Posted on Jan.14, 2011, under Abstract

(Nikon D700, 28-300mm at 150mm, ISO 200, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f/16)

I’ve always been attracted to images with a strong graphical quality, whether they are color or black and white. When I was wandering around our cruise ship I had my eye out for subjects which might make interesting subjects. This image was taken from a bridge which overlooked the pools on the Freedom of the Seas. The pools have a variety of colored elements which make for interesting visuals. For this shot I simply pointed down at a portion of the pool and attempted to capture an interesting pattern of shape and color.

Processing of the image involved bringing out the color that I experienced when I took the shot. The day was bright so some of the color was washed out in the raw file. Adding some black in Lightroom brought back most of the color. I played with a couple of different processing options. In one attempt I used Topaz Adjust to bring out additional contrast in the shot. This had the effect of highlighting the grain on the handrail as well as the grain on the deck. It also brought out more detail in the water. However, I decided that I didn’t like all the detail. I wanted something that had larger shapes and fewer color variations. I then processed the image with the Buz Sim preset in Topaz Simplify. This had the effect of brightening the colors a bit more and making the image somewhat more abstract.

What do you think? Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Click either image to see it in lightbox mode

Copyright © 2010-2011 James W. Howe – All rights reserved.

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