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welder β The Human Element
Published: 2004-11-29 08:35:19 +0000 UTC; Views: 1448; Favourites: 42; Downloads: 539
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Description
This was kind of a spontaneous shot...I was setting up to get a photo of this natural arch formation on the northern Californian coast (in Mendocino, in case anyone wants to know exactly). My wife (as usual restless while I am trying to get a photo) went off exploring. When I saw her walking back across the arch with the bright light behind her, well, I knew it was the image I wanted and fired off a few photos.In post production I did some work to try and isolate the colors of the bit of blue ocean in the background and the greenish glow of the water in the foreground, and gave the rocks a more neutral toning. Then I boosted the brightness coming from the upper left corner and did some contrast adjustments across the rest of the image. Finally, I did a masking layer with a graduated grayscale going across the image diagonally.
As far as the title, well of course I've got my own interpretation, but if you've got one too I'd love to hear it
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Comments: 49
Hmm . . .
"Connection" might make a good title, too.
This is fantastic. I love your work, welder. This is just one magnificent example of how strong your ability is to take an image and make it into real artwork, much of the time with something deep to say. Whether it's a city building in a light fog or a roaring ocean in the bright daylight, each photograph of yours is glowing with life. You have a truly unique vision for every piece you post.
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If must askβ¦I would call it "What lies beneath". And the reason why I would call it this is because, to me, the most amazing part of this image is the water under the ark... itβs the sharpest part of the image with changing colors from bright to dark. It looks like a heart of the picture. Human presents make it more unique, but the water and the colors under that ark is the center of attention...
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the elements are harsh. very powerful indeed. they tear each other down and build each other up. but the one thing it cannot change is the human element. too dynamic and too determined to be taken down, yet so small and fragile and easy to kill. how do they survive?
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Wonderful interpretation...thank you!
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Great shot. Reminds me of a shot I took of Wormhead when I was overseas. It's in my gallery I believe.
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I love thos natural elements and your lady gives it a nice touch. I always was amazed how close the californian coast looked to our coasts here. I just love imagining the sea sculpting patiently those rocks through the years. Very good capture and very good and subtle afterwork
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wonderful piece. really nice work with the composition and lighting. i like the decision you made in post process. great image and title.
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I think the brightness in the left adds to the glow in the green in the water, and I dont think it would have flowed the same without it 
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Damn, I was about to mention about the same thing that `bookdiva did as an explanation for the title
I think I agree with the comments that say the the upper left corner is a little harsh in contrast, but I also think that it underlines the meaning of the picture, that sometimes life is harsh and deals you bright contrasts. The toning of the water is beautiful and actually it looks like it could have come straight out of the camera like this, very natural.
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Good observation you make on the contrast, because I specifically wanted it to have a sort of harsh "unnatural" look to it...the human influence on the presentation of the world around us
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That's exactly why I think you're a really good photographer ... you can bring across meaning in your pictures
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Wow, you did a great job with this. It's so lovely and serene. I love all the nice textures of the rocks and the water.
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lovely photo. ++++
the idea of putting a b&w layer over the image is brilliant.
I wouldn't have ever thought of that
a+!
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Normally humans and nature dont mix....but in this case your wife adds
that very much needed human element. Without her we would have no
sense of scale, no sense of the powerful ocean which carved those won-
derful rock formations. And without her we would lose that sense of
wonder at how beautiful both nature and man's place in nature really are.
Nature supports man to a certain degree but if the weight of human existence becomes too heavy nature will collapse ( and so will mankind ).
Sorry....I rambled there, LOL 
Maybe a little too bright in the upper left....but that brightness really draws
my eye to the figure......so maybe it's OK. Nice work, Art !
Laurie
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great shot... i as well thought the picture was a little bright.. maybe try working with the levels or curves... possibily some saturation.. not a bad shot by any means.. the color is just a little flat.
