This is absolutely gorgeous. If I didn't know better, my first impression would be that this is a painting, not a photo. Breathtaking.

So... where were you?

Kevin: this was taken on Blackpool's South Shore.

There's something exceedingly compelling about this picture. The light is amazing. The color and the composition are wonderful. But there's more to it... Something hard to express... It looks like the sky has opened up and the two figures are preparing to float up into the light.

I felt compelled to comment. This is one of the best shot's I have seen you post in a long while. If I could get half way to this sort of quality in my phot's I'd be grinning from ear to ear.

The mixture of composition & light, when alied to your eye for the slightly surreal detail of the tea-party is stunning.

I've spent quite a bit of time since last Friday trying to decide what to submit for this week's Photo Friday challenge – Perfection – and while this shot isn't perfect I reckon it's about as close as I'm going to get this week. Actually (in terms of photographic perfection) I think I'd be quite worried if I ever did produce something that I thought was perfect, mostly because I wouldn't know where to go or what to do next ;-)

David, this shot is stunning. So much of your work is. But this...this is extraordinary. And, I imagine, as much a product of being in the perfect place at the perfect time as your gifted technique.

I think I'll now post my camera on eBay.

;)

what comes to mind looking at this image? God
not sure why and I'm not even a religious person but the light and the women with their heads covered, looking small and helpless against whatever is coming from those ominous looking clouds ...
can't really explain but this image sure has a very religious atmosphere lol
made me think, not just another of your beautiful shots :-)
~~

i am with sandra, something about the light through the ominous clouds shining on the figures evokes old religious painting. also the fact that the figures are just a small part of the landscape shows a unique, humbling perspective. gorgeous shot and great entry! ;-)

my wife says this pic must have been taken on the edge of heaven....i agree....

Wow.

it feels holy.

You captured a holy moment.
Beautiful.
a

This is a beautiful image! Great composition and and wonderful light. First rate all around.

I am amazed how you get 54284.3 comments within five minutes of posting a new photo.. but all well-deserved, methinks. :)

I think the colors are my favorite part of this one, as well as the lines. The horizon is perfectly parallel, and the two lines below it angle in opposite directions. Gives it a great sense of balance!

This one is just amazing. It reminds me of the three years I spent at RAF High Wycombe when my father was stationed there in the mid 80s. The lighting is exactly as I remember it to be. As far as I'm concerned this definately should be your submission for this weeks Photo Friday challenge.

This is the BEST shot you have on the entire site, and that's saying something. This is amazing for so many reasons. Wow David. Just wow. I'm amazed. This belongs in National Geographic. WOW.

I think it is very difficult to describe the rainbow of emotions this pic has the power to give me. It is about nauture and power, it is about equilibrium between architecture and nature, it is also about human being, about simplicity, possibilities... life. Everything in this shot works just perfect....( I know I shouldn't compare but...) it is so Bernardo Bertolucci...I mean, being able to capture the right light, the right colours, scenary and being able to give it humanity, deep deep emotions! Thanks for that.

Ok Dave, it's time to quit your day job.

Simply stunning. It's shots like this that inspire me to pick up my camera and try capture the world in such an elegant way.

Stunning.
I figure this to be your best yet - I said "this will be in his portfolio" and there it was.

Great Shot.........Even left Manek speechless for about .00005 of a second........impressive!

Very serene. Great work to let those muted tones speak for themselves. I think part of the spiritual aspect to this shot is the height of the viewpoint. Maybe I'm wrong but it doesn't look like you were at ground level when you took the photo.

Simply gorgeous!

Fantastic lighting!

Fantastic contrast!

Fantastic composition!

Ok, I'll shut up now, it's just fantastic! ; )

Cool :)

Did you make a deal with God to help you with the lighting? Because it's truly amazing. I like how the red contrasts with the dark background, and the composition is excellent. This is one of my favourites.

Great job.

wow, i don't think i can really say much that hasn't been said already. but this really feels like a dream. and i don't know if i can give a higher compliment than that. i wish i was sitting there drinking tea and just enjoying that atmosphere.

an excellent shot, dave, as always! the lines, the light, and the colors are well suited for this week's phot friday challenge. i wouldn't be surprised if this shot earned you yet another noteworthy:)

i'm interested to hear you experiences on the hotlink protection...

I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.

Humbling, don't know if to stop taking pictures alltogether or just try A LOT harder!...

Just to add to the masses, I'd like to say, superb composition, two opposite diagonals and the surreal tea party on the thirds line (and no its not a coincedence) and exposed well for that scary looking sky.

Nice one David !

dark heaven and lines on first and second plan makes this photo great! (I hope you haven't coloured this in PS :P) salute! ;]

very nice indeed. Well done

Wow indeed. Most of us would have walked on by...

Andrea summed it up nicely at 02:29.

Thank you.

