November 10, 2019 — Wright’s Lake, California
Whatever it is, it feels no pain and it never cries. It spends a lot of time reflecting.
What do you do when you go out on your first shoot in several weeks and you’re not satisfied with your take? You crop ruthlessly and improvise in post-processing.
(Nikon D500, Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.0; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)
The AuthorMichael Scandling
California based fine-art photographer featuring abstract, impressionist, and minimalist seascapes — near and distant — and floral-based images.
Fine-art photography can be seen at www.amagaphoto.com
All original images on this blog are copyright 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Michael Scandling. All rights reserved. No images on this site may be copied, duplicated, reused, published, or re-purposed in any way without express permission from the copyright owner, Michael Scandling.
AMAGA Photography Blog 
Great minimal; great mood!
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Thank you, my friend.
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fascinating light – excellent photo
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Thank you very much.
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A good composition eliminates all the extraneous stuff so one could say a good post-processing can do the same. It looks kind of familiar in a distant sort of way. It could bear some resemblance to this if I had your abstract imagination. You given me the idea to see what I can do out there. Also those rocks, I do sometimes see abstracts and this was a prize winner.
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Cropping and post processing is composition after the fact. That means you get two chances in this digital world of ours. Actually, you got two chances with film too. It was just smellier. It’s amazing what you can do by simply pulling the black slider down. Psssst. I never said this.
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I also never said this…”It’s cool what you can do by slider the clarity slider down.” 🙂
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I’m glad you never said that.
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Looks awesome to me.. hope you found satisfaction in what you achieved.
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Thank you. Yes I’m pretty happy about it.
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A stunner in every way; to the crux of the matter.
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Thanks, Paula.
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Maximally appealing in a minimalist way.
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Thanks. Seems like a big part of what I do is remove things.
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Bloodshot eyes are one thing, but a clear, dark eye surrounded by bloodshot-like veining makes for a great image.
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Thank you very much. I really had to rock this one.
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I see it as a meditation
symbol…
Exquisite!!!
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It would make a superb meditation symbol. Thank you very much.
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Wow I really like this!! It’s got such an energy about it. So cool!
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Thank you kindly.
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Excellent. What a great book cover this would make.
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Thank you! Great: now all I need is the book.
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The result counts and sometimes it’s better than what you imagined before. That’s how I feel about black and white in particular.
An really excellent picture!!
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Thanks very much
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Very nice, I like it.
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Thank you very much.
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As a student< I had instructors that said you should never crop photos shot on small format cameras (anything less than 4×5 inch). Prints would be too grainy and unacceptable. A lot has changed since then. Now I view the crop tool much differently. It's one of the first and last tools I use when editing. This is really a nice shot, Michael.
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When you start with 20 mega pixels, or on my other camera 45, you have a lot of leeway.
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And thank you.
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A powerful image Michael. My mind wants to make it an eye but I imagine there are many other interpretations, most of them abstract
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That’s the beautiful thing about abstraction. Ultimately it’s the viewer who brings meaning to the table. I would have it no other way. That is a big part of what keeps the image alive.
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I just had to close the blinds to really see your photo. With the sunlight shining in, I hardly saw anything…
So what is it?
It probably is a rock in the water and its reflection. But if you really ask me, it looks like an eye.
Anyway, it is a very beautiful photo.
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Aye. Tis a rock/reflection. Thank you very much.
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Beautiful stuff, Michael, and I simply LOVE “It spends a lot of time reflecting”!!! But here’s a thing. You say that you’ve been out on a shoot without any worthwhile results, and hence to cropping etc. But I firmly believe (and am absolutely sure I’m not alone in this view) that its often better (ie more productive) NOT to look at the results of a shoot immediately afterwards, ESPECIALLY if at all tired but, rather, to leave the images alone for a day or two and then to come back to them, refreshed and with fresh eyes – when new things may start to emerge – bit like letting a wine mature I suppose. What do you think? Adrian
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Thank you. I fully understand. They sat for a week in the camera, not even downloaded to the computer. I had hopes for several, but they didn’t make it. This had the elements of the rock and reflection, which I liked, but with lots of distractions. Thus major surgery in post.
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I know just what you mean about “major surgery” – better avoided really, but you have a good result here.
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Beautiful composition light and texture Michael…love it! 💙 another lovely post ~ smiles Hedy 💫
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Thank you. 😊
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love this one!
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Thank you very much!
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very welcome indeed!
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Very nice, Michael. It has the look of old bone.
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Thank you. Now that you mention it…
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