In reply to UKC News:
Thanks again everyone!!
Pylon King & El3ctroFuzz.... don't worry... early start at work after the new year.... just me being grouchy
however El3ctroFuzz you did sort of hit the nail on the head.
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When I got the shot on the screen I really liked the delicate finish and blue tones. I knew it didn't look like a real photo, more like an airbrush painting using torn paper as a mask and that people would look and think, that's not real you would never see that in real life!
And there lies the point, you can. We don't need to manipulate real images to make something beautiful, nature is perfectly capable of doing that on it's own. All we need to do is open our eyes to what's around us.
I know i'm guilty of chasing the big vistas but I'm starting to realise now that I've often been blind to what's really there. I think we often do the photographic equivalent of flash reading, skipping over what's there and forgetting the devil is in the detail. As a result we miss out on some of the most important bits. That doesn't mean I no longer want to take big vistas, I just want to have an open mind and eye to what's around me.... learning to see again!
And.... I love layering shots! I remember seeing ChrisJD's shot, "Beauty in the Back Yard" and thinking wow, I want to be able to get shots like that. It may not be a climbing shot but it's inspirational one and that is one reason I hope all the changes that are going on don't mean these type of images lose a prominent place for everyone else to see.
I've lost count how many times I've looked through the top 50 galleries and being bowled over by the standard of shots, it would be a shame to lose this unique collection and it should be encouraged and developed further.
Saying that, I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop when the new site is unleashed!
Thanks again everyone!
</soap box>