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Aug 18, 2007

~how does your garden grow..

..or where do you draw the line between photography and digital art? I recently snapped the photo to the left shortly after I'd finished misting my little porch vegetable garden. It was only one in a series of images, but the one I felt was the best in composition and colour. I submitted the photo to a professional photographer friend for critique. Other than a single class in Photography Basics while in college prior to the invention of the digital camera or Photoshop my professional photographic training is limited to life experience. The comments I received along with the edited photo below were as follows:" Did you use glycerine? Nice effect of water on the fruit." "The smaller green tomato distracts. You might have plucked it along with some of the less than perfect leaves or merely edited out the distracting portions with Photoshop." The tighter cropping was not justified other then the mention that it had been done.
I wonder if I struggle with the fact that now my original photograph is no longer a true representation of my little tomato hanging on my tenderly cared for tomato plant or the fact that I may be just a little defensive that I have never learned how to use Photoshop to enhance my work, or for that matter received professional instruction on how to effectively use my Nikon D50. Maybe its time I took a couple continuing education classes. I would invite and enjoy any comments from my professional and not so professional photographer viewers. *:)

9 comments:

TwoSpecialWires said...

I've been wanting to leave you feedback, but haven't been able to log on. I'm hoping this works! I love your new work!

Monica said...

Judith,

In all honesty, I think your original photo is better. It looks much more natural,and I don't think the green tomato distracts but rather enhances the natural look of the photo. Sometimes I think digital editing can do more harm than good because it just ends up looking edited. Know what I mean? But, that is just my not-professional-whatsoever opinion! Great photo!!

TwoSpecialWires said...

I looked again this morning, and I still like your original photo better. The colors are richer and the feel is more natural. Makes me want to bend over and smell that little fellow.

Jan Scholl said...

I like the original best too. I have photoshop and really other than restoring old photos from the early 20th century belonging to my grandparents, I rarely use it. There is something special about the first image you see and love. There is too much fixing and not enought enjoying the beauty of nature.

I am not a pro and love the zits and all.

So did it tast good? I hope you ate it warm from the sun.

Gabby said...

I don't know what happen to my comment.... but here we go again.

I really like your original picture a lot better. It really captures a moment in time and nature!

I have some experience with photoshop and I can tell you that your pictures DOES NOT require any changes.

I reallly like the first picture and I think that you end up taking away from the beauty of it by manipulating it digitally!

Great work!

I will be coming back to check. I enjoy what I have seen of you work!

Philippa said...

I love your first one, I love the little green tomato in it too. Today it is so hard to know what is real and what is not. I scrap my photos straight out of the camera, no cropping - nothing! I look back at old photos from when I was a child and if my mother had cropped and deleted and enhanced then I wouldn't be able to see the old cars in the background, or the style of washing powder she used...
Well done on a beautiful photo :)

Mary said...

Your picture is gorgeous! I think thatyour first picture is better then the second one. Some times I think that editing a picture does not make it a better one. Great job!

Mary

Rose Ann said...

Here is another vote for the first photo. I love the natural look, and to me the small green tomato doesn't distract at all. I think too much cropping can ruin a lovely photograph...but what do I know? I am far from an expert. *wink*

By the way, your tomato looks delicious! There is nothing quite like a fresh grown tomato.

Monica Hunter said...

When I saw the first photo without scrolling down, I was sure you would say the photo had won a contest. (I would have voted for it!) Sometimes criticism is helpful, and sometimes it's criticism, KWIM? Perhaps this professional felt like he/she HAD to find something wrong with the picture because that was expected. I say ignore the advice. The first photo is better. LOVE it!