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Hello.
(I previously submitted this image, which was not selected. Why it wasn't is not my question, per se. For some reason, the button to post-selection crit keeps failing, so I'll post it here. In any case, I am not actually interested in why it was not selected - that is not the point.)
The original photograph was shot in Hampshire, England, UK. It portrays decaying vegetation upon / in water. The image consists of one original. NB the grey fringing aound the main subject is caused by its partial submerssion - I could colour it to look "more realistic" but such would undermine the whole concept methinks. I (almost) always border my images and I regret the site does not allow this but hey-ho. The border would carry the following information: Title: "AQ-AU (Aquatic Gold)" (C) Kapuulco, 2024.
It would be most helpful to know some or all of the following: (i) Your opinion of this image; (ii) Would you selected it?; (iii) Why / Why not? (iv) Any indicative additional information.
NB: we are asked to provide technical details - so here they are: Aperture f-11; Shutter 1/250 sec; ISO 250; Focal-Length 240mm; Processing Software: ACDsee Ultimate 2022.
FYI: (ACDSee is Digital-Asset Management and Photo-Manipulation - ie sort of Adobe Camera RAW + LightRoom + PhotoShop). I have used it for over twenty years. This processing was in was ACDSee Ultimate 2022; I have recently moved to ACDSee Ultimate 2025.
Thank You very much; insightful critiques are invaluable.
Hello Woad
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your aquatic image with us. To me it's wonderfully seen, and of particular interest as I live in Hampshire. I love the abstract and painterly qualities and I would have recommended publication. However, I am just one member curating and others may not have appreciated your photo in the same way. The gold leaf is beautiful, but perhaps the surroundings are a little too muddy. I have done some work on your image, increasing the definition and adding some warmth to the colours. It's up to you, of course, whether or not you wish to accept any changes.
Good light, Elizabeth
Woad welcome to the real critique and thank you for sharing this fine image of yours. First may I say I like your image but in my view it needs more power more impact to stop the viewer in his or her tracks a shout " hey look at me " - This is what I came up with Nik Tools Tonal Comtrast - Saturation +15 - Some dodge tool work to lighten areas - last Totaw AI sharpen to get that texture.
Woad,
Thank you for posting 'AQ-AU' here in Critique Forum. Clever title!
You asked our opinion of the image, and whether we would have clicked 'Publish' for it. Yes, and Yes. I like the photo for the drama created by the strong colours, and because the subject is both recognizable and abstract at the same time.
Colour and composition for abstract images are best done by instinct. As the creator you know the mood and theme you want viewers to find in the image.
My best tip for abstracts is to experiment with the Rotation tool. I'm sure ACDSee has one. There are 8 possiblities, and sometimes one will stand out as more intriguing - or harmonious - or balanced than the others. Often we go back to the original the way we shot it - but it's still an exercise in understanding composition to see how an image changes when left becomes right and up, down. It shows the balance between subject and background. This is a technique used by painters - they study their canvas upside down and in a mirror.
My personal preference is the bottom left - but I'm not the photographer.
I hope we'll see more of your work here. We encourage members to comment - so if you see a photo here that you have an idea for, please write.
. . . . Steven, senior critic
Hello Woad
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your aquatic image with us. To me it's wonderfully seen, and of particular interest as I live in Hampshire. I love the abstract and painterly qualities and I would have recommended publication. However, I am just one member curating and others may not have appreciated your photo in the same way. The gold leaf is beautiful, but perhaps the surroundings are a little too muddy. I have done some work on your image, increasing the definition and adding some warmth to the colours. It's up to you, of course, whether or not you wish to accept any changes.
Good light, Elizabeth
Hello Elizabeth, perhaps I should wave! Thank you for your very kind words and welcome.
FYI This was shot in Micheldever Wood, near Winchester, whilst out with my late dog (Crude photo of him attached). Apparently, I took 190 shots that day; I had forgotten about all, save this the one I posted for crit.
Thank you very much also for your sterling effort to offer suggestions / edits - I shall soon be reviewing all such ideas, giving careful consideration. That is the great thing about critique - one is always too close to one's own images to see problems, yet sometimes kind and able people are willing to help. Best wishes. Cheerio.