I am curious about the info for this picture. Was it manipulated in any way? It is a great shot but seems unreal. Please...tell me more about it. Am I the only one who can't make out what these people are sitting on? Or do I just want to know too much?

I think a magician should never reveal his secrets. ;-)

Rainking: good point, but in this instance I don't mind :-)

So, here's a bit more technical info:

This is an uncropped image and the colours are true to the original. In fact, the saturation is slightly reduced in the foreground as a byproduct of increasing the contrast using the Curves tool as this tends to over-saturate an image (the original was a bit flat). And normally I don't mind, but I wanted a more natural feel to this shot than my often hyper-saturated shots.

The one change I did make was to the sky, not in terms of content, but to the overall level of brightness. If I'd had a tripod with me I would have taken two shots, one exposed for the foreground and one for the sky, but I didn't so I burned the sky much as I would have done in a darkroom. But other than than there weren't any significant changes.

Brenda: it's a towel.

Oh, and many thanks: I really enjoy it when I put something up that attracts loads of comments. I'll try and reply in a bit more detail later on today.

Beautiful shot. So far I have sat and stared it for over a minute....and here you go saying that you dont take many landscape shots because the G5 can't handle it....pffftt!!

Absolute stunning photo.

i normally just view your site through bloglines but when i saw this picture i immediatly wanted to see it up close (which says a lot for a thumbnail) and read what you had to say, which was nothing. but after reading the first few comments with the image behind the comment box, it started to choke me up with a bit of a tear in my eye. the image is absolutely beautiful and inspiring.

How the hell do you do it? I'm connecting via a 56k modem so the first thing I noticed about this shot was the number of comments. 'Hell, that's loads of comments,' I say to myself, wondering what kind of shot could have inspired such levels of feedback. Then finally the picture loads. Oh. That kind. Brilliant work.

I would be ashamed if I didn't comment on this photo, so, here I go.

I think this is almost a typical David shot, and that is a very good thing, cause your best shots, which I classify as David shots, are striking and all of them reflect human peacefulness. Your best photos are showing different aspects of human life, and this is a clear example on that.

In the last month I think you have changed your photo style in some matter of ways. I can't really tell how, neither if it is a good thing, but there is some changes in your photos.

I remember you mentioned in a comment one time about a guy who had said you'd changed your way of taking pictures of people, by taking photos of other people than just your family members and friends.

Found it:

"The last couple of shots are of a style I’ve not seen you try before; you don’t go in for shooting people (other than your family). This probably makes this shot even more striking, as its the last thing I’d expect to see on chromasia. Well done." by James

Think James is very right. You have gone to a new level with taking pictures of people, and in a very good direction. Think people now have gotten used to it, and now see it as a part of the new chromasia.

Don't know where I am going with this, but my point is that you have changed your way of taking photos, and what you taking picture of.

And the results are as we all hoped and knew would come: a ton of amazing photos.

That's freaked me out a little - being quoted while in the process of posting a comment myself. (cue creepy music...)

Awesome!

I'll echo the chorus here.
This is an amazing looking shot. the composition is very good, but moreso the light is just amazing. I still can't figure out exactly what kind of a weather pattern you had that day, but you were lucky and skilled to catch it.

I can't stop staring at this image. Fasinating. It feels so dark and gloomy. Almost like it is the apocolypse, or some kind of depressing nightmare. I can just imagine those people being the only living beings, and the wall going on forever and ever as well as the red walkway fading into the distance flat as can be. All Alone.

just perfect!

All I can say is WOW....great subject and a difficult shot to pull off technically.

***EXCELLENT SHOT***

Beautiful picture Dave, perfect lighting. But I do have to admit that I am a little jealous of the attention your site gets =) If you post a great picture, everyone sees it, and if you post a poor one, it still gets 17 comments =) A lot of other photobloggers would love to have the feedback and exposure that you have here

Wow. Agree with so many of the comments above. This picture is simply incredibly goregeous. It does look like a painting. This is one for the gallery.

Wow... 45 comments and its only 10:45.

I'm having a hard time putting into words what this photo is projecting. I like very much, and my first instinct is to put it into the top few best photos. I'm going to do my best to deconstruct what's going on, but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to identify it as well as the photo deserves. Here we go...

The photo as a whole has a cast of "impending doom". The dark clouds look stormy. The light filtering through the cloudbreak adds an otherworldy sense, something almost spiritual about the scene. The colors are all subdued, but the red and bluish-green of the boardwalk are rich in contrast to the deep and somber bluish-gray of the sea and sky.

The most interesting aspect of the photo is the juxtaposition of the three women sitting on the blanket having lunch against a backdrop that looks like it is about break forth with all the fury of the wind and sea. The ordinariness of the picnic lunch seems a little out of place, especially so because a picnic is usually set in a scene with lots of sun and flowers and children playing. Although the circumstances of it are slightly different, its the same effect as the scene in Schindlers List where they are moving the Jews out of the Ghetto, killing large numbers and piling their bodies in the street. All throughout the scene, Spielberg has this little girl walking through the streets, mayhem all about her, the only figure in color amidst a sea of black and white.

