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Moonshadow
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Moonshadow: moonshadow2157 reviews for Moonshadow
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Phil C. [basicmember]
This one is another of those which will make the move to every PC I own. It’s just utterly gorgeous.
MattW
Gorgeous. Would love a 2880×1800 of this one too. Wow!
R-Dawggy
I would love if you could provide this resolution for this wallpaper 🙂
Sebastian
Well, I very much like the composition and the colours and all, but that little human figure stands out too much (as Bobby said) so I have to admit I like the pickle jar version better…
But still a great image nonetheless!
David W
this is by far my most favorite wallpaper ever!
O’Connor
The man is dwarfed by the universe around him. This makes it stark evident to the viewer that to gaze out and take a look at it all, is one of the most beautiful things you can do, and it’s so simple.
David
Ryan, this image is awesome – one of the best I have seen.
Sean
Ryan, definitely one of my favorite images that you’ve produced.
I read that there’s a version of this without the person and am very glad that the version with the individual was your “final” cut. I like the mental imagery of the small person in a large scope, but that the person is some how strong and assertive in his presence in the landscape, yet somehow reflective with the darker composition. Individually, we can be very strong and I like that. Again, very nice.
(Tiny gripe: I can see the shading stripes as the moon was shaded and dislike the modeling artifact – would prefer to imagine this as real vs. computer generated).
Guido
I just saw this wonderful image in the background of a Tekzilla Daily Video.
Check it out: http://cnettv.cnet.com/2001-1_53-50005034.html
When I saw the video I thought: Wait a moment… I know this background from somewhere 😉
Paul
There is a quality of darkness yet beauty, a very powerful image. You are a talented Artist.
Chris
This render is pretty amazing. I would love to look through the eyes of the man standing on the rocks.
muse.ings
Ohhh…
You’ve outdone yourself again! I just found the next wallpaper in my rotation.
Words cannot describe my reaction. I’m addicted to astronomy and science and you’ve just made my day!
Hunter
Are you sure this is computer generated?!
It looks .. wow! I’m going to cycle between this and ‘untouched’ for quite some time.
If I was to be picky, I would say that the actual moon shadow is a tad blurry around the edges, but you barely notice that.
Exellent work!
Jalexis
Dude,
This picture is hands down is my all time favorite!!!
I recently purchased Vue 6 and was wondering if you could provide me with a source for tutorials. I have been messing around with Vue for some time now; with no official knowing of what I am actually doing. Sometimes the images come out awesome, and sometimes they dont (Garbage Jar). LOL!
I would really love to learn the discipline and true technique that you have mastered.
Again, great work!
Ac3oS
Amazing… epic and inspiring… It’s nice to come here where mystery still lives.. you can’t get this feeling of awe and mystery in the real world…
Bobby
Ryan,
Can we please get a second version without the person in the picture? The shading and coloring of this image is so artistic and beautiful that the person in it I think actually takes away from what would be one of the best images you’ve done to date.
Please give us a no person version as well!
Long time fan and subscriber,
-Bobby
Ryan
Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you like the wallpaper!To answer your request: there is a “no person” version in the Pickle Jar.
Evan
This is a great image, lots of depth. The kind of image that you want to write a story to explain!
Thanks!
Adrian
It would make a nice Vista Dreamscene wallpaper, if the corona would be animated (low motion – to avoid dizzines while working 😀 )
Fine render btw.
SANDRA JO
HI WHAT AN AMAZING PHOTO, TO ME WHAT COMES TO MIND
WHEN I LOOK AT THIS IS “WHAT A SPECK OF DUST MANKIND IS
COMPARED TO THE AWESOMENESS OF CREATION”
WHO ARE WE THAT THE CREATOR CARES ABOUT US, WE THE
SIZE OF A GRAIN OF SAND COMPARED TO HEAVENLY BODIES AND
THE LIKE
SANDRA JO
C’MON GUYS!
