Into the Abyss by taffy

Into the Abyss

Jo, my get pushed partner this week, asked me to experiment with negative space. This is attempt #2. Taken looking west tonight on Lake Michigan.
gorgeous, i love it! in particular the horizon line is unusual and wonderful
August 9th, 2014  
Love the simplicity... something I find hard to achieve... the high key image is a fav!
August 9th, 2014  
@joeymc Here's attempt #2 -- for this one, I went much brighter in tones

@newbank @sullivar @888rachel @pamknowler @golftragic Hi Mentor Group -- here's my b&w working with very low contrast. Any thoughts?
August 9th, 2014  
@kwind I was thinking tonight as I looked at your photos of your daughters and their friends just how different our 'water' views are, and how differently I look at the difficulty of navigating open sea versus our lake. Yet Lake Michigan is considered one of the most dangerous - especially for sailing -- because of unpredictable shifting winds. Anyway, your images have such drama to them. Our lake seemed so pond-like tonight!
August 9th, 2014  
Very cool shot! Great use of negative space as well :)
August 9th, 2014  
amazing composition... fav
August 9th, 2014  
HEW
this is beautiful! so serene
August 9th, 2014  
Amazing composition and processing. Superb.
August 9th, 2014  
I don't want to sound too positive, but that is great negative space :)
Fave!
August 9th, 2014  
Well done, lol @karlow75
August 9th, 2014  
Great shot
August 9th, 2014  
Pretty! Wonderful tones and composition.
August 9th, 2014  
Awesome. Frame that one.
August 9th, 2014  
Very nice, cool composition and processing
August 9th, 2014  
Nice shot
August 9th, 2014  
Sublime. Such an appropriate title. Your placement of the kayaker definitely allows for negative space that suggests the vastness of a Great Lake.
August 9th, 2014  
Very peaceful and calm looking. Think that comes from both the processing, composition and subject. Wel executed Taffy.
August 9th, 2014  
Great positioning of the person, it really does make him / her look all alone in a big world.
August 9th, 2014  
@taffy That is a stunning use of b&w Taffy. I can't fault the image, it speaks solitude and peace and I just love it. I've gotta fav it.
August 9th, 2014  
Spectacular capture to meet the negative space criteria.
August 9th, 2014  
Stunning Taffy
August 9th, 2014  
fav!
August 9th, 2014  
fab compo and editing
August 9th, 2014  
Love this Taffy I think you nail it fav
August 9th, 2014  
Love the composition and simplicity
August 9th, 2014  
Love it. Fav
August 9th, 2014  
Jo
Oh wow, this is an amazing shot. The negative space is brilliant and the kayaker looks so alone in that vast lake. Definitely a fav.
August 9th, 2014  
Love this B&w. Great negative space
August 9th, 2014  
This is great, Taffy. Almost appears hi-key. I'm assuming that's what you mean by the brighter tones. To do this and not wash it out just fascinates me.
August 9th, 2014  
Wow, great image :-)
August 9th, 2014  
A great composition. Fav.
August 9th, 2014  
lovely high key shot and great use of negative space - fav
August 9th, 2014  
Simply brilliant, not only for the challenge, but as an image in it's own right....perfect positioning of the rower, perfect in simplicity and perfect hi-key processing. I don't fave many images nowadays, but this one I must!
August 9th, 2014  
Stunning picture. Congratulations on making the Trending Page. Well deserved.
August 9th, 2014  
Beautiful minimalism.
August 9th, 2014  
Fantastic shot! Fav
August 9th, 2014  
Beautiful
August 9th, 2014  
FAV -- truly fabulous. Hooray for Jim.
August 9th, 2014  
Fav. Well done.
August 9th, 2014  
This is such a beautiful image Taffy!! Such a peaceful shot. Huge Fav!!