Hello Woad
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your aquatic image with us. To me it's wonderfully seen, and of particular interest as I live in Hampshire. I love the abstract and painterly qualities and I would have recommended publication. However, I am just one member curating and others may not have appreciated your photo in the same way. The gold leaf is beautiful, but perhaps the surroundings are a little too muddy. I have done some work on your image, increasing the definition and adding some warmth to the colours. It's up to you, of course, whether or not you wish to accept any changes.
Good light, Elizabeth
Hello Elizabeth, perhaps I should wave! Thank you for your very kind words and welcome.
FYI This was shot in Micheldever Wood, near Winchester, whilst out with my late dog (Crude photo of him attached). Apparently, I took 190 shots that day; I had forgotten about all, save this the one I posted for crit.
Thank you very much also for your sterling effort to offer suggestions / edits - I shall soon be reviewing all such ideas, giving careful consideration. That is the great thing about critique - one is always too close to one's own images to see problems, yet sometimes kind and able people are willing to help. Best wishes. Cheerio.
Hello Woad, waving from Southsea. I had a lifelong friend I used to meet in Winchester but sadly lost her last May. Love the photo of your dog but hope to see more of your abstract work soon.
Best wishes, Elizabeth
Woad welcome to the real critique and thank you for sharing this fine image of yours. First may I say I like your image but in my view it needs more power more impact to stop the viewer in his or her tracks a shout " hey look at me " - This is what I came up with Nik Tools Tonal Comtrast - Saturation +15 - Some dodge tool work to lighten areas - last Totaw AI sharpen to get that texture.
Hello Daniel, good to "meet" you. Thank you both for your welcome and (to repeat a word from my reply to Elizabeth) your sterling efforts. I did wonder about the flatness of the original image but I opted to go for it. However, now both you and Elizabeth have, differently, added more "wumph!" so, perhaps I should have been less timid. Thanks for listing what steps / products you used. I have used Nix in the past and I do use Topaz Photo AI presently, so interesting. During my short time here (at 1X) I have seen how so many images do opt for punch above pastal these days, so I shall bear in-mind the general trend, too. Once again, thank you and I'll put this into my review after critiques, too. Greatly appreciated. Cheerio.
Woad,
Thank you for posting 'AQ-AU' here in Critique Forum. Clever title!
You asked our opinion of the image, and whether we would have clicked 'Publish' for it. Yes, and Yes. I like the photo for the drama created by the strong colours, and because the subject is both recognizable and abstract at the same time.
Colour and composition for abstract images are best done by instinct. As the creator you know the mood and theme you want viewers to find in the image.
My best tip for abstracts is to experiment with the Rotation tool. I'm sure ACDSee has one. There are 8 possiblities, and sometimes one will stand out as more intriguing - or harmonious - or balanced than the others. Often we go back to the original the way we shot it - but it's still an exercise in understanding composition to see how an image changes when left becomes right and up, down. It shows the balance between subject and background. This is a technique used by painters - they study their canvas upside down and in a mirror.
My personal preference is the bottom left - but I'm not the photographer.
I hope we'll see more of your work here. We encourage members to comment - so if you see a photo here that you have an idea for, please write.
. . . . Steven, senior critic
Hello Steven. Thank you also for your warm words of welcome and extensive suggestions-work. I'll try to answer everything...
AQ-AU - thank you for understanding and commenting on the title. I write poetry, so words really matter to me and when someone "sees" a title it is very rewarding.
What you say about revolving / rorating / transforming images is very true. As you intimated, I use a programme called "ACDSee Ultimate" and, in that I can rotate a whole image - or parts thereof anywhere within the 360-degree range. (It is not specifically just for viewing but it is easy / quick) so I do use it for that, too. I do not know if I tried it for this image but I can say that the orientations of the original and final are the same, so perhaps I failed to. Great advice and examples, thank you so much. This image did have quite some processing but perhaps I should have considered that extra turn! I attach a small version iof the original to show you.
I had not considered the hinterland nor meeting betwixt abstract and representative. Much less so, the possibilities of being both simultaneously (sounds akin to Quantum Physics). I shall try to use that concept in the future - thank you.
Again, I am very grateful for your efforts, which I'll ponder-over soon. Cheerio.
