Atypical Orton (C&C please)

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Hi there.... I'm brand new to this forum but just stumbled on the podcast and have been enjoying Marko's enthusiasm. I'm posting this because the first of his podcasts I listened to was the one on the Orton effect. I shot this "godlight" image the other day and it wasn't quite working for me so I "Orton-ized" it and liked the result much better. It's certainly not a classic Orton image as it has so many deep shadows, but I thought it worked. I'm curious as to what y'all think.

thanks!

-g

First off, welcome to the forum, Gary. I hope you enjoy yourself while you are here. I've said before starting off with a critique is a bit of a brave thing to do but I welcome your enthusiasm too! :)

This is a beautiful scene that makes me want to go for a walk in the woods but I understand your hesitation. The Orton treatment gives is a soft, fuzzy glow that makes it even more inviting but for me, it's missing a subject. A curvy path, a gentle deer, or even a fellow hiker. Something or someone needed to be spotlighted by those wonderful beams of sunshine to really make this image shine.

I like the effect and agree with Iggy on needing a focal point. However, it would great as a background for an ad

I really like the Orton effect here, and personally, I don't need a deer. I do however think that cropping the bottom where you have the messy bramble might be an idea. about 150 pixels to cut out that branch at center frame. Welcome to the forum, btw.

First, thanks for coming back with the C&C so quickly... To Iguanasan's comment about being brave asking for criticism, heck -- that's the only way to improve!

Good comments, and I understand what you're saying about it needing a subject, but in my mind it already has one... the light and the forest. I live in that forest and am so in love with it... it's a personal statement of the way I feel about it during the golden hour. But yes, I see that not everyone would necessarily feel that way.

To JAS... yup, those brambles are a bit of a problem and did try a crop to remove them but it lost too much of the feel of the forest floor (for me). I do like the play of light on that nasty clump of brambles, so left them in. It's far from a perfect shot, and I mostly posted as a tribute to Marko's podcast interview with M Orton. One thing that _I_ feel is quite wrong with the shot... the weird cyan color cast in the trees in the top left of the scene. I do not like that area at all and may spend the time trying to tone that down.

Thanks again and if anyone has any more comments I'd be happy to hear them.

Here's another image from that same shoot... same use of Orton on a contrasty subject. I like what it did to the nearly overexposed areas... it completely blew them out in a really interesting way. Used a slightly higher than 1% gausian blur factor on this one to create that otherworldly explosion of light. No deer in the ray of light (that would be a little too "Thomas Kinkaid", doncha think?). But heck... that's one lucky rock!

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Originally Posted by Gary Yost

Good comments, and I understand what you're saying about it needing a subject, but in my mind it already has one... the light and the forest. I live in that forest and am so in love with it... it's a personal statement of the way I feel about it during the golden hour. But yes, I see that not everyone would necessarily feel that way.


Thanks again and if anyone has any more comments I'd be happy to hear them.

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I absolutely agree with you about the trees and light being the main subject here. IMO it does not need another subject in the image and it is quite "fairy/dreamy-like" with the Orton application here. :)

Hi Gary!
Thanks so much for the enthusiasm (and tribute) - sorry i missed this post till now!
I like shot one just the way it is (but adding Jas's crop), it's a rulebreaker for me but it totally works.
i also like the shot in post 6 very much. My only comment on that one is I'd have loved just a bit more breathing room on the bottom.

Hope that helps - Thx again - and hope to see some additional play soon
Marko

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Originally Posted by Gary Yost

...snip...

Good comments, and I understand what you're saying about it needing a subject, but in my mind it already has one... the light and the forest. I live in that forest and am so in love with it... it's a personal statement of the way I feel about it during the golden hour. But yes, I see that not everyone would necessarily feel that way.
...snip..

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As you see, not everyone feels that way. Just as a note as I think it bears mentioning for those who may read this thread later. Bambi and I would like more of a focal point in the image. That doesn't make your take on it wrong. If you love it the way you have it, then, by all means, do it your way. We're just offering up our view of the image for discussion and thought.

I hope you'll come back and post some more. I'd like to see more of that wonderful forest.

Marko, yes... I also wanted a little more space on the bottom of the image in post#6, but alas after doing some perspective correction on the trees on the right I lost the little I had there.

This whole series of fairy-like images is a little kitschy for me and I'm still not quite sure about it, but it's been fun and I've enjoyed playing with it. My normal work (Gary Yost Photography) is usually pretty straight without much PP except for toning and a little dodging and burning.

And for I-san.... here's another shot of that forest with the same light, also using the Orton effect pretty heavily.

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