I really like what you did with the sky in this the blue fade to black.. I always like these random beach spottings

Beatiful contrast between the sand and the sky. Such rich color.

Its Veri WILD Shot David,

Its just lOOking like a long runner shoe used to walk in beach.The gears in the sole enhanced the PHOTO 2 b WILD,Just like a Crocodile (tooth) along side a beach.

Very nice and simple. It almost looks like its a studio shot (probably just the flatness of the surface and the DOF making the background look possibly fake).
I agree with Brett about the sky. How did you acheive it?

Great shot as always, David.
Your blog is truly an inspiration, both in simple shots like this one, and in new innovative shots.

I agree with JD on this one. The shoe is so sharp that it almost look mounted onto the picture. The sky looks great too.

Good job, David. Keep up the good work, and keep on inspiring us.

I think thats not one of your best shots...

The thing that kills me about the random shoe, whether on the beach, or the side of the road, or wherever, is how did it get there?!? Did the owner step in something so vile that it was worthwhile to continue with only one shoe? Do they continue their journey with one shoe, or do they take off the remaining shoe to avoid the unevenness? Great image!

Great Shot. Interesting sense of depth and scale.

Would make for a great adidas commercial... the central position of the shoe gives it an iconic quality and meaning beyond that which it usually carries. A shoe so perfect, no matter how old, that it can survive on its own..

Yes...great shot. But when is the tutorials section going to be up and running?

Dave:

Something about this shot just doesn't seem as "sharp" as usual for you. Did you do something different than normal in the processing? Also, did you position the shoe, or is this where it was ehn you found it?

JD/Brett: the sky was darkened using Selective Color to add some black to the blue and cyan channels. This was then faded using a gradient mask.

Dave: yep, I've often wondered how so many shoes end up on the beach.

Kevin: the tutorials, for the moment, are on hold as I barely have enough time to add an image a day. Hopefully, at some point, I'll get something sorted out.

Rick: nope, this was processed pretty much as usual, and the shoe is as I found it.

What a shot! the shoe looks like it is gigantic!

as it's presented, it's almost monolithic. I agree that it would make a cool print ad.

What a fun shot! I guess they were so busy packing up, no one noticed the left behind shoe! I've found some odd items on our beaches as well.

I think somebody was running down the beach and was going so fast that they just ran right out of their shoes. It's a rather soothing image form, I think b/c of the shallow DOF and gradients.

Did you take it to the Lost&Found office, David? :-) Nice shot, great contrast, and very pleasing balance of colors.

so where is the old woman who lives here?

flying cow: come back tomorrow and I'll show you ;-)

its a nice shot. well edited and simple

What a coincidence! My recent entry is similar to yours. Anyway, I've been guessing for quite a long time (since I visit your blog often) that you use gradient mask to get that somewhat burned/faded effect. Now I know that my guess is correct. However, may I ask, do you think using gradient mask maybe too much to be a part of a post processing? I also used it in my past shots but I'm still hesitant and not confident enough to use it as a part of the usual processing.

lovely color contrast...

You are such an inspiration. Every day I come back to your site and I wonder how you get the images to look so sharp, interesting and meaningful. I especially like the beach shots and people shots. I spend hours on my images and they don't look have as good... I'm really interested in reading about more of the techniques and elaborations you do to your work :).

Can't be better, so perfekt. I agree with chiara, you should soon get som books out about how you do with your images.

Welll spotted David. Nice composition and dark blue background really makes the subject look cool.

Oh No...David is in shoe trouble again.

Interesting shot David. Thanks.

been hearing this statement a lot lately and this is a perfect example.
"Photographers see things differently."
anyone else sees a lone shoe in the sand and either leaves it be, or does a poor job framing it. but a photographer comes along and captures an image people woo over... i mean... it's only a bloody shoe! nice work, and i appreciate the time you put into processing your images. it's the difference between a shoe and a work of art.

Hi David,

I had a similar shot that I took a while back that ran along the same theme.

Love this one though. Well done.

I was working on a series of discarded items just last week. And I found them to be rather fascinating as the images make the viewers wonder a lot on why the object is there, what it is doing there, what has happened to it etc.

Great colors in your usual saturated colors style. I like it.

Will be putting up my images soon. =)

It' s very interesting shot. A shot that kind of makes you think about the history of this show, who owned it, why was it thrown out, how it ended on the beach and so on. This also reminds me of my childhood when we didn't have big brands like Nike and reebok and the only sport shoes available were from a company called "Gola". This looks like one of those.

nice! adidas run for life :)

Seems like a commercial for a shoe but kinda not really. Love the lighting.

Thanks everyone.

If that shoe has been in the sea its lookin pretty good.......you should put it forward for an addidas commercial

Pretty simple but works!! Too much darkening of the sky though.

Very nice. The feel of this photo is great.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children she didn't know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread,
Then whipped them all soundly
And put them to bed.

stunning capture - did ya just return from MARS? thats some very nice DOF in there...

Splendid colors