Hello Woad
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your aquatic image with us. To me it's wonderfully seen, and of particular interest as I live in Hampshire. I love the abstract and painterly qualities and I would have recommended publication. However, I am just one member curating and others may not have appreciated your photo in the same way. The gold leaf is beautiful, but perhaps the surroundings are a little too muddy. I have done some work on your image, increasing the definition and adding some warmth to the colours. It's up to you, of course, whether or not you wish to accept any changes.
Good light, Elizabeth
Hello Elizabeth, perhaps I should wave! Thank you for your very kind words and welcome.
FYI This was shot in Micheldever Wood, near Winchester, whilst out with my late dog (Crude photo of him attached). Apparently, I took 190 shots that day; I had forgotten about all, save this the one I posted for crit.
Thank you very much also for your sterling effort to offer suggestions / edits - I shall soon be reviewing all such ideas, giving careful consideration. That is the great thing about critique - one is always too close to one's own images to see problems, yet sometimes kind and able people are willing to help. Best wishes. Cheerio.
Hello Woad, waving from Southsea. I had a lifelong friend I used to meet in Winchester but sadly lost her last May. Love the photo of your dog but hope to see more of your abstract work soon.
Best wishes, Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth. I know parts of SouthSea Beach. Brr I imagine it is jolly cold today - belowing a gale here. I am sorry for your loss - so easy to say but so profound an event to respond to. I lost my dog 2.5 years ago but still have't escaped his loss. I do both abstract and literal but will post again. Thank you.
Woad,
Good to hear that you are a poet. Poetry is an art form like photography. It seems simple, but isn't really.
"Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose-petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo" . . . . Don Marquis
A quick, clumsy haiku for AQ-AU
Dreary autumn pond
Leaves dying, we remember
Their last splash of gold
. . . . . Steven
Woad,
Good to hear that you are a poet. Poetry is an art form like photography. It seems simple, but isn't really.
"Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose-petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo" . . . . Don Marquis
A quick, clumsy haiku for AQ-AU
Dreary autumn pond
Leaves dying, we remember
Their last splash of gold
. . . . . Steven
Hi Steven - and a perfect haiku. You have all the technicalities right - line count, syllable count (though I am very poor at counting syllables), a "cut" in the middle, around which the poem turns and it is firmly rooted in nature. But, far more important than any of that - I really like it, thank you. A while ago, a friend had a painting made "from" her poem as one of those visual arts meets writing celebrations and we composed a joint poem / photograph piece but no one, save her, has ever written a poem to my work - so thank you very much indeed. I am, as we say where I came from "Reet Chuffed." (i.e. jolly pleased).
Just one thing I am a tad disappointed about - I have been waiting for ages for the rose petals' echo but nowt yet. Oh I have remembered, all my poems are on on-line forums - perhaps I should publish some. My real aim is to publish a book of my images, coupled with prose and poetry. But it would be a vanity project - people seldom read poetry these days, alas. But I do and I am pleased you do, too.
Have you published a collection? (anthology - I can never remember which is which - one os a single poet. t'other is various poets - I think an anthology might be the single poet).
All the best and thank you very much, indeed.
Woad,
Thank you very much for that kind reply. Thanks also for the expression "Reet Chuffed". I can't wait to use that somewhere. It's right up there with the Australian's "Fair Dinkum".
To answer your question about publishing a collection . . . . no, but my personal journal is becoming more bloated year by year. Recent attempts are in the form of haiku to take the place of a photo's description, and to suggest possible meaning(s). It seems a good combination, although many people seem to dislike poetry of any sort. What shall we call it . . . . Haik-o-graphy?
Link to "The Poor Poet" by Carl Spitzweg . . . . . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Poor_Poet
. . . . Steven
Hi Steven.
Thanks for your reply and link. I really appreciate that painting - looks just like me at home!
Glad "reet chuffed" has reached Canada. It is an English Derbyshire / Yorkshire expression I believe. ("Right Chuffed" but with the appropriate accent = very pleased in southern English).
Apropos image descriptions in poetry - excellent but a lot of work. When I've finished an image, I usually run; I've had enough. "Haik-ography" is brilliant but don't also forget that haiku-style poems about human aspects are usually called "senryu" (the u has a bar atop).
I shall look forward To your future descriptions. Good luck!
Cheerio.