I would also note that the somewhat spanish feel to the architectural reliefs in the wall, combined with the middle-eastern descent of the three women give the scene an exotic feel, as though the photo was made off the coast of Arabia. It adds to the surreal aspect of the image.

All in all, a very nice piece. Kuddos.

Having now read the comments, I would like to add a couple things. What I picked up on initially, but that was expressed much better by other people was the almost spiritual feel of the photo. That I think is because of the "Light from Heaven" coming out of the cloud break.

I was surprised to find out the photo wasn't post-adjusted for color and saturation. When shooting personally, I've found that the color balance and auto exposure settings usually expose to bright. Sunsets are often less glorious on the image until that has been corrected.

I really don't know what else to say that the other 50+ people haven't already said...so I'll just say: Unbelievable!

This shot is just absolutely the most breathtaking photo I have ever seen. I love how the drab color of the sky and the ocean meet with the excellent and bright color of the blanket and draw your eye into the scene. I love how the line of the carpet or other tile is going away and makes you wonder what's going on nextdoor.

an A+

...

It's beautiful--amazing--breath-taking. I just...

I'm seriously speechless.

-Tristan

Too much emotion for me to describe.
Wow.
I'll leave it at that.

This photo is simply stunning david. I don't even want to begin describing it in detail, but to me it just demonstrates the sheer power and beauty of this planet we live on. Obviously I know Blackpool well, and I can say that it is the most amazing picture of this beloved British coastline that I have ever seen.

Actually, just recently I have been hooked on Morriseys song 'Every day is like Sunday, where he sings "in the seaside town, that they forgot to close down armegeddon, come amargeddon come armageddon come' Maybe this is the picture that sums up that amazing song.

Brilliant.

This picture is very emmotional... I don't know why but I would choose "Faith" as the name for this shot.

good job

Dave,
When are you going to go professional with this work? Although this image is breathtaking you're wasting your talent doing this as a hobby.
Sharon

Great shot. Congratulations.

sweeping and intimate at the same time. it's beautiful, david.

I am continually amazed at the subjects you find and the wonderful way that you interpret them. Fantastic.

I dissagree with Sharon Woods. Just as soon as it becomes a profession, the joy of it and the freedom dissappear.

Don't really know what else to say about this. Incredible. Amazing work.

holy crap!!! 62 comments!!!

David, i bet you are saying the same thing right now...hehe...again...i'll say it...awesome shot.

Thank you :-)

Up until today my entry with the most comments was three sisters, with 39 comments. And at the time I thought that was quite astounding. But 64 comments (including this one) is almost unbelievable – I'm stunned. I will reply to everyone – as this is definitely a milestone worth remembering – but it's going to take me quite a few days to get through them all :-)

At various points today I've wondered where chromasia will go next: this was my 241st entry, and I think it will be quite some time before I manage something comparable. All of which, ironically, is a bit of a downer – I have three shots I can choose from for tomorrow, but none of them are up to the standard of this one. But I guess that's the point of blogging: chromasia isn't a gallery, it's a record of my photographic wanderings, and some shots are inevitably going to be better than others.

On which note I've decided which shot to put up tomorrow so will go write the text to go with it :-)

Dave, I'm going to respond to your e-mail privately but let me just say that out of all of the images you've posted thus far, this one, I think, takes your artistry to a different level.

The feeling evoked by this shot is ineffable,
as all the greats are, I think.

Bravo!

I know that Il'l be accused of being a spoiler but I think it's about time someone spoke the truth. Yea, it's a good shot alright, but it's a lucky shot and a not very skillful one. Just look at the exif data. Looks to me like the only decision David made, other than the composition, was the aperture setting. I don't agree with one of the commenters who said most of us would have walked on by without much noticing the unique quality of the light and colours. I think most of us would have noticed and if we'd had our cameras handy would have tried to get off a few shots of the scene before us. Any of us w/ith a half decent camera and a basic knowledge and skill leve with photoshop could have done just as well. He was at the right place at exactly the right time. Again, this is a photo worthy of some praise and I'm not criticizing it, but the fawning and bum kissing has got me nauseated. Must we really engage in a "deconstructing" exercise? BLAH!

color+contrast seem to be adjusted in zones...maybe just an artfully crafted moment...

It's simply a great shot. It's clear that great photographs happen because of both skill and luck, now whether this particular image happened because of one more than another is a moot point. One could also fall back on the old adage that a man (person) makes his own luck, and I suspect that is in part the case here. This isn't a shot that rises above the levels that professionals routinely put out, but it does compare and it certainly is 'better' in many people's eyes than a grand majority of the work you see in photoblogs. In any case, we should all be so 'lucky.'