Just a query - you say this is very low contrast and Eric @ericdibosco says perfect Hi-key processing. Are these one and the same?
@taffy @newbank@sullivar @888rachel @golftragic
August 9th, 2014  
@pamknowler @taffy @newbank@sullivar @888rachel @golftragic @ericdibosco Eric may be able to shed light on this. My understanding is that high key and low contrast aren't the same thing technically, because high key has to do with the values of the blacks/whites/grays. But, low contrast in bright conditions -- to me -- is indistinguishable from high key. So, I think that it's more like a venn diagram where some low contrasts are high key shots, but low contrasts using darker shades would not constitute high key. It might be the case (Eric?) that all high key are by definition, also low contrast. If anyone else knows...please weigh in.
August 9th, 2014  
I love this. Fav
August 9th, 2014  
Stunning thought it was one of @joemuli 's shots. Fav.
August 9th, 2014  
I thought it was one of Joey's too! Nice shot Taffy. I really like the composition.
August 9th, 2014  
This works very well, the boat being nicely positioned on the thirds and the clear break between the water and the sky.
August 9th, 2014  
Awesome example of negative space.
August 9th, 2014  
Nice negative space image.
August 9th, 2014  
Lovely image, very tranquil
August 9th, 2014  
Love it! FAV!
August 10th, 2014  
Love this! I'd frame this - it's mesmerizing
August 10th, 2014  
I think that it works very well! The low contrast gives the scene such a dream-like quality and I think that it increases the sense of isolation and the expansiveness of the scene - a higher contrast might have detracted from that. I also love the placement of the kayaker, it helps maximize the spaciousness of the lake. I'm sorry this isn't particularly helpful, but there's not a thing I'd change!
August 10th, 2014  
You should frame it and hang in the bed rm- so peaceful :)
August 10th, 2014  
great use of negative space
August 10th, 2014  
@hjbenson Thanks Harry!

@karlow75 This may be one of my favorite comments of all time -- very clever, Kane!
August 10th, 2014  
@taffy haha, I'm glad you found it amusing :))
August 10th, 2014  
Really super, love it. I'll bet it would look amazing tinted a blue tone. Fav!
August 10th, 2014  
@amandal Thanks Amanda! Here are two I did the same night and posted on Flickr using a blue tint: https://www.flickr.com/photos/taffyraphael/14683507268/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/taffyraphael/14683558377/in/photostream/
Think this one would benefit?
August 10th, 2014  
Yup, blue made em magic.
August 10th, 2014  
LOVED the second one with the mountains.
August 10th, 2014  
@amandal Thanks so much!! The mountains actually are just the south end of High Island -- about 4.5 miles across Lake Michigan from our beach. And High, but not really a mountain. Mostly hills/sand dunes filled with knee high poison ivy! And House of David ruins.
August 10th, 2014  
Taffy, this is amazing!!! Wonderful high key effect. Has a real sense of loneliness doesn't it Very effective processing. Super FAV
August 10th, 2014  
The longer I look at this the more I love it. Must go and look at your Flickr shots now :)
August 10th, 2014  
@pamknowler @taffy Oh, I wouldn't really know! I only came across the high-key and low-key terms through my 365 participation. As I understood, high-key means a predominantly white image with little tonal variance, whether low contrast like this one of Taffy's, or with high contrast like this zebra of mine http://365project.org/ericdibosco/365/2014-04-11. Looking at the dictionary definition (dictionary.reference.com) of "having chiefly light tones, usually with little tonal contrast", I'm not so sure that my zebra qualifies, but this one certainly does. But again, I am no expert on this! :)
August 10th, 2014  
Lovely image.
August 10th, 2014  
brilliant
instant fav
August 10th, 2014  
Love the use of negative space and the proportions. Fav
August 11th, 2014  
so zen.
August 11th, 2014  
Really like the b and w, the simplicity but the horizon is slightly off level and I wonder re cropping off some sky so horizon is closer the third line?
August 12th, 2014  
@jgpittenger I cropped it a bit and think it works well. You were right -- I didn't believe it wasn't level but in picmonkey, using the grid, it was off a bit. I'm impressed with your eye!
August 12th, 2014  
Jo
What a great shot Taffy, simply but beautiful.
August 13th, 2014  
I missed this shot in its simplicity, fabulous use of negative space and congrats on TT!
August 15th, 2014  
SO favulous Taffy...another congrats on TT
August 15th, 2014  
There is such a lot to love about this - congrats on the TTs - fav
August 15th, 2014  
oooo this is a killer image, fav
August 15th, 2014  
Congrats on double TT - fav
August 15th, 2014  
Tia
Totally fablous! I would love this on my wall! Fav
August 15th, 2014  
Congrats on the TT ...... this is gorgeous! :D
August 15th, 2014  
I love this, very deserving of TT, congrats Taffy!
August 16th, 2014  
Must have missed this one, as I am so far behind. Awesome shot, saw it on the TT!
August 16th, 2014  
Wow - I didn't see this one - must have gone past at the wrong time. Its so simple and so beautiful! Fav
August 17th, 2014  
Amazing.... perfectly done, Taffy. FAV
August 17th, 2014  
This is just awesome, Taffy! Love this!
August 19th, 2014  
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