Green life

[ruikang89]

Saw this plant on my way home from school.
Thought it was nice to see a solitary plant growing out of cracks.
Not owning a DSLR, and its kind of weird to bring one along whenever I go, I took this with my SE K800i.
Edited with PS CS2, used Vignette under the lens correction option for the "light shining on the plant" effect, and I BWed the background.
Comments please? Just started dabbing in photography this year, and its hard to borrow my sch's DSLR....
Somehow I felt that I overdo the lens correction... =(
Details about the photo: taken with SE K800i, f/2.8, ISO 80, Shutter speed 1/500 sec, Macro mode.

[Churchwolf]

Nice catch! I love how you have bleached out the concrete, it lends a nice harsh contrast to the image. The shadow in particular lends a lot of mood to the piece. On one hand you have slightly over done the vignetting correction, but on the other hand it draws the viewer into the centre of the image, not to mention that it covers the edge distortion nicely! Perhaps a little more "warmth" in the plant would have been nice, but over all nice picture!

[calebk]

Honestly I don't think it's overdone at all. In fact the hard shadow behind the plant leads the viewer to think there is a sort of spotlight-ish hard light falling on the plant.

Would have liked the plant to be a more vivid green though, but otherwise, simple and pleasing.

[pplneedthelord]

nice shot

[ahbian]

I like the idea, but it seemed a bit centered.

Perhaps you can also consider also a slightly more top down shot so that the greenness of the leaves and its veins can be seen.

[ruikang89]

Hey thanks all for your comments... This is my first photo that I posted for critic, and I'm quite happy to see that the response wasn't too negative... Thanks all!!!

[labla]

Hey nice job like the shadows but the plant seemed a little just a little OF.

[HTCahHTC]

The Image Is Temporary Unavailable?

[ruikang89]

Reuploaded!!!

[lennyl]

Overall, very nice image and treatment. Can't add to what the others have already said, except that I think it might look nicer if plant is to the right of the frame (instead of left as it is now).

Another strange thing - nothing to do with image. Your copyright on the image looks out of focus and pulls the eye away from the subject.

[calebk]

Originally Posted by lennyl ... Another strange thing - nothing to do with image. Your copyright on the image looks out of focus and pulls the eye away from the subject.

Yup, can consider making it something simple and small so it doesn't detract attention from the rest of the photo.

[daxdigital]

Stark, simple and beautiful. I like it. It's a pic I could frame at home

[fi5hbone]

Agreed. Very very good potential you have there. Composition, colors and tone is just right. Love it!

[catchlights]

leave more breathing room to the left instead on the right.

[ruikang89]

Oops... I din know the copyright sign is so disastrous.... okok I'll will have it removed... =x

[twistedzero]

Originally Posted by ahbian I like the idea, but it seemed a bit centered. Perhaps you can also consider also a slightly more top down shot so that the greenness of the leaves and its veins can be seen.

What's wrong on putting the subject in the center? You can always break the rule. In these case, I find it to make sense specially with the vignetting effect used.

[catchlights]

Originally Posted by twistedzero What's wrong on putting the subject in the center? You can always break the rule. In these case, I find it to make sense specially with the vignetting effect used.

Four things,

first, before you break the rule, you MUST understand what is the rule, and how does it works.

second, if you break the rule and able to make the photo turn out to be nicer, you are doing it correctly, else you break the rule is just for the sake of "breaking the rule".

third, space on right side is redundant here and make the plant like growing out the photo.

forth, vignetting not always has to make the focusing point to be at the center.

[ruikang89]

thanks for all the comments.... i wonder will it work if i flip the picture?

[night86mare]

i concur with the rest, but i also do think that the same scene would be better if a slightly lower angle was taken from the same position you are at.

why? the green leaf which is almost the generic leaf shape already catches my attention first, but it is going to look better (in my view) from a lower angle.

[glam-our]

haha i believe you must be in a quite awkward position while taking that picture!
i would say not bad an editing(:
i am sure the original picture contrasts quite a fair bit with this one right! haha.
ps works wonders.
all the best!