I bet you'll get something for this photo at photofriday !

David, I wasn't going to comment on this as I felt as though everything had been said. But, having seen Rantorama's comment, I felt compelled to mention something which may seem trivial but which I believe shows this shot is not down to luck (as I'm sure most other people already appreciate.) In addition to all the great qualities about this shot, your horizon is so perfectly straight. This may not sound like a big deal, but given the conflicting lines of the sea wall, and the coloured path, so many people would have ended up with a sloping skyline (I know I am often guilty of this and I see it so often on other sites) and the impact of the picture would have been lost. I also believe people create their own luck and you have obviously put in the time and effort to develop your talent, spot these opportunities and capture them so well. I think it's a wonderful picture.

Haha..I just had a chuckle. I didn't want to know what they were sitting on..I meant the floor..is that a boardwalk? It looks carpeted to me.

you should have said...
brenda: its a towel, dumbass

This is a memorable image that acts to remind us that - regardless of whether silver-based or digital - photography is about light. And in answer to the few negative comments (which I'm glad people have the courage to post in the face of such praise) I would just quote from Louis Pasteur "Chance favours the prepared mind".
David, this reminds me of the style of Sebastião Salgado - but maybe membership of Magnum will not automatically be offered :-) - great picture though.

I think, something is wrong with my camera. We have almost the same model (mine is a G3) but it can't take pictures like this :(
Congratulations, excellent shot.

Just wanted to throw in my two bits that it rocks.

I feel just a little obligated to respond to rantorama, because he seemed to be referred to me specifically when he mentioned the "decontructing" excercise.

I would like to defend, for a moment, the idea of "deconstruction". I post comments like my previous two because deconstructing a good photo, whether taken intentionally or not, is helpful for learning to repeat the success later.

Art is something a lot of people don't understand beyond an "ooh pretty!" level. I would like to understand the deeper underpinnings of the impact graphical elements have on human perception and emotion. To do that you have to ask questions, form theories, test those theories and submit your ideas for criticism, and "deconstruction" is a vital part of that process.

On a different note, a large part of photography is about being in the right place at the right time. Extrordinary technical feats are rare these days. Most professional fine art photographers spend their time looking for that right moment and location so they can simply snap the photo and garner praise and money for their efforts. Don't fault David because he was at a place to make a photo at the right time and didn't make any technical mistakes. That is all anyone ever does. He did have a good eye though, and was gifted enough to see the moment. For that he deserves praise... and comments... :)

Just a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

One of these photos every once in a while that just become icons, at least in my little cosmovision. ;-)

For what it's worth, I don't agree with Rantorama at all. First of all, I think a good photographer kind of makes his own "luck", if you want to call it that. Being ready to seize an opportunity deserves a lot of credit, in my opinion.

And second, you'll always find pics that make you think "I could have done that". In the end, however, what counts is doing it, and in this case, David did it. As Woody Allen said: Eighty percent of success is showing up.

And what's wrong with people giving praise anyway?

Sorry Jason, didn't mean to single you out for criticism. Your term "deconstruct" just happened to come to mind when I was "constructing" my earlier remarks and I hadn't recalled specifically who had said it. What I really object to is the unthinking and uncritical nature of the comments that so often are posted to this site. I'm glad that fraxinus posted here, even though he didn't agree with me, so that I can use some of his photos as an example of what I consider a skillful and thoughtful capturing of the ineffable, exquisitely beautiful nature of the light before him. Check these photos in particular:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roy.hammans/photos/sculpt/sculpt_g05.html

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roy.hammans/photos/sculpt/sculpt_g01.html

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roy.hammans/photos/closed/closed_g03.html

Much more subtle than David's photo, and some fine examples of scenes that very likely would have escaped my attention and, dare I say it?, the attention even of the great David Nightingale. David's forte, in my opinion, is the clever composition, and that's a good thing. It's refreshing to look at the world through new eyes and from a fresh perspective. He is not, however, yet on the level of fraxinus and many other photographers/photobloggers I could name in terms of seeing the light and capturing it through the lens.

I don't think just because the horizon is so straight that means it was done intentionally. Sometimes people rotate them slightly so that they can appear straight.

Either way this is a very beautiful photo but I can't help wonder why would they be eating so comfortably if it looks like some heavy rain might be heading their way?

Let me say something about rantorama's comment

He is right in some sense, but I don't agree with him on his main point. What rantorama refers as "skills" is what I call "craft skills", and it's very important to distinguish craft from art. Very often, photographers get lost in pursuing craft skills and ignore the fact that craft is not entirely art. Artistic creation relies on craft skills but craft skills alone doesn't make good art.

