[manntax]

Hello - as per title , can you dear forum members see on your screens and let me know whether the photo below looks too dark for you or not ? I am having problems as on one of my screens it does look very moody but not too dark , and on the other one it does look a bit too dark. For example there is one of doublesided razor blades partially visible at the right edge of the photo - in the middle of height , below the coins (behind small leaf). Is it distinguishable to you or not ? One one of my screens it does appear clearly, on the other it is a bit too dark there - although still visible.

So please share your impressions on the matter as well as about the photo itself.

This is my submission for the K3 contest ( Sharp emotions... ) so I really need your opinion on this - does it look too dark or not ? Should I brighten it up tiny bit or leave it as it is ? EDIT: Also please check below the photo for other versions as I also struggled with WB setting on my screens.

Thanks in advance !
,,,
'>' manntax

Here is the original version :


EDIT:
I tweaked the image and reduced the darkening on the edges and the bottom part - please let me know if that's better to your eye. Thanks in advance !
I have to say though that it is very frustrating to not be able to control in 100% the way the image looks to the viewers - it really spoils the joy of creating in digital imaging..

Here is a version with only vignetting changed :


And here is same as above with tiny bit changed color temperature to match what I intended ( WB is biasing little bit into the warmer, less greenish shade - as the xerox seems that also biases a bit there so I relying on that had it few points off to the green side) :


THIRD version - more WB tweaking to get it right on calibrated screens - I think I need to take a break and come back to look at those all images and pick the right version. Hopefully once I decide which version is ok I will know how to deal with WB from then on - so I really appreciate any help...

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Last edited by manntax; 06-25-2014 at 08:29 AM. Reason: deleted other viersions - the choosen one is in the last post

[Na Horuk]

Maybe the vignetting on the bottom part and near the beer can is a little too much, but overall I think the darkness fits the mood

[Tako Kichi]

I have a calibrated monitor and can see the object on the right you described but didn't realize it was another razor blade until you mentioned the fact (I had seen the original thread posting too). However the fact I didn't instantly recognize it for what it was may be due to the fact it appears to be slightly out of focus as well as in a dark area of the image. I don't think it detracts from the message in any way.

Like Na Horuk I think the vignetting may be a little dark but it does force the eye up to the important part of the image.

One part of the image that really struck me was that amongst all the despair (and possibly death) there was a spark of life in the form of the tiny plant.

[manntax]

Maybe the vignetting on the bottom part and near the beer can is a little too much, but overall I think the darkness fits the mood

I have a calibrated monitor and can see the object on the right you described but didn't realize it was another razor blade until you mentioned the fact (I had seen the original thread posting too). However the fact I didn't instantly recognize it for what it was may be due to the fact it appears to be slightly out of focus as well as in a dark area of the image. I don't think it detracts from the message in any way.
Like Na Horuk I think the vignetting may be a little dark but it does force the eye up to the important part of the image.

Thank you guys - I think this is what I was after. The bottom and side ways vignetting was obviously amplified in post in order to help the viewer follow the important parts of the photo and to keep the mood appropriate. I think I will try and tweak a bit the vignetting part ( maybe 5-10% lighter it up ) just to keep this on calibrated monitors exactly how I wanted it to appear ( which seems to be close ) - probably my Xerox ( although calibrated ) has simply lost some of it's original contrast due to age ( 8 years old ) - and so images appears less contrasty and less dark on it.

One part of the image that really struck me was that amongst all the despair (and possibly death) there was a spark of life in the form of the tiny plant.

I love the fact that you've noticed this - this is planned and I remember I scolded my boy once or twice while on the location to NOT touch nor disturb this plant in any way. I wanted this to be openly interpreted by the viewer ( one possibility as you've mentioned ) is to read it as a sign of hope and tiny life still sparking that (attempted only perhaps ) suicide.
The other is that despite the life wasted - the life often goes on and so this plant will, perhaps feeding on the blood that is soaking into the ground. And I have another one which I hoped viewers can possibly read, which is the struggle of a man in despair of an impossible (love) , this tiny plant is also struggling to survive in extremely tough conditions and most likely will fail at some point in the future considering the location. I think there are others possibilities which I might not be aware of at this moment but yeah, the plant is there for a reason and I am very happy that people do notice that
,,,
'>' manntax

[manntax]

Moved other versions to the 1st post to keep them all together.

[Na Horuk]

Maybe instead of PP vignetting you could try a 16:9 crop? That will also make it feel more cinematic

[altopiet]

For example there is one of doublesided razor blades partially visible at the right edge of the photo - in the middle of height , below the coins (behind small leaf)

As I usually refrain from critique, because I shoot only as a hobby, I actually find that the leaf and razor blade on the right, are the only factors that I find a bit distracting, in that it throws the image out of balance. The story...suicide note(?)....alcohol(?)...on the right, leading

to the consequence on the left....the blood (draining life), drawing the eye to the precious little bit of life (small leaf), overwhelmed by the bigger, darker pool of death at the bottom....fading into OOF darkness,( depicting death....)