I THINK HAVING THE HUMAN FIGURE, ADDS TO THE STORY,
COULD BE, MAN VERSUS HUMAN NATURE, WE CAN CONTROL
A LOT OF THINGS BUT NATURE? … I THINK NOT
Dan
Has there been an effort amongst the patrons of this site to list the viewing resolution of an image used by the commentor when making comments on said image?
I don’t mean to criticize the critics, so please don’t take it that way. I just wonder what the image looks like, side-by-side, between a 1280×1024 and a 1920×1200 (barring any concerns over 4:3 vs. 16:9 or 16:10).
Smithy
Another great piece man… like insanely great.. but! one thing the moon looks like you got the dot tool in ms paint and just dotted it there, I don’t mean to discredit your insanely awesome work…. Its just the moon doesnt go well with the pic maybe soften the edges a bit add some moon shadow of some sort in there… i dunno but the edges man are just to “sharp”.. if you get what i mean the whole dot just stands out over the whole pic… but other then that its another awesome piece…
Cheers..
Smithy
Then again maybe the moons to big for the scale of the background, or maybe my monitors too big… lol
Konstantin
Yeah, really great image =)
Ryan, i posted here some time ago, about IM service here =) So that users can chat to each other, in PM or in main chat. What do you think?
Scott P
I always prefer your images sans humans…I guess it’s because I use them to get away from everything, including people!
Nimesh P
Awesome work on this one. Through the reviews I am seeing some buzz about the little guy. In my opinion the figure does give volume to how big scenery is compared to a human. It gives the background a more reflective stance. With or without I think it is all ok. I like how lately DB has been pumping out some really developed wallpapers, this is most definitely worth signing up for.
Aaron
I get what you are saying about the little guy in the foreground giving the thing some scale, I just don’t think it is needed and draws attention away from the subject of the image. Very cool with or without, but I prefer no little guy.
Daniel
I much more prefer this one than the Moon Shadow without the figure. I’m not sure if you understand this, but the figure really gives life to the image.
Alex
The low clouds and large sun really make this scene seem vast. The human figure is good for scale, and I like the image either way. Excellent as usual.
I am wondering if you are okay, Ryan- I can wait for a long time for a new image, but no updates concerns me. You’re making the MIA list after eleven days with no updates. Please keep your loyal viewers informed!
Ryan
No worries Alex. I’m fine. Actually I’m taking a little vacation this week (much needed) and will be returning tomorrow. I have an image rendering while I am away from my computer and it will hopefully be ready by the weekend.
Deona
I really like the sky effects. As usual, the stick figure shadow person detracts from the scene. I was disappointed with the eclipse (?) event. the edges do not look like an moon (or planet), but more artificial, so it looks like a drawn device, instead of a celestial event.
Deona
I really like the sky effects. However, the stick figure shadow person detracts from the scene, even though this one is a better shape than most. I was disappointed with the eclipse(?) event. The edges do not look like an moon (or planet), but more artificial, so it looks like a drawn device, instead of a celestial event. I offer the devices of NASA for comparison, mostly because the works of yours on my computer are often mistaken for reality by fellow scientists. I admit that although many amateur photographers have pictures that look like dots with light behind them, in this particular shot, you can see solar flares and the dim washed image of the moon surface floating on top.
http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/img/total_lg.gif
Shane
This goes down as one of my favorite. Normally I like landscape shots but the blend of color, perspective, cloud texture, detail basically everything in this is awesome.
Kevin
I love Moonshadow, I currently have it on my desk top. I don’t know why but this picture is amazing.
Valesca
I think it looks better with the person in the picture. Either way, they both look awesome. Nice One!
Logical
I’m having trouble with the link to the picture of your computer setup- I just get a Facebook “Content not found” page. Is it because I’m not signed up with Facebook? If so, is there another place you could post that picture so I could get to it?
Paul
Thanks for the “uninhabited” version. It looks amazing, especially with dual monitors.
It looked great with the person too, but when I look at a wallpaper, I like having the feeling of solitude – that I’m alone. With the person in it, it makes me feel like I’m intruding someone else’s solitude, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, thanks for both!
