Forgotten Childhood Memories...

[jiro]

forgotten childhood memories by jiro bau, on Flickr

Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D70, 50mm f1.8D lens, Exposure set at f2.8 at 1/2000 sec in Manual Mode. Matrix Metering used, NEF File to Jpeg conversion via ACDSEE pro, Post-processing done inside Adobe Photoshop.

[MiniChris]

I like the nostalgia of the shot but am wondering if the small triangle at the lower front right were a bit darker, if it wouldn't draw the eye only to the baseball. I find that after looking at the ball, I go about exploring the bright green dandelion leaf which points straight to the ball and that becomes problematic as the only focal point.

[jiro]

Thank you, Chris on your comment. If I may, I'd like to give you a background regarding this image. I am also a member of another forum. Being a newbie (me) to digital photography we have some assignments to make if we want to learn some aspects of photography. On this assignment, our goal is to make a shot of anything but with a definite rule - it has to be within 12 steps forward from the back door of your house. If you don't have a back door or space behind it then 12 steps forward from your front door would suffice. Once you've made the 12 steps you have to look around and see if something attracts your creativity and practice using your "photographic eye". Some of the members on that forum saw leaves, bark of the tree, grasses, etc. What I saw was this old soft ball. This shot was not "orchestrated" or planned. I just looked at the way the light shines on it and capitalize on that. Personally, I don't think that single leaf attracts too much attention to itself. It might probably even be considered as a "leading line" for the soft ball being out of focus (I am talking about the leaf). I could clone it out later and if I like the result I will post it here. Thanks for your objective comment on this one.

[MiniChris]

I don't know that it needs to be cloned out, only diminished in value. It does serve as a pointer, but since it has nearly the same tonal value as the ball, there is an immediate conflict to importance.
I like the assignment and might use it with my students this coming spring. I'll pick a place like the ballfield and give them fifteen feet from any base. It is a good way to force the shooter to look for the shot instead of hoping the shot will find the photographer...if that were the case, not many good photos would ever be taken.

[jiro]

I don't know that it needs to be cloned out, only diminished in value. It does serve as a pointer, but since it has nearly the same tonal value as the ball, there is an immediate conflict to importance.

Chris, if you may, kindly educate me on this one. When you said "... since it has nearly the same tonal value as the ball" are you referring to ball and the leaf's exposure value based on the zone system? This is the only analogy that I can think of to interpret your comment. I have NikSoftware's Silver Efex Pro. Inside Silver Efex Pro the "neutralized" image (in "tones" of black and white) can show me from Zone I to X where all these shades of gray lies in the image.

As for the ball, the highlights (brightest part) falls on Zone VIII. The shadow areas on the ball falls at Zone II, III, and IV. The majority of the single leaf falls at Zone V (about 85% of the leaf). I hope I am not missing something here. Are you referring on the brighter side of the ball or on the darker side of the ball being almost in the same tonal value as the single leaf? I would love to hear your comment on this one so I can understand this idea further. Thank you.

[Colin Southern]

I'm afraid that the thing that catches my eye the most is the relatively large and bright copyright message in the bottom left

[jiro]

I'm afraid that the thing that catches my eye the most is the relatively large and bright copyright message in the bottom left

I'm sorry. I'll make it smaller next time. Thanks.

[Colin Southern]

It's something I'm somewhat passionate about, but my suggestion is to put it in the matte surrounding a photo, if the need is felt to put it anywhere at all. For what it's worth, I gave up putting them on my images a log long time ago as all they achieved was ruining the photo for approx 100% of people, with effectively no "upside" (trivial matter to clone it out if anyone wanted to steal it).

[jiro]

Will this work?


the forgotten ball2 by jiro bau, on Flickr

[MiniChris]

I was really comparing the leaf's value more to being on an equal with the brightest part of the ball's face...and doing it visually,rather than mathmatically. I like what you have now better than what you had before as I feel like my eye now wants to stay on the ball and now, to know it's story. The leaf still serves as a pointer in its own way...and, I would take it yet another value down. I think you can see by changing it's value to where you have it now, and that it isn't needed to make your overall statement, you could lose it altogether and never miss it...but that's my thought.
I am out of town and have no editing software with me, or I would have given it a shot, myself...what I have done is sit back about 18" from the monitor and let my forefinger block the leaf...viola, it isn't at all needed, and in fact, improves when gone because the ball directs the motion of the eye rather than it's surroundings and in that, the simple back motion of the smaller blades of grass to the right of the ball do that quite nicely.