As hobbyist, I can see a powerful story, (perhaps because I've seen so many similar situations in my own life), very well portrayed, with only the said leaf and razor blade, although not out of place as part of the story, pulling the eye away from the dark pool of death... IMHO

[manntax]

Maybe instead of PP vignetting you could try a 16:9 crop? That will also make it feel more cinematic

I tried and somehow image was slightly loosing cropped that far - but I did crop it - to about 16:10 recovering at the same time very thin slice that I had cropped previously on the right side. Please have a look.

As I usually refrain from critique, because I shoot only as a hobby, I actually find that the leaf and razor blade on the right, are the only factors that I find a bit distracting, in that it throws the image out of balance. The story...suicide note(?)....alcohol(?)...on the right, leading to the consequence on the left....the blood (draining life), drawing the eye to the precious little bit of life (small leaf), overwhelmed by the bigger, darker pool of death at the bottom....fading into OOF darkness,( depicting death....) As hobbyist, I can see a powerful story, (perhaps because I've seen so many similar situations in my own life), very well portrayed, with only the said leaf and razor blade, although not out of place as part of the story, pulling the eye away from the dark pool of death... IMHO

Your critique was absolutely spot on! During the process of brightening the edges somehow missed that the leaf especially was getting a bit in a way. I darkened it a bit to keep the tonality low there as it was my original concept. Thanks for pointing that! I also feel flattered by your appreciation - I wanted this to become a story with many hidden aspects and symbolic opened to interpretation ( like the leaf), but also a note which last sentence is visible, but tuned up side down, so forces the viewer to make some effort. And it is written that introduces two possible sources ( with a photo supporting both versions actually ) - but I am suggesting nothing


Anyway and that really feels great when I see people actually discovering these small clues and things. Please guys see below both versions , one simply cropped and one with black frames added - Although I somehow lean towards the framed version, still its like sitting on a fence right now, but I feel really close to the situation where the image might be actually perfected thanks to all the thoughtful comments and critique I am getting which is wonderful Thanks again!

1) version just cropped with fixed that distracting leaf :


1) version as above with added black frames at the top and below the photo - somehow like this one better

[Tako Kichi]

I just studied your edits with the room light on and off and I like the 2nd and 3rd edits the best. On my calibrated monitor I see only a very slight difference between the two and that difference is hard to quantify.

Edit: I see you added more shots while I was typing so I should say that my comments refer to the original edits. Regarding the two images directly above this post I like the black above the image until it gets to the hand and then it jars on me. Having the hand chopped off like that just looks wrong IMHO. It may work better if the black border was also added to the sides so that it looks like a photo mounted in a black matte.

[manntax]

I just studied your edits with the room light on and off and I like the 2nd and 3rd edits the best. On my calibrated monitor I see only a very slight difference between the two and that difference is hard to quantify. Edit: I see you added more shots while I was typing so I should say that my comments refer to the original edits. Regarding the two images directly above this post I like the black above the image until it gets to the hand and then it jars on me. Having the hand chopped off like that just looks wrong IMHO. It may work better if the black border was also added to the sides so that it looks like a photo mounted in a black matte.

Thanks a lot for these ! I totally agree when looked at the shot with frames it gave me the same impression so I think for now I will stick to the version without black frames - which happens to be I think edit #3 from my original post. Your observations were very helpful in determining how I should read my screens and now I think I managed to calibrate the IMac just right, and Xerox is simple having lower maximum contrast which acts as sort of filter that brightens up all the darks in photos.

So this would probably be my pick - it is slightly cropped at the bottom in comparison to my original edits ( I got rid of some of that darkness ) so hopefully that would be it ... or I can bring back the slice cropped and add some extra black at the bottom - which isn't looking back to be honest. Here is simple cropped version, I will add another in few minutes ..


---------- Post added 06-25-14 at 03:22 PM ----------

Ok and this is the other version - black area is slightly extended at the bottom, but crop on the right is kept - now photo is basically cropped only and the very bottom by tiny bit. All the other edits are from 1st post #3 with the leaf on a right side slightly darkened back to the original tonality so it doesn't distract. Hopefully this will be my final attempt to select - so either the shot from above, or from below . ( when I look at them both - I think a shot from above will be my pick ) - that signature is too high and gets into the picture above - but I might simple lover it in the shot below. any thoughts always appreciated
thank you all!

[manntax]

After all debating and all your suggestions I made up my mind finally and decided to upload the version that is below . Again thank you very much for all the help and your comments ! I know the subject touched is a dark part of this life, and so some of the comments I get from the viewers in my K3 contest thread are little bit worrying. I just hope that people will see through their fear and face the realities as they are and will see the photo and judge by its merits not by whether they find my subject and theme disturbing or not.
,,,
'>' manntax

[altopiet]

After all debating and all your suggestions I made up my mind finally and decided to upload the version that is below . Again thank you very much for all the help and your comments ! I know the subject touched is a dark part of this life, and so some of the comments I get from the viewers in my K3 contest thread are little bit worrying. I just hope that people will see through their fear and face the realities as they are and will see the photo and judge by its merits not by whether they find my subject and theme disturbing or not.
,,,
'>' manntax

I haven't seen other comments in the competition thread, will look tomorrow.... but I can see this image used as a poster (TV add, etc), with a "Help Line" number on it, inviting people to phone in when in trouble....