Spectacular?

[Debi Peck]

Photography is a fairly new endeavor for me and I am still learning what to look for. One particular picture I took recently has drawn some high praise from several people, with the word "spectacular" most often used to describe it. Two of the people who commented on it are avid artists and photographers, one of whom has had her pictures published. Another person is an artist.

When I look at this picture, I see a nice picture which I happen to really like. What I'm wondering is what makes it "spectacular." I'm not looking for compliments (although I certainly wouldn't turn those down!!!! LOL), but feedback of what people see that they find appealing when they look at this picture.

[Gina Stevenson]

"Oh, wow!" was my reaction, Debi ... perhaps my vocabulary could use some add-ons, since "spectacular" didn't come out of my mouth ... but then, trying for "originality," having already read that that particular adjective was taken ... uh, yeah. ;)

What's "spectacular" about it is its being a bit unusual. It appears weathered, similarly to some of what we've seen in driftwood, yet appears that it can't be that unless someone stood it up and "planted" it in the ground, since it's upright instead of lying down, as driftwood would be.

Verrry interesting is another thing that comes to mind. Where was this located? [Oh, nevermind; I forgot you're back in AZ ... so, looking at it from that vantage point, it looks like the uncommon remains of a saguaro (since you mostly see them intact) ... but something you don't see everyday, either. Cool!!]

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

To me, it's eye catching but I don't know what it is. The photo leaves me wanting to see the context of the picture so I can place it.

[Dana Grant]

Scott, it's a picture of giant saguaro cactus ribs. When a cactus dies off, it leaves a standing "shell" of itself, a skeleton, and they are quite impressive sometimes. People use saguaro cactus ribs for various things -- I've seen several homes with cactus rib ceilings! This one that Debi shot looks to be particularly large -- I'd love to see the rest of it!! Looks like it's standing tall enough that she was able to get a shot of JUST the cactus against the sky -- NICE one!! Debi did you shoot any other pictures of it? Like a long shot of the whole thing? I'd love to see that!

[Andy Mistak]

Photography is a fairly new endeavor for me and I am still learning what to look for. One particular picture I took recently has drawn some high praise from several people, with the word "spectacular" most often used to describe it. Two of the people who commented on it are avid artists and photographers, one of whom has had her pictures published. Another person is an artist.

When I look at this picture, I see a nice picture which I happen to really like. What I'm wondering is what makes it "spectacular." I'm not looking for compliments (although I certainly wouldn't turn those down!!!! LOL), but feedback of what people see that they find appealing when they look at this picture.

Composition.

[Shea Zellweger]

My wife has a fondness for things that look old/gnarled/dilapidated. I don't think I've heard her say "spectacular," but she generally describes old buildings/trees/etc. as "really cool looking." After our first couple road trips in which she pointed out the majority of such items, I now see some things and think "Jocie would really like this." Your picture is definitely one of those things.

[Susan Unger]

Could be wrong, but I would say that the arms going out the side give the illusion of action and our eyes are drawn to action in shots.

[Dana Grant]

My wife has a fondness for things that look old/gnarled/dilapidated. I don't think I've heard her say "spectacular," but she generally describes old buildings/trees/etc. as "really cool looking." After our first couple road trips in which she pointed out the majority of such items, I now see some things and think "Jocie would really like this." Your picture is definitely one of those things.

Hmmmmm.....I've never seen you in person, Shea......but, I just wonder..............

(you'll get it in a minute)

:)

Dana

[Shea Zellweger]

Hmmmmm.....I've never seen you in person, Shea......but, I just wonder..............

(you'll get it in a minute)

:)

Dana

yes, well... I have been known to rock the "grunge" look from time to time. Also, chicks dig scars :D

[Jonathan Long]

It's uses negative space to draw the viewer in... the skelton has enough texture that it makes me want to reach out and touch it. The background with it's graduated color shift looks so smooth - a great contrast to the main subject.

Nice picture!

Jon

[Gina Stevenson]

Hmmmmm.....I've never seen you in person, Shea......but, I just wonder..............

(you'll get it in a minute)

:)

Dana

Hey, Dana! Sometimes I'm slow ... got this one, tho', reeeeeeeally fast! Hey, Shea! ;)

[Debi Peck]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! As Dana said, this is the skeleton of a saguaro cactus. It was really tall and the sun was shining behind it. Dana, this was taken at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Next time I go there, I will try to get a picture of the whole cactus.

On a humorous note, my son took one look at the picture and said it looks like the logo from some band called "Demon Hunters." LOL

[Gina Stevenson]

Yeah, I tho't -- so edited mine after at first thinking of some tree -- it looked like saguaro remains, too, before Dana confirmed my suspicions. ;)

[Dana Grant]

yes, well... I have been known to rock the "grunge" look from time to time. Also, chicks dig scars :D

Hmmmm.....well, if that's the case, our son should be a chick magnet!!! He has a surgery scar on his hand (broke his hand and had to have plate and screws to repair it), a scar from a large cut on his forearm, same side (window broke and sliced his arm)....and about a 12-inch scar from surgery to have a biceps tendon transplant, plus a scar near the elbow from the incision to anchor the cadaveric tendon that they implanted........so.....his right arm looks like a road map of sorts!!! I'll have to tell him of your observations!! ha ha ha He'll probably say "I already knew that!" ha ha

[Dana Grant]

oops, sorry to hijack your thread for a second, Debi.....LOL The "chicks dig scars" thing made me chuckle!!

[Billie Goodson]

I think it is neat because it isn't clear what it really is (thanks to Dana for ruining it for me :) ). I think Jonathan probably gave a technical description of it, but for me as a layman in photo terms, it draws me in and makes me keep wondering what I am looking at. And, as your son pointed out, the interpretation is left to the viewer and we get to attach our own significance to it. I can't do that when I look at a picture of a building or even a big lovely landscape.

[Debi Peck]

Billie, there was a game around when I was a kid where there were pictures of a small part of a bigger object, and you had to try to identify what the object was. I loved those pictures and figuring out the mystery. Arizona provides ample subject matter for "What in the world is that?" pictures. Here are a few more, which although it isn,t too difficult to figure out what they are, I still found interesting.