Maybe the photo can be a little better if David uses F8 or F11 rather than F5.6. From the condition (1250 at F5.6 with evaluative metering) I can say it was quite bright during the day. The final result is at least 2 stops darker than the normal exposure. If David was able to "see" through the normal scene and had the final image already painted in his mind before he pointed the camera, he definitely has good "photographer's eyes". I think he was 80% sure. :-)

The main advantage of digital photography is you can shoot in RAW format, and develop the photo under all sorts of parameters. This, very importantly, frees the photographers from many laborious processes and makes them concentrate on other more important aspects of artistic creation. It was the same reason that SLR was created and widely used by photographers. And it was even the same reason photography was created and adopted at the very first place. If you really enjoy laborious process, try oil painting. :-)

Victor

It would be nice to see the original RAW

Art, being subjective, is open to layers of interpretation. Ultimately, though, its worth is measured by each viewer's emotional response. How the artist creates it is of little import in my opinion.

When I look at this photo, I don't compare it to anything. Technique is an afterthought. Same as when my toes are tapping to a particular song--I'm not thinking how the song could be improved by using acousting piano instead of electric; I'm just enjoying the beat.

--A.

I've driven just over 365 miles today, so am a bit washed out, but I just wanted to respond to a couple of the points raised by rantorama's comments:

First "… it’s a good shot alright, but it’s a lucky shot and a not very skilful one. Just look at the exif data. Looks to me like the only decision David made, other than the composition, was the aperture setting.".

As for skill: I wouldn't claim that this was a massively skilful shot, but I don't think you can infer that it lacked skill from the exif data. As vizchang noted in a later comment, "the main advantage of digital photography is you can shoot in RAW format, and develop the photo under all sorts of parameters". In short, the benefit of this format is that you can continue to manipulate the image after the shot has been taken. I know that some film purists consider this akin to cheating, but my aim as a photographer is interpretive; i.e. I'm not particularly inspired to produce literal, 'true' or photojournalistic records of those things I see around me, those things and scenes that fascinate me.

And to get back to the point: on the whole, providing a scene isn't too bizarrely lit, my camera's sensor will produce a RAW image that I can use to create the shot as I envisioned it. Sure, I could intentionally underexpose by two stops to produce a more moody scene, but there isn't any need to do this with a RAW image as the same effect can be achieved afterwards in a more controlled way.

"Again, this is a photo worthy of some praise and I’m not criticizing it, but the fawning and bum kissing has got me nauseated."

Blogs are a social space, much like any other.

As a parallel, imagine that you're on a busy street in a small suburban town. On one side of the street there's a post-office, a newsagents, a hairdressers, and a coffee shop, where you routinely stop on your way to work. On the other side is a row of six houses. All of them have well kept gardens, but one stands out as particularly well looked after and attractive. Indeed, as you sit drinking your morning coffee you often notice the husband and wife pottering about weeding, planting a new shrub, or mowing the lawn. What you also notice is that every once in a while a passer-by will stop and chat to the couple, maybe just admiring the garden in general, or commenting on a particular feature.

And this doesn’t strike you as the least bit odd.

Two alternative scenarios would seem strange though. In the first as many people as praise the garden also stop to criticise – "that shrub would look better over there", or "why do you cut your grass so short?" – you wouldn't really expect this to happen in this sort of social space. In the second alternative all the people who praised the garden are rounded up at the end of the street and accused of "fawning and bum kissing". Again, this would seem a little odd.

And to cut a long story short: I'm normally really pleased if 20 people comment on an image I put up, yet I have around 2700 visitors a day; i.e. less than one in a hundred leave a comment. So what you miss, and what might make you feel a little less nauseous, is that even though this image has received over 80 comments there were another 2620 people who strolled past without saying anything at all. So I guess that what I'm trying to say is that people treat blogs as a social space and bring with them expectations about what can be said, and what shouldn't be said.

And finally on this point: I often ask for (constructive) critique. Chromasia exists for a number of different reasons, but one of them is to enable me to produce better photographs, so anything that moves me forward is always well received.

"What I really object to is the unthinking and uncritical nature of the comments that so often are posted to this site".

… and:

"Must we really engage in a “deconstructing” exercise?"

I think if we're to avoid the former, without relapsing into stopping by just to say that an image is crap, then we need the latter. Photographs often 'speak' in a way that can't easily be translated into words, so "great shot, I love the colours" needn't be seen as unthinking, rather it's a short-hand way of acknowledging that something about the shot moved you to comment. If you want to go further than that then I think you do need some sort of deconstructive analysis.