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Nice shot! I'm being picky but the de-saturation of the arch and person makes it look kind of flat. It loses it's depth and the arch doesn't look like it is "over" the water. I can see why you whited out the horizon because it has an unfortunate intersection with her eyelevel. But i'm being very picky!
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It's a great capture and the presence of the person really adds a lovely perspective to it - but I think my favorite part is that the image is your wife. That's a really nice aspect.
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I love the sweeping shapes, powerful contrasts, and especially the blue and green waters in this piece. The eye is naturally and immediately drawn to the element that is most different, and in this case that would be your wife. However, as the eye is drawn to her I can't help but notice the strange illusion that the horizon is simply disappearing. This conflicts slightly with the overall composition you have here.. I see what you want to do there in emphasizing the light behind her, and I agree with it. Therefore I think it would be best if you lightened the horizon so it is just barely there; not standing out, but not vanishing completely either. It would subtly add to the composition as well because the horizon seems to roughly intersect the top of your wife's head, complementing the stone arch at her feet.
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This is very interesting. The setting is breathtaking.
What does your wife think of this picture, may I ask?
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She likes it quite a bit. She was suprised actually when she saw it because she didn't even know I had taken it
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Another excellent capture of mood/expressiveness and the lovely tones of nature. This is a wonderful "inspirational" photograph, showing how we can overcome adversity, or showing the paths we choose to walk in life, and the obstacles we have to climb and overcome.
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My first and foremost interpretation when I viewed this photo is that it references what we were long taught in history lessons about the first "americans" coming here by crossing over the Bering land bridge. [link] for more information on this if you are curious. The subject, your wife, looks like she is migrating to another "land mass" in search of a better environment; her going towards the light gives the impression of a better and brighter future.
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Lovely composition bro and the silhouette makes it awesome !
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Beautiful! I think this shows that people are small compared to the wonders of nature, but that we, nonetheless, matter!
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Great Job
Swietny kadr IMO i podoba mi sie kontrast jaki daje swiatlo na skalach, a niewypalony obszar za postacia, ktora dodaje dynamizmu, ma tutaj swoj urok
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the landscape alone is breathtaking, but with the person there to put it in perspective, it's mindblowing.
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when i first saw this, i was almost certain that this photo was taken at a beach(?) in Milos (greek island) which is named papafragas.. i have a similar photo, taken during my last summer vacations..incredible..!! as you might have already guessed..I LOVE this deviation..
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wow, the spontaneuity of this photo realli sets it out for me, a little different with respect ot some of your other work i have seen, but i think the spur of the moment factor in this one realli makes it special..
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"The Human Element", to me, is merely that you are taking a photo of this amazing, harsh landscape, so relentless that it has beaten through rock over millions of years, and, rather ironically (but very "humanly"), you see your lover and undermine all that voilent imagery by showing your soft spot, and prefering to take a photo of your wife instead. Join in together now for a chorus of:"Awwwww, what a sweetheart!"
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lol
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Love your shots man.
The only thing I can argue on is the contrast.
But, the whole scene was amazing
Good work!
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I love that the human element is into the light... This is just how see humanity...
Wonderful shot and contrasted atmosphere....
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Amazing capture, looks really incredible, i like the colours and this heavy movement of water
Mebahel
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I do like how the faded corner isolates the 'human element' but it also causes the overall picture to feel unbalanced and unnatural in a sense.
All in all I like it, but it leaves me with a sense that something is missing from it. Then again, it adds to the isolation... Hehe, ignore me. I don't know what I like.
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My goodness, I would love to visit that place.
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beautiful...
but i think a litle more darker on the left...would be better....
only a opinion..
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Lovely place (where is it?). It will be interessing to do that shot with long exposure to have a great water texture (but ask a person not moving for several seconds...)
And as a spontaneous shot, it's really nicely done! The title is quite good with that photo!
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a little 'too' bright for my taste, but i really like that arc on the rocks!
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