* Wednesday C&C "No Theme" Thread #955 / Revived #175 on 2026 08 05 *

@Kamsal
You can say whatever you want. Here is an uncropped image
where you can see footprints. I cropped the image and removed a shade. If you enlarge the image you will see fifth toe.

And like I said I have a RAW(NEF) file to proof authenticity. I am done arguing with you. You have done it before to my image and other people did not agree with you.You can choose any participant in this thread and I will provide him/her with link to RAW file which is impossible to create with AI. After that I will just ignore you.

Sagittarius, I have to take your word for it if you insist so vehemently.
I apologize.
It must be the camera and lens combination that distorts reality like that.
I still don't see the fifth toe; the right hand looks like a lump.
No one needs to double-check; your word stands.
I apologize to you once again.

I looked closely at the first post and I could see nothing that suggested an AI generated image, but I may not have the skill to recognize the clues. The hand/fingers/feet all look to me to be consistent with the angles. The one change I suspected was the lack of shadow, given the lighting directions shown on the body. The uncropped original shows the shadow about where it might be expected.

So back to the image as originally posted.
It's a fine shot. The model has been caught at absolute full extension of arms, hands, legs, toes and let's add, hair. Her enviable flexibility and dance skills are demonstrated to perfection.
What I like best about the photo is the use of line. All the horizontal lines create calmness. The zig-zagging lines of the body suggest explosive movement. The contrast between the two makes the photo. The uncropped version including the shadow adds a line that competes with the contrast and weakens the image.
The position of the body in the cropped version unites the horizontal planes, beach, ocean and sky and I feel the proportions of each plane is "right."
the one thing I might suggest is removing the small black object in the ocen (a swimmer's head?) to the left of the model. It creates a diversion from the lines I admire in the image.

Apology accepted. I have tens of thousands of my own pictures to post AI created image as my own. BTW if I created such image with AI, I would proudly disclose this, since it is not that easy.

All,
I have been totally off the grid (quite deep in the Amazon Forest - still in a tourist spot with some creature comforts and a guide etc (I am not Stanley, Livingstone, Burton or Speke…) but far enough not to have WiFi AND no phone coverage).

So sorry for not participating much.

Now I am back in capital Brasilia and en route to Salvador de Bahia.
I will start the new thread on Wednesday!

Thank you for all and any comments.

Special thanks to Sagitarius and Kumsal for the polite way in which an argument was brought to a close, that could have turned ugly. Sometimes an honest apology and just mutual trsut and respect is the way to go.

There is so much AI slop around that suspicions might be normal (although in this thread, we would expect people to be honest about how much processing is used).

BTW: I am NOT against someone entering an AI image here (it is becoming a genre in itself and it is also “image making”, though assisted; but aren’t our cameras and our software “assisting” us too? - where do we draw the line???)

BUT I would expect any such image to be identified as such. (Or maybe not; to provoke discussion or debate.)

Intriguing image. The gold lighting leaps out at the viewer. The light-defined buildings silhouetted against the blackened mountains and early morning sky are reduced to dramatic and eye grabbing geometric shapes. Very impactful.

I'd love to see a boat like this in use! The boat itself is a lovely and artistic piece of handwork, attached with a rough rope to the corner of the photo which gives us a way "into" the diagonally composed image. It rests lightly between rough heavy colorless stone and colorful lightweight floating lilies. A study in shape and contrasts. Well taken.

Using those lighted posts as elements of composition was photographic genius. You have turned ordinary scenes from a boring transit station into eyecatching images that draw a viewer in like a magnet. The leading lines lie invisible, between those rows of lighted posts, The second is more engaging than the first, but both work quite well. Monochrome simplifies the image for additional impact. Very well spotted.

In some ways, your offering is similar to Kumsal's. The strength in both your offerings lies in your choice of composition rather than your fairly mundane urban subjects. Here, you've taken rather plain large urban buildings and by your positioning, made them into a strong image. Your image uses the buildings to form an arrow shape that is very eye-grabbing.

My only suggestion would be to at least try a monochrome conversion. It might create even more visual strength in that shape, and it would allow you to balance out the haze that has affected the left side of the image due to atmospherics and natural lighting.

Fine image, well spotted!

Deliciously sharp. For me, many of my ultrasharp images are not that appealing, and I find myself softening them to be more appealing. These images, however, are sharp to their own perfection. It is a pleasure to examine the smallest details on the bee, who's busy packing his suitcases with pollen and making a mess of himself in the process. The colors of the blossom (squash?) are rich and summery. Excellent series.

Thanks! He was about a foot tall or maybe a bit more. He was the largest of the many iguanas I met on this trip. He seemed to be panting but I don't know if that is normal for them. He may have been hissing at me for getting too close. The smaller iguanas seemed reluctant to get near him. Perhaps he is their king.

Excellent. There is contrast in color and texture, which makes the brighter Buddha statue visually even more powerful while at the same time it is soothing. I am curious whether the photo has been rotated to enhance the concept of sleep, or whether the statue itself was a reclining Buddha (which I've never seen). Either way it is a wonderful image, creatively captured and presented.

He was the largest iguana I met. Most were considerably smaller. At least a foot tall, maybe a foot and a half, and the littler ones seemed afraid of him.

Nicely captured action image caught in a moment of perfect alignment and balance.

I read all the arguments about AI. I'm very familiar with AI and see nothing that suggests this might be an AI creation. It appears to be a normal camera capture of a model in a fast shutter stop-action pose.

I agree with Mike that the bobbing head of the distant swimmer on the left side is a bit of a distraction that could easily be removed.

Hello to everyone! It's been a while. Hope it's okay if I hop in here like that...

That's a lovely image. I like that you were able to capture that silhouette + the wonderful reflection of the sun. It works together nicely and while my initial reaction was: "Wouldn't that look even better in B & W?" I now think it's perfect as it is with the beautiful warm sunlight.

I agree! It's really interesting, regardless of how it was done. The composition is nicely balanced and the angle certainly makes the "Sleep" believeable. The color contrast is subtle but works great as well.

I've been on vacation recently... even though it's a close-up image, you can probably guess where:

Georg Friedrich Handlebar by simple.joy, on Flickr

Hint: The title is not a hint! 😉

Thanks.
yes, they are pumpkin flowers.