And finally, thanks for the link to Roy's work, I particularly like the shot of the oyster fungus. But I had to laugh when I read that he considers the shot a "lucky accident" :-)

And to everyone else: thanks again. I suspect it will be quite some time before I put something up that attracts quite this many comments :-)

Well, I certainly understand your ego need, David, to defend your loyal fans, the people who trip over themselves to tell you how great your "art" is, but that doesn't get at my criticism of the uncritical nature of many of the posts to this site, and by "uncritical" I don't mean "Great shot, I love the colors." That sort of comment is perfectly okay in my book. I was referring to the bum kissing type of remarks, which in the context of this photo ARE nauseating if one would THINK for a moment about how it was produced. And I'm not at all advocating that folks stop by to say an image is crap. Even I didn't say that about this image, and I don't think it's crap. I quite like it. Notwithstanding your lesson in RAW imaging, you stated earlier that you made very few changes to the image other than a slight burning of the sky in Photoshop. And that again gets to my point that this was a lucky shot in the sense that you were in the right place at the right time and that there really wasn't a great deal of skill involved, as opposed to MOST of the shots on Roy's site.

And since you like analogies, I've got one for you too. You have a dog and a cat. The dog is easy to relate to because when you arrive home from work he races to greet you, jumps for joy, KISSES YOUR BUM, and licks your face 20 times. The cat, however, is a bit more reserved, pads over to you quietly after 20 minutes has passed, rubs herself once against your ankle, then sits staring up at you waiting to be fed. If you weren't familiar with the language of cats, you might conclude that the dog was more lovable, or loved you more. And you might be wrong.

The manner and circumstances in which a photograph is produced DO matter. You saw something in that moment that I maintain would have grabbed the attention of many of us, it being a very dramatic moment and one that we can easily relate to. Roy and others who speak the language of photography see things in a different way and see the more subtle, less dramatic moments, the moments many of us would miss or be unable to translate. And for me, that is the true artistry of photography.

Now I've had my say. Thanks for listening.

rantorama: I think we could probably go round and round with this one, and I do like anologies, but I suspect they won't get us too much further. But if you want to carry on this conversation via email I'd be happy to do so. In fact, I did try to email you earlier today but got the following error (three times):

----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<rantorama@wi.rr.com>
(reason: 550 5.1.1 unknown or illegal alias: rantorama@wi.rr.com)

... and while I'm happy for people to use pseudonyms on chromasia, I'd rather they didn't use fake email addresses.

Oh, and this isn't anything to do with my ego, or any supposed need to "defend [my] loyal fans – I'm sure they're more than capable of speaking for themselves if they wish to take issue with your comment – but it is about showing some courtesy to people who's opinions clearly differ from your own.

Try being a critic on some of these blogs sometime and see if you don't receive some very nasty hate mail, the reason I entered a fake email address here. I tried to post initially without an email address but your system wouldn't allow it. I'll be glad to contact you via email if you have something further to say on this subject, although I don't think it's necessary.

I hate the fact that most of this debate raged without me. :( I was going to email rantorama to avoid prolonging the discussion, but se la vie.

Rantorama, you made a couple of points I'd like to address because they interest me at a level of artistic understanding. You gave three examples of a photographer you considered superior to the current piece in question, and although I like all three pieces, by the own photographers admission, none of them were really intentional, nor did they display a lot of obvious technical skill, aside from the artists perception of what might be a good image.

Now to get to my point. I've taken photographs very similar to the ones you gave as examples. I have perhaps three images in Black and White that I consider very good, that are equal to or better than the ones you mentioned. Weather you agree with me here isn't the point, so I'll not bother to link them. My point is that having taken photos in the style you seem to prefer, I find myself hard pressed to duplicate the kind of images David produces regularly on chromasia.com. I'm inclined to think much of your latter argument regarding Davids skill level is a matter of taste, more so than objective experience.

Regarding the more frequent comments that fall into the line of, "Awesome! I love it!", I'd like to offer a defense. As a photographer, I crave the kind of deconstruction I sometimes post here and other places. But it takes time and a fair amount of effort produce that kind of deconstruction of an image. Often, if an image stands out from the usual 25 or so photoblogs that I frequent, but I'm too tired to busy to offer a deconstruction, I will post something banal like, "Nice work! I love horses." or "How *insert adjective here*. Kuddos." Just because a comment of any kind is a vote of confidence for an image.

A lot of what I post on is tied to my personal tastes at the moment though. I may see a great composition, but it might be a landscape, and I might be more interested in street photography at the moment. Most photographic styles have widely varying degrees of what is important.

All that to say, I think its great to have both the "butt kissing" and the "critical" type of comments about ones work. You should simply keep in mind that the "butt kissing" comments indicate that the person posting the comment has an affinity for the type of photo posted, and you may not.

Hi Jason. First of all, thanks for your thoughtful comments. I have to take issue with your first point, however, that the photographer whose photos I linked admitted that "none of them were really intentional." That just is not the case, with the exception of the "fungus" photo. His commentary on the other two made no reference one way or another regarding his intention, and I therefore assume he succeeded in capturing what he set out to capture. With regard to the photographer's skill level, I've tried to point out the quality that distinguishes, for me, those three photographs from the ordinary. Unfortunately, I'm not a teacher, I'm not very learned in photography, and I don't have a particular way with words, so perhaps I have failed in that regard if you don't see in them what I see.

