Results and Feedback for the "Impressionism" Weekly Photography Assignment

[keithsnell]

Thank you to everyone that participated in the "Impressionism" assignment.  The guidelines for this assignment were to create an image in the style of impressionism.  Impressionists emphasized color over "line" in an attempt to re-create the sensation felt by the viewer of the original subject (to recreate the "impression" of a subject), rather than recreating the object itself.  One of the primary goals of impressionists was to emphasize the "play of light" on the subject or scene, and the techniques employed emphasized vivid overall effects rather than details.  
 
This was another assignment where I had a difficult time choosing a favorite.  As a matter of fact, I voted for my favorite, but then changed my mind after considering what image best conveyed the style of impressionism.  

Dave's Woods-Lined Bank and Cabin kicked off the assignment with a beautiful image that emphasized the play of light on the scene, which was the primary emphasis of the impressionists.  This image was a great inspiration, and made me resolve to concentrate more on the play of light in my future images.

Woods-Lined Bank and Cabin
Photographed by Dave Leiker (prairiedust)

Michele's Interpretation of Impressionism emphasized color and softly defined forms to convey a beautiful impression of spring of flowers.  I appreciate that Michele described how she created this image.  We had an interesting discussion in the Gallery about the various compositions until Michele decided on this composition.  I found it fascinating that simply rotating this image changed the "mood" of the image.  You can see how "weight" and empty space come into play in an image by rotating this image and observing the overall change in mood.  

Interpretation of Impressionism
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

Lars' FlowerPower was a striking image that used bold colors and post processing to replicate the broad brush strokes of unmixed, high contrast colors of the impressionist style.  Lars did a wonderful job creating a three dimensional sense of depth that was greater than life.

FlowerPower
Photographed by Lars

Lars' Walking out from Photoshop image was a very successful creation in the impressionist style.  Not only did his post-processing techniques in Photoshop replicate the vibrant colors and broad brush strokes of that style, but they also emphasized the "play of light," reminding me of several paintings by Manet.  In addition, this is a great "study" of everyday life, and as with many of the great impressionist works created in Paris in the early 1800s, I found myself wondering what social commentary was implied by the image. As several people commented, it is an unusual composition in that the man is walking out of the image, which flies in the face of normal convention.  However, it is this break with convention that strengthens the sense that there is an implied symbolism associated with the man leaving the scene, and this sense is reinforced by the man's downward gaze, his slight slump, and his reliance on a cane.  I think is was both the implied social commentary and the wonderful recreation of the style of impressionism that resulted in this image being selected as People's Choice.  This is an intriguing and thought provoking image, and I've awarded it Editor's Choice for Artistic Merit.

Walking out from photoshop
People's Choice and Editor's Choice for Artistic Merit
Photographed by Lars

Sue's Rasta Rick was a fun image that reminded me a bit of our weekly assignment way back in October of 2008 where we tried to reduce each image to the bare minimum required to convey "The Essence" of our subject.  It is fascinating how little detail it required to convey Rick's personality in this image.  Studying images like this can help us to recognize how sometimes stripping a composition down to the bare essentials can result in more effectively conveying the essence of our subject.

Rasta Rick
Photographed by Sue Pepin

Michele's Backyard Tree, softer image reminded me most of Monet's later works, most specifically his Haystacks series which dealt primarily with the perception of light.  Michele created several different renditions of this image, some with harder light, and this one softer, in an attempt to replicate the style.  Although this image comes close, I think the version with the "harder" light might have been a better portrayal of the light; however, the area below the tree in the harder image was very distracting, and based on our discussions in the gallery Michele ended up posting this softer version.

Backyard tree softer
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

Here's the "harder" image, which had better defined light, but had a distracting "double vision" effect in the area below the tree that caused my eyes to continually struggle to focus:

Backyard tree (original "harder" version)
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

In an effort to retain the well defined light and beautiful colors, but "soften" the distracting detail in the area below the tree, I modified the image with the "dry brush" filter in Photoshop, to obtain this effect:

Backyard tree (original "harder" version, modified by Keith with dry brush filter)
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

At least with the "dry brush" version, we've managed to retain the character of the light, while eliminating the "double vision" effect in the area below the tree that caused my eyes to continually struggle to focus.  What do you think?

As a last thought, I liked the play of shadows and light in the grass below the tree, but felt that the bright green grass in the immediate foreground stole too much of the viewer's attention from the primary subject, and so tried this crop:

Backyard tree (original "harder" version, modified by Keith with dry brush filter)
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder, dry brush and crop applied by Keith

Marilyn's Wind chime before the storm was an evocative image that successfully conveyed the feeling of a moment before the storm.  At first glance I thought the wind chime was a "spirit catcher" and that sense stayed with me as I viewed the image.  This image has a "presence" and life to it that makes it seem as if it is an image of more than just inanimate objects.  I can easily imagine the wind and the sway of the trees, (and music of the wind chimes) from the approaching storm.  I think many of us were challenged to create an image in the style of impressionism straight out of the camera (without resorting to Photoshop), and Marilyn successfully pulled it off with this image, with its wonderful sense of movement and light.  I've awarded this image Editor's Choice for Technical Merit.  

Wind chime before the storm
Editor's Choice for Technical Merit
Photographed by Marilyn McKinney

Michele's Impression of Lauren was an ethereal high key image that evoked the feeling of a child's fantasy.  Well done Michele!

