This is from my favorite pond, but from last May. It’s totally dry this year. I’ve been sitting on it for a year because I couldn’t decide whether it had enough interest for anyone. I liked the way the raindrops on the muddy water looked at a longer exposure.
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Is there enough there, there? That, of course, that begs the question, does it matter - I personally like it, so what if no one else does? I’ve been thinking about this, after watching some of Alister Benn’s videos. He talks about making photos that will “never leave his hard drive”, but that he found personal satisfaction making. I certainly found pleasure standing in the rain, watching the rain drops hit the pond surface, and experimenting with different settings to see what the results looked like.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
a73r, 191mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 100.
It certainly holds my interest. I’m glad I clicked to view the larger image, because I love the water drops.
I also watched that Alister video. I think the majority of my photos will never be seen by anybody else, but I get satisfaction looking at them, remembering the process of taking them, the conditions under which I took them. They all bring back special memories which really can’t be imparted to the viewer.
This fits your style Bonnie. I like it a lot. I really liked it when I clicked on the image to enlarge it. The rain drops make all the difference both with the artistic quality of the image and the story the water drops tell.
Yep, as photographers I think most of us second guess our images and most of them are seen by very few people but in the end, all that matters is if you like the image and what memories the image brings back to you when you view it. It’s just frosting on the cake when others like your work as well but I’ve come to believe that even then, it doesn’t make the image better.
Interest aplenty! Simply gorgeous. The water feels viscous almost like mercury. The colour palette is beautifully muted - the greens and silver - I can “taste” the weather. Would make a wonderful print.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say, but I think you have the right audience here. Nature photographers who do more than comp stomp and hit tripod holes will always be attracted to this kind of scene. Its graphic nature and simple qualities remind me of some types Japanese art - the celebration of the natural world. Even if you only took it because it made you happy, that would be enough. But that you shared it with us is even better because, as I said, you have the right audience. Slices of nature, how it interacts and functions are the best and because of the raindrops, this does that very well. And it’s beautiful. Unusual and eye-catching. You were in the right place at the right time and had the presence of mind to recognize all of these qualities and the talent to be able to present them so well.
Now I’m off to watch the video you are all talking about.
Are you kidding? Of COURSE it’s a successful image!
Seriously though, I really do like this image…mostly for its simplicity, high key/low contrast processing. For me, the “subject” is the old grass and new growth. The high key nature implies spring for me. The color of the grass having plenty of yellow in it also implies new growth.
For me, the raindrops aren’t necessary to the success of the image and the blurriness of the bubbles makes discerning them more difficult for me. In fact, had you not told me, I’m not sure what I woulda made of the oof bubbles.
Yet, a gentle spring rain only adds to the “feel” of the image. So, my only “critique” would be whether you have a ss that better demonstrates them? Perhaps to most of your viewers, it was evident to them, but I wasn’t really able to “see” them well had you not pointed it out.
Regardless, it’s a keeper and yes, thanks for sharing.
I see your point, and I agree that the grasses are the main structural element. The raindrops hitting the water surface are subsidiary for sure, but it was the motion that they imparted to the water surface that gave it such an interesting texture at a slower shutter speed. Like mercury, as Kerry said. That’s what fascinated me, so I don’t have any frames with more distinct drops. I don’t mind them being a bit fuzzy.
Indeed - and I am very grateful to have found NPN!
I’m always looking for scenes like this when following a shoreline. Good compositions are not as easy to come by as it seems. There are some good subtle diagonals that give this structure. The lighter treatment of the reeds gives this a high tone look that is different than the usual treatment (say Bill Chambers recent image at the Everglades). Nice work.
I’m glad that you decided to let this one “leave your hard drive”. The gentle colors and luminous look of the water are gorgeous. I agree with @Kerry_Gordon, the water looks like mercury or some other molten metal. I’m also in the camp that the bubbles are a nice secondary element, but not critical to the image working. However if you had not been experimenting with shutters speeds on the bubbles, the water and the reeds might not look the way do here, which to me is what makes this image sing. Serendipity…
I too noted the metallic quality to the water, and like it a lot. I found my eye dancing between the “reality” of the grass and the “surreal” water/bubbles; it’s a wonderful effect.
One of the fun things about NPN is that as a group, many/all of us very much appreciate the art that others create even when it is something we wouldn’t, or couldn’t, come up with on our own. The variety makes it oh so much more! I’m really glad you posted this one.
I’ve been sitting on it for a year because I couldn’t decide whether it had enough interest for anyone. I liked the way the raindrops on the muddy water looked at a longer exposure.