Your point about personal taste and the subject matter one is interested in at the moment I find a bit difficult to relate to. When I browse the photoblogs or pick up photography books in the bookstore, or go to a showing in a photo gallery, I don't limit my viewing, or appreciation, to a particular subject matter or feel indifferent to subject matter that isn't "of the moment" for me personally.

As for the "bum kissing" comments, it's the over-the-top, gratuitous flattery that really rings my bell, and the sense I get from the owner of this photoblog that he invites and welcomes that sort of thing, notwithstanding his protestations to the contrary. Most of us are fairly perceptive creatures, we know what's expected of us and we're eager to please, so we respond accordingly. And I'll leave it at that.

Thanks again, Jason.

WoW! Fantastic! Oh, I wish I were there~

"… it’s the over-the-top, gratuitous flattery that really rings my bell, and the sense I get from the owner of this photoblog that he invites and welcomes that sort of thing, notwithstanding his protestations to the contrary."

If I have then it certainly wasn't intentional. I like comments that confirm the worth of a given shot, but I also enjoy those comments that offer a positive critique. In fact, it's the latter that are most useful to me as a photographer.

"...this was a lucky shot in the sense that you were in the right place at the right time and that there really wasn’t a great deal of skill involved..."

Are you freaking kidding me? I'm baffled and just amazed at this comment. It makes me laugh and depressed at the same time. I'm not sure if you know, but photography can also be about spontaneity. Hell, I guess you're not a fan of street photography. You'd probably hate Quarlo. This is the most ignorant comment I've seen in quite a while. If you can't even understand this simple concept of photography, you probably shouldn't be commenting on it at this level.

"..I’m not sure if you know, but photography can also be about spontaneity."

I so agree. Ansel Adams is a great example. When he took the shot of New Mexico, I believe that is the title damn. He was driving, the sun was going down, he had to quickly set up his tripod, meanwhile the sun was still going down. He captured it. A one time shot. By the time he tried to kick off another shot it was over. It became one of his most famous prints.

Sorry I'm late to the show. Not to irk some readers but all I have to say this is an outstanding capture. Regardless how.

I try to make a rule. When surfing, if a picture gets any type of response from me like: ooh; ahh; damn!; I'm jealous!; I always try to respond even if its just to say "great job". And I don't see anything wrong with that.

Certain sites like this one, well, the majority are fantabulous and I would sound silly after awhile. There are times when you just have to stop and comment.. such as this. Okay. I'm done.

Wow! amazing!

My last comment on this thread, I swear!

It might be worth pausing to consider, rantorama, what else chromasia is going to do with comments that gush? If you want people to feel welcome, then you say thanks and greet people and do your best to make them feel at home, so to speak.

Also, you can't really know what David's true motivations are, or whether he "invites and welcomes" bum kissing "notwithstanding his protestations to the contrary." Even if you do get a "sense" that he feels that way. You come dangerously close to slander, which is different from a critique of his photography.

All in all, this has been a rousing discussion which I've enjoyed tremendously. All the best to you all.

incredible!

"...it’s the over-the-top, gratuitous flattery that really rings my bell, and the sense I get from the owner of this photoblog that he invites and welcomes that sort of thing, notwithstanding his protestations to the contrary."

Having had a number of years working with and around other artists I've found there is an incredible amount of jealousy and backbiting surrounding the entire visual arts industry (and probably every OTHER industry as well) Praise is often a rare commodity and if people prefer to be positive and express what they like about a particular image, so be it, that sort of thing can do nothing but good in an enviroment already drenched with both valid and invalid criticism.

"Most of us are fairly perceptive creatures, we know what’s expected of us and we’re eager to please, so we respond accordingly. And I’ll leave it at that."

Maybe I'm reading you incorrectly here, but it seems to me you just insinuated that anyone who leaves a comment that you consider mere "flattery" is basically being a simple-minded follower and not having any particular real thought or opinion on the imagery and just placating. Maybe these people really just like something about said image. Deceptively simple? or just bloody obvious?

i couldn't stand seeing the comments total stuck at 99 so here it is, the #100 over-the-top, gratuitous flattery abd bum-kissing comment.... nice photo david.
-kyle

sorry it took so long...i've been staring at this photo for a few days now. i haven't slept or ate in a few days, cause i was stuck with my jaw open in front of my computer. thanks a lot...now because of you, i might lose my job...and a lot of weight,
=p

i don't think i can really say anything that hasn't already been said a hundred times before (literally).

wow, great shot...

i came back to this shot again (it's so darn good) and you've got one hundred and two comments. that has got to be some kind of record!:)

i envy you; for your shooting style, for your comments, and for your imagination. keep it up!