Larry
When i first saw the small version of this i thought how dramatic this was going to look and couldnt wait to bring it up on my moniter. Once i put it up though all i could look at was the big black dot and the smaller black one. It took away from the grandness of the rest of the picture. I understand what you were doing but it just looks like a big black dot, with a small black dot next to it. The dark side of the planet could use some depth or life put into it. I always look foward to seeing what your going to come up with next but i just felt this one could be so much more.
Alex
Let me first say that i love the backdrops. They are just beautiful. I was wondering if you could make some lighter versions or the 3 screen backdroups. Kinda the nature ones but wiht some more brightness.
thanks for the great work.
S
Mal
“Does anybody else notice the spots?”
Are you talking about the stars in the sky?
I personally think this piece works better with the little dude on the rocks. To each his/her own.
James
I know there are some stars. They didn’t seem to stand out so much before though.
Gabriel
I have to say it’s a great wallpaper, but I also prefer the one without the man. While it does give scale – to me it detracts from the sense of “awe” that the image projects. Just my 2 cents, keep up the good work!
– Gabriel
Adi
I was looking at this again this morning.. and suddenly a thought came to me.. “I hope that dude is wearing protective eye glasses” 🙂
anthony
When first seeing this I wished it didn’t have the figure; I’m very happy to see there is a version without the figure now. Of course, I never want a figure in the image, so maybe it’s just a personal quirk of mine.
Michael
Very Cool
And Im very happy that you removed the man it felt to much like when you take a cool photo where you *afterwards* find that somebody walked into it and you cant do anything about it moment lost
Maybe you could add an Alternative Version Tab and Preview to the main Gallery. As IMHO the man less picture (just like with Lone Tree) does not deserve to be stuffed into the pickle jar (or turn the pickle jar into a browse able gallery).
Regards,
Michael
James
I noticed there are spots all over quite a few versions of “Moonshadow.” I noticed it on my background at first and thought my monitor was going out. Then I noticed it was on my other monitor also. I looked a few other versions I didn’t look at before to make sure it wasn’t something with the temporary interet files. Your other wallpapers look fine though.
Does anybody else notice the spots?
Rick Mozil
This work reminds me that in our troubled world I am but one of many entities in our biosphere and our galaxy. However, the collective I becomes we the citizens of a fragile biosphere. We may think we have the power to change our biosphere to suite our innate needs for what some may argue is for the greater good. However, while we exhaust our planet, pollute the air and taint the waters, our actions wipe out possibilities for our survival. Nevertheless, in my interpretation of the Moon Shadow work, the power of nature and the cosmos which we do not and likely will not fully understand prevails.
Also, the silhouette of the lonely figure looking upward may be trying to make sense of what they see. Possibly the figure is trying to make sense of the spectacle, or maybe they already understand. No matter, unlike the sole figure looking upward, I too wonder why our biosphere, societies, and minorities within are seemingly becoming silhouettes.
celmendo
Really like it! Prefer it without the figure; it’s just distracting to me.
Thanks
Adi
Just wanted to mention that I liked the right third of the tri-screen better than the left half of the dual-screen.. So I took the tri-screen version and chopped off the left third to create another dual screen (with the eclipse now on the left half).. which I like much better.. Not that the dual screen Ryan made is bad, but still :^)
quietmtn
Ryan,
Just thought it appropriate to send some energy your way. My son introduced me to your work last year and I have to say I’ve been thrilled each time I open my desktop. You do inspiring work – this world definately needs artists to show us this life is definately worth living.
Keep up the good work…
George
isobelcav
I love this one and I think having the figure in it is much better.
Chris
Hi,
Both excellent.
Tried both on my computer. Eventually prefer the one without the figure. The proportions of the disc to the landscape give the picture a mythological feel which may appeal to more people.
Kind regards,
Chris
zach
Maybe it’s just my screen, but there seems to be a lot of distinct banding on the top right cloud, and even more on the disc. This is ridiculous, but it seems to detract quite a bit from what would be a fabulous image.
Also, I can’t tell is the figure wearing medieval-style boots and tunic à la “Elevado”? Just thought that was funny . . .
