especially the brown/red “stem” that leads your eye out of the frame in the LRC.
I’m loving and enjoying this one quite a lot. Although usually not fair to compare, but I recently comment on Bonnies that the reflection and lily pads competed with each other. I don’t think that is the case here. The abstract nature of the clouds reflecting and the gentle waves are very cool and I think enhance/compliment the presence of the lilies rather than compete. NOt sure if that makes any sense, but I’m quite enjoying the combination of the two main elements.
I understand and agree with your choice to tame the contrast and color/saturation. the only suggestion I have - of the personal preference nature, would be to drop the exposure a bit. Just seems a bit bright, especially in the center area. but that’s pretty minor.
Oh, small suggestion - I might either crop or clone, but remove the reddish-brown submerged leaf or whatever along the bottom edge - especially the brighter stem. Not a deal killer, just an observation.
Igor, I like this very much. It makes me feel like I’m standing right there and seeing this for myself. I like the way you handled the processing as well. Has a nice feel!
