Eye catching?

[OneArmedScissor125]

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I really like this photo but feel its not eye catching enough. I'm going for a more abstract look but might have overdone blur a little bit. I'm also thinking about dodging the background a bit, so the subject stands out. Any comments on how I could make it more eye catching would be appreciated.

[clockdoc]

For my eye you have too much space that does not add value to the overall image. IMHO it would be nice if some small segment was in focus to act as a center of attention. I have mentioned this in other critiques in that you may be discouraging viewers from commenting on your work if you use phrases such as "I like this shot." Having said that you tend to close yourself, even unknowingly, to criticism. Your call though.

[windrider86]

I think if it were more focus it would help quite a bit

[jiminyClickit]

onearmedscissor125,

While applauding the experimentation with blur and abstraction, it may bear mentioning that even the best in that field of photography first achieved a solid footing in the basics. It's horse/cart, and that can lead to problems of darkness, excessive blur, composition issues, and color choices. If you don't want to post what "everyone else" does, if this is a way to stand apart from "everyone else," it might be worth re-examining the foundation of your photographic history, get a stronger experience base. Your subjects can set your work apart, probably more than this abstractness. Lighting that doesn't illustrate doesn't hold interest for long. Objects with muted colors will soon have people longing for vibrant livelier sharp well-lighted interesting subjects, photographed with confidence and knowledge. Experiment? Certainly. But also take more time doing the hard work, practicing, learning, practicing what you've learned. Boring? Sometimes, so you choose more interesting subjects.

Without meaning any disrespect, and to illustrate the above, my first impression of "Eye catching?" was that it was an accidental shutter release, that one might find after a shoot where the camera was tripped haphazardly. None of this means you couldn't become great at abstracts, just perhaps not in the order you're going about it.

By all means set yourself apart. Make a statement with your photos. A clear, well-thought-out understandable statement. Confusion just irritates people. When you have done the other work, then your abstracts may attract, mystify, cause curiousity and wonder.

My question: What do you really like about the photo?

[OneArmedScissor125]

I like how I can't really tell what the subject is and I like the photo in black and white. The photo just caught my eye. I was trying to achieve a slightly blurry photo where the subject could barely be made out, but thought I might have gone a little overboard...which I guess I must have if it looks like an accidental shot. The original photo was not the greatest and I wish I had been able to get a better angle on the subject. Instead my photo didn't come out exactly as I had planned and so I tried to create an abstract out of it and mess around with editing. I took this particular shot while I was out just taking photos and looking for ways to come up with some interesting shots, while reinforcing composition and other things I have learned. I do know I have to practice and I now realize that I should pay more attention to the subjects of my photos, and perhaps should mix it up a bit, maybe taking photos of different subjects like people or animals. I should be able to do that soon, with the winter sports season starting soon at my school.

[jiminyClickit]

onearmedscissor125,

Mixing it up is all I could really say, and the rest of it is just in case those things hadn't occured to you. Always, everything is about balance. What I hoped was not happening was that out of frustrtion at not getting a perfect shot evey time, you might have given up a little, and just made the abstracts to say, "That's how I wanted it to look."

It always comes back to the person holding the camera, you make the decisions for reasons of your own. If there are other ways we can help you with variety, you know we will. Good luck with Winter. Above all, never take my advice over what your best inner voice tells you. You probably would have seen something like it soon enough, going by the post above.

[wulf]

Try cropping the top and bottom. Perhaps set the ratio to 16:9 (widescreen letterbox - familiar from the cinema) with the stalk coming from the bottom right corner.

What would really make it eye-catching is the context it is displayed in. Here, as just another photo to comment on, it is a bit blurry and indistinct; even just giving it a suitable title might set the brain working. When it comes down to it, it is really getting people thinking that catches and keeps the eye.

Wulf

[OneArmedScissor125]

@jiminy: Thanks for the advice about mixing it up. Just to be clear though, this photo was not taken with the intent to make it abstract. I was just messing around in GIMP and this was one of the results.
@wulf & windrider: When I get some more time I think I'll mess around with this some more using your advice, though I'm going to be hard pressed for time for a while.