Labanimal
I Absolutely love this design of yours, however, i was looking at the dual and tripple version closeup comparing it to the single and wide – To the left of the figure standing, in the mountains just below the lowest clouds on the horizon, there’s a stripe or mark that’s not present in the single or wide, but is present in the dual, dual wide and tripple. 😉
Labanimal
The Clouds, water reflection seems to have changed – the clouds arnt as nice, the water isnt a big thing, mostly the clouds.
Other that, its still a damn great design!
James
The link for to 2560×1024 version without the figure seems to be broken.
Chris
This is the first one of 2008 to absolutely take my breath away. I love this and if it was possible to give it a higher rating than what I can on your site, I would!
ColinShotz
Not much more you can say about this….. absolutely amazing!!
Nice job.
Astatine
Fabulously dreamy. 🙂
For me, the figure’s important, makes it that much more real.
MythAvatar
This is my first comment on any of your images and i must say that while i love all of your work there is something special, almost awe-inspiring about this one.
P.S I feel that the figure is important here, it makes the scene feel all that more realistic and tangible.
James
This looks great. I do prefer the one without the figure though. Is there a possibility of a dual screen, 2560×1024, version without the figure?
Matthew
In my humble opinion, you give 2 ways to judge scale with this image. The first is the figure. It almost makes the image seem out of place some how. There is something funn about the image that just makes it “off”. The second is the small moon at 10 o’clock. It adds an appropiate sense of scale.
Its a great image reguardless. And everyone is a critic.
Matt
I think I prefer version with the person also…great work.
Link33
I love the composition.
I see a lot of banding in the shading of the moon that are probably from the jpeg compression. Anyway we can see a higher quality setting for the jpeg format? Even the PNG format shows a lot of bands. Or is it in the actual render? By the way, what bitmap format does get generated from the render? Tiff? PSD? Just curious.
Looks great though except for the bans.
asterismW
I like the little guy. I’ve also always liked solar eclipses (though I’ve never been fortunate enough to have actually seen one), so I quite like this wallpaper. Keep up the good work!
Chris
I love how it has a sepia tone to it–giving it such an antique look, yet is so science-fiction-like with the triune lunar look.
Another masterpiece, Ryan. Thanks!
Charles
I like the version without the figure better. It is true that without the figure, one has no sense of scale but that is why I like it without the figure. I know that what I’m looking at is big as its a celestial body, but getting lost in the beautiful landscape is way more appealing (to me).
Charles
I forgot to thank you for obliging those of us who wanted a version without the figure us and providing us with an alternate image.
larakimbo
I absolutely love this one….Without the little man in front. I prefer pictures where I can use my own imagination to determine scale. Adding people takes away from the inner peace that your pictures portray to me. It’s like one embellishment too many and it makes the picture just slightly less than perfect.
However, I’m glad you understand that people have different opinions and that you’re willing to post both versions! Thanks!
Speedy J
Whoa ! I love this wall paper. To me is one of the best that I have seen in a long time.
It remind me the solar eclipse in the movie Apocalypto.
Sincerely
Marco
dreamer
this one really makes you relaxed, good job
Sean W
Wow. There really aren’t adequate words in the English language for some of your images, and this is one of them. Amazing, Ryan. Absolutely amazing.
Along with most folks, I prefer the image without the figure. The figure does a great job of showing the scale, but draws the eye away from the grandeur of the eclipse. Either way, though, this is fantastic!
Jonathan
I love this Piece of work, but if I were to change something in it, it would be to add distant Lightning in the clouds past the Water.
all in all i gave this a 10
Philsy
I personally like the figure in the image. It personifies on an individual basis as to what the experience might be like to witness a magnificent event such as this one. After all, no matter how small we may be in an event like this one, we are entangled with our universe and all occurances therein.
Kevin
This is one of my favorite images you’ve done. Can’t wait to get the triple screen version. I prefer the version without the person.
Keep up the great work!
