Harrow help

[Aaron Strasburg]

I took this picture over a year ago and have been trying to figure out what to do with it. It seems to be a good candidate for something abstract, but I haven't had much luck getting to that point. Here's the original, uncropped image:
http://www.pbase.com/ats1911/image/70422405.jpg

Here's an attempt to to make something more of it:
http://www.pbase.com/ats1911/image/70422687.jpg

I like the reflections of the weeds at the top and the clouds at the left, but I'm not sure that they add anything. Then again there may not be anything there at all beyond sentimentality.

Comments, critiques, suggestions? Feel free to edit and repost with attribution to me.

Thanks, Aaron

[Brian Lowe]

Aaron,

Here in my rendition I used Lightroom to tweak the photo to my taste, and I hope you like what I did with it.

-Brian-


©Aaron Strasburg
http://brianlowe.smugmug.com/photos/111258936-L.jpg

[Aaron Strasburg]

Thanks Brian. This is a fair bit brighter than it was at the time, though perhaps not as dark as in my original. It was getting late and I'd have killed for a lens with IS. As I was theoretically working at the time I didn't have a time to set up a tripod and such. Got to keep the combines rolling--no time for this silly artistic stuff....

I've been trying to find the right crop for this rather than futzing with the colors yet. After seeing your version with the colors pumped up I just now went back to LR and converted it to grayscale. Somewhat interesting. The 800 ISO grain really makes it look rather like film in grayscale and is less annoying to me than the color noise. Definitely a direction to consider. Thanks!

[Brian Lowe]

OK Aaron, here is my rendition #2 of your photo this was done in Lightzone B/W with a twist.

How's this?

-Brian-

©Aaron Strasburg
http://brianlowe.smugmug.com/photos/111267862-L.jpg

[Asher Kelman]

Aaron,

You see potential in your image. That creates a challenge for you.

1. If you provide that RAW image for OTHERS to intepret their own visions, then that is one set of possibilities. Do any of the interpretive possibilities given by Brain so far ring true to you?

You have another options.

2. Others might add their own interpetations only with your Title, taking with guidance based on what meaning it has for you.

3. Or maybe you might want to develop this further yourself now that Brian has given a possible kick start?

It's up to you Aaron!

Asher

[Asher Kelman]

Aaron,

I recognise that you have found something that you know has more to say.

You might make a print of what Brian has done and what you have done and then alter the cropping and then return back to it. You have to revisit that place where you first saw what you tried to record.

I think this is going to require making prints. Color, B&W and different interpretations until you really can delve into what this image meant for you and might and should mean to you.

Maybe it just and only* means, "This is a pretty reflection in the water". If that's the beginning and the end of it, so be it! Then deliver it as such! Are you just trying to find a way to do this?

Perhaps you are searching for more than that, some greater meaning, or perhaps not!

Asher


Note:

*I don't say merely means.

[Don Lashier]

My quick take on it.

http://www.lashier.com/images/temp/harrow-c.jpg

- DL

[Ray West]

It sort of says f19 to me - just needs the vapour trails........ ;-)

[Tom Henkel]

Here are two attempts as an abstract:

http://www.pbase.com/thenkel/image/70445905.jpg
© 2006 Aaron Strasburg


http://www.pbase.com/thenkel/image/70447420.jpg
© 2006 Aaron Strasburg

[Aaron Strasburg]

Very interesting. Brian's rotated B&W image makes my head hurt just thinking about it. It definitely makes it more abstract when the reflection is above the image. Tom's 90deg rotation isn't quite as mind bending, but cropping down to nothing but the harrow and reflection definitely makes it completely abstract. Very few people would be able to identify the object. Between trying to identify the object and the fact that slight asymmetry is very jarring (to my engineering mind that places a high value on order) it's not an easy image to look at. It seems very tense to me. The rotation really adds to that. Nice frame/bg in the second.

Don's cut makes it look like a big mechanical fish. Not what I had in mind, but I like it. It makes you wonder about the rest below the surface.

Maybe my mind is too literal for this abstract stuff. Getting beyond the pretty picture is tough for me. Asher's right, I'm going to have to spend some time with this image to see what I want from it. Right now I'm not entirely sure.

Thanks everyone. Maybe I'll even add contrails for Ray....