Dave -- sorry, I don't have time to deconstruct :-) I'm just getting off the road after traveling nearly 5000 miles in less than 65 hours... However, I have to say -- this is by far one of my most favorite Chromasia shots ... it's you... great work -- I love it ---

Please send this shot to a magazine or newspaper, David.
Time to start photography as a career methinks.
I wanna go shooting with you some day just to see you do this thing you do.

This is an amazing photo. Absolutely breathtaking.

I am still thumbing through your photos, and will continue to do so as I see here a lot to be learned. Do we ever stop learning? I have noticed that many of your photos are burned in top and bottom. I like the effect of isolation that it provides to the central subject as in this photo. The ominous black clouds in the background lends to this isolationism. One has the sense or feeling that we are viewing a world populated by only two people. The empty space in the foreground with lines leading the eye back to the subject is apparent. The solid earthy colors that recede from dark to light as the eye is drawn in toward the subjects lends to the atmosphere of approaching threat from the storm clouds in the background. Perhaps a prophetic scene from after the Rapture(?) comes to mind. The clear gray path leading out of the frame to the viewers left may represent a path of escape from the approaching danger - although the couple are not yet aware that a path exists to safety. This scene cannot be represented as true to nature. I would be interested to know what techniques and program you used to achieve the enhancement of the original digital image.

Holy Shit! That's a nice shot!

I know I'm coming into this discussion about three months too late, and it's unlikely that anyone will actually read this comment, but I do want to reply to Rantorama's comments about "bum-kissing", etc. Not everyone is able to provide constructive criticism as you can. Personally, I don't know enough about photography to be able to "deconstruct" a photo and suggest improvements or even (for the most part) express what bothers me about a particular shot. I can tell when I enjoy a photo, however, though I may not know what makes the photo good. I'd rather not post some pseudo-intellectual critique of a photo if all I know is that it looks good to me. If I don't particularly like a photo I'll usually just pass over it; after all, there's no real use in simply telling the photographer "I don't like it". Giving positive feedback, on the other hand, will often encourage the photographer even if it doesn't help him to take better photos. It just seems fair that if I've really enjoyed a photo I should leave some token of my appreciation.

By the way, I love this photo.
[/bum-kissing]

Well 6 months later it is still apealing.
Is there not something rising very very far away ?

Talk about arriving late...

Yes, good shot. A lot of photography (not all), I think, is being in the right place at the right time, but doing so usually takes some work. Coupled with some decent technical knowledge, and a good eye, being at the right place at the rigt time can lend quite a nice photograph.

Also, I agree with those above who have pointed out that photography is quite subjective. None of the images that rantorama posted earlier really srike me. Not that they're not good...I'm sure they are, but to me, they don't evoke anything inside that really screams "great shot!!". Good, but not great.

...and so the discussion continues...

I was left speechless by what I saw here. Notwithstanding my already existing awe of the power of the image ( I am a graduating student of graphic design ), this piece has caused me to think about photography in a new way.

I believe that all true art must be spiritual in one form or another, and this piece has proven to me beyond doubt that photography can indeed transcend the boundaries of its mechanical self and become something new, something deeply spiritual and metaphysical. I see so much in this image, and yet I am not able to describe it in words. It is not a photograph, it is an experience.

Thank you.

It takes someone with a particular awareness of his surroundings to be able to realise the potential in a certain situation with regard to composition. This ability goes hand in hand with being able to appreciate lighting for that given composition, and expose an image of that unique moment. Personally, I am of the opinion that until an image is 'published' its content is fully under the artist's control, and colour correction, image manipulation etc. are part and parcel of creating the final image. From beginning to end, this is an entirely artistic process, with no luck involved.

This is an incredible shot, and inspires me immensely. Well... the whole site does! My shutter-button finger is itching as I type!

To allow oneself to be party to magic.

To do the long apprenticeship of magics, the uncomprehended as well as the known, the inner and the outer...

I am but a conduit for the various whimsical speakingswhisperings of magic.

Often not fully understanding myself just how exactly it is that I make what I make.

Or even if I do.

for me 'space' isn't better than this image so I'm putting on another comment ;-)

This is still the best shot on the site. There are later images that are brighter, more vivid. sharper and better composed but no other landscape holds the eye like this one.

Davd i've been looking through all of the photos I could find and I just wanted to say that your work is truly inspiring. Thank you for creating this site and sharing all of these wonderful pictures.

Davd i've been looking through all of the photos I could find and I just wanted to say that your work is truly inspiring. Thank you for creating this site and sharing all of these wonderful pictures.

I am breathless... Your photographs evoke such a tirade of emotions in me.

wow.

It's funny how some of your family album pics rather than your chromasia pics lead on those with the most coments. Babies are a miracle I grant you but not sure that Fin deserves the top spot over the likes of this or SG for example.

"... not sure that Fin deserves the top spot over the likes of this or SG for example."

Photographically, no, but chromasia is as much a blog as it is a gallery.