Impression of Lauren
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

I enjoyed Lars' image of My spanish guitarra gently moving, and somehow the image captured Lars' affection for the guitar.  I can imagine the beautiful music Lars and his guitarra make together.

My spanish guitarra gently moving
Photographed by Lars

My Impression of Tulips image was an attempt to recreate the style of impressionism "out of the camera" without resorting to modifications in Photoshop.  I shot the scene with the tulips backlit by the mid-morning sun in order to replicate the distinct changes in tonality common to impressionism.  I also wanted to capture the rough forms of the tulips without the realism of too much detail, and so focused in front of the tulips in order to produce the appropriate amount of blur on the tulips in the background, trying to make them appear as if they were daubs of paint on a canvas.  
 

Impression of Tulips
Photographed by Keith

I thought Dave Leiker's description of Rebecca's Water Garden image as "romantic impressionism" was very appropriate.  It's a simple, calming image, and evokes memories of wonderful, relaxing strolls through the garden in a gentle rain.

Water Garden
Photographed by Rebecca

Dave Leiker's Rainy Day in Arkansas image had wonderful depth, and as I commented in the gallery, I can almost smell the rain and the damp leaves, and hear the patter of the raindrops.  This image evokes memories of a cold, wet, wonderful day I spent photographing in a forest outside of Yellowstone.  It was a different forest, but it is amazing that this image was so successful at bringing back the memories of the smells and sounds from that day.  This image is the one from the assignment that most makes me want to step into the scene and go exploring, which is one of the highest compliments I can give.  The opening in the forest on the right side of the image really draws me in.  This is an outstanding image, both technically and artistically, and the post-processing is exquisite.

Rainy Day in Arkansas
Photographed by Dave Leiker (prairiedust)

Marilyn's Salt Flats image was a wonderful example of how atmospheric perspective (haze) can be used to convey a sense of distance and depth.  As others mentioned in the image comments in the gallery, the wonderful layering, and the way that the salt flats accented the light were what made this picture a success.  Great eye, and wonderful composition Marilyn!

Salt Flats
Photographed by Marilyn McKinney

Thank you again to everyone that submitted such wonderful images for the assignment.  This was one of my favorite assignments, and your amazing images made my week.  

Keith

[marilyn]

As always, thanks so much for the great feedback on all of the images, Keith.  I learn so much from all the commentary and question posing throughout the week as we find ourselves challenged, intrigued, and educated through the community.  Amazing photographers populate this site!  Then your comments at the end are icing on the cake.  I loved so many of the images from this assignment.  Very inspiring.

[Lars]

Thanks all 

I saw this man passing by my windows
It was something special with him.
So i grab my camera and toke a snapshot just as he
almost walking out of sight.

Lars

[Michele]

First of all, thank you, Keith, for all that effort on my backyard tree.  Your work on it helped the image and rendered it really pretty.  I have to say that what I learned about moving the camera for a photograph is.... don't...  unless you are panning something that is moving.  I also learned that I should leave impressionism to the impressionists.

Thank you also for all the work you put into this.  I found that voting for this assignment hard too.  

I thought walking out on photoshop really good because it was emotional.  There really was something about that man that walked by.  Very cool photo, Lars.

I really liked Marilyn's photo too because her movement with the camera was really well done.  How the movement was everywhere but the center was so clear and still.

Your tulips were gorgeous.  The other colors of red and orange in the back was so beautiful too.  (At first, I thought it was a red car going by behind the trees until I saw that they were flowers too.)

Rebecca's photo was so pretty, it would be an amazing location for a couple kissing under the tree.  It has such a romantic feel to it.

The one that I voted for, however, was Rainy Day in Arkansas.  What is funny about this is that I thought it was done by a new member.  I should have recognized that it was Dave but I didn't until just now.  I love that photo.   You can almost feel those leaves squishing under the boots and the greens of the leaves are really something.  Also, the lighting in the back of the forest with the hazy look and the different hue of in the color of those leaves was really interesting to me because it is lighter in the back of the photo than in the front.  The bark also has a sheen and sharpness to it that really looked very wet.

Not that everyone needs more comments after your feedback but I couldn't help myself.

I am always learning with these assignments.  More and more about myself and photography.  Everyone has a style.  I haven't found mine yet but I now know that it is not impressionism although I love impressionist paintings.  I am still trying to find my niche and I love the journey getting there.  Thank you, Keith, for helping me find my way.

[keithsnell]

Thank you everyone for your comments and feedback, and for sharing your wonderful images with us all.

I do apologize for being a little late with the assignment posts this week.  Rebecca and I photographed school portraits yesterday, and so it was a very busy day that put me a bit behind schedule with the website.  I will get the new assignment for this week posted and front page updated by this evening.

Keep inspiring me with your wonderful images!

Keith

[prairiedust]

It is a energetic set of images. It's been a crazy busy week for me and didn't give as much attention to individual images as they deserved. But everyone's comments help me look at the works in new ways.  Early on, Marilyn's Wind Chime Before the Storm snuck by me barely noticed, but as I returned to the site from time to time, my appreciation of it deepened. The art and magic of it is beautifully balanced by its subtlety. It's poetic, impressionistic, musical, and very well done.

[marilyn]

Thanks, Dave!  Those comments are much appreciated and valued from someone whose work I really admire.  I know about crazy -- didn't even get a wild assignment up.  Waiting for the rhythm of the universe to change....