Dub
this is beautiful ryan. im leaving this up for awhile
Mike
Personally, I prefer the image with the small figure in it. Out of your images which contain figures (or animals) in the scenery, I don’t recall ever thinking I’d prefer any version without the figures (or animals).
evilmonkey
i’ve been viewing your work for sometime and this is definitely one of my favorites. Very good work.
Nerfer
This is definitely one of my favorites, I love scenes that are somewhat unearthly while still maintaining a realistic feel. For me these images take my imagination to new and amazing worlds!
I am strongly in favor of making two renders of the scenes that have figures in them, so that subscribers can choose which one they want.
Johnny
Lately your abstracts have been what’s really catching my eye. This new image just absolutely blew my mind! Thank you so much for posting.
Fred
At first I was thinking “Why did this really awesome picture have to get ruined by having someone standing in it.” I then saw the PickleJar and was happy!
There have been many pictures from DB in the past that are ruined like this, and I am glad to see this one had a version without the guy standing in it!
Roberto
Ryan,
this is one of your best picture, according to me. My next desktop on all my computers!
Thank you and happy Easter!!!
S Harris
I much prefer the one without the human figure. To me it’s more wild and otherworldly. Thanks!
Paul
Ryan,
This is why I am an active subscriber. Keep up the outstanding work. It reminds me of the movie Pitch Black. If I had to choose between the two versions, I prefer the one without the figure, just seems cleaner to me.
John
I was looking for eggs but I have found Moonshadow, happy eastern..
Shawny
I prefer the pickle jar version – it’s a thing I have a people in my pictures in general. While the guy in the foreground does give you some sense of scale, I didn’t even notice him at first. Your eye is drawn to the moon right away. So when I saw the little guy there, it was almost a distraction …
Jason
Another great image. To go against the crowd, I usually prefer the images WITH figures 🙂
John
Love this one too. And, I’m also going to have to go against the crowd and say I like the one with the figure standing in the foreground. It adds a more mystical dimension to the overall feel …
My only complaint is how still the water is. It adds some great reflections … but I do wonder how the image would look with more turbulent water.
Thanks again for the wonderful image!
Dave R.
For me it varies depending on the image, though I often find myself favoring the versions with the figure.
When I see an image like Moonshadow with the figure standing there, I don’t think “wow, that’s distracting” but rather imagine the figure as myself as someone else is taking the picture of the scene with me in it. And has also been pointed out, the whole sense of scale changes based on the presence (or absence) of that figure as a frame of reference.
Still, that’s just my opinion and ultimately you should keep doing the images the way you like them!
Keep up the good work!
Weapon-X
This image blows me away!
SteveSw
I don’t have any problem establishing a sense of scale just from the rocks and the water and the clouds. I guess my eye has assumptions about scale based on similar scenes I’ve been in.
There’s a funny resonance that goes on in the scene that I think happens because the person isn’t the “right” size given my unconscious evaluation of the scale of the rest of the picture. In this case, the figure seems too small for me. Or put another way, the rock pillows seem too large and far away if a person ends up that height. I don’t get that feeling with any other aspect of the piece when the figure is absent.
I’ve noticed that some people who take snapshots when they travel need to have their friends and family in the pictures, to “personalize” them. Other people like to just take pictures of the places themselves and don’t like the “clutter” of known folks. I wonder if there’s some similar thing that goes on with figures in your art? Some folks might relate to it better when there’s a human element in the art, whereas other folks might relate to this sort of image better absent the human element.
Why would this planet be human-friendly? Why should it? Why do we want it to be? Those are interesting questions that different people will have different answers to.
Logical
I definitely prefer the one with the figure. When I look at the pickle jar version with no figure, the scene just doesn’t seem as grand and epic. With the figure, it really does add a sense of scale to the whole thing. I imagine the guy as an explorer discovering new worlds, and he looks like he’s just standing there in awe.
I don’t think he’s distracting at all; the coloring keeps him from standing out too much. Due to the bright light coming out from around the planet, your eye tends to focus there, and the figure is pushed off to the side.
I definitely like the original version best.
Keep up the good work, Ryan!
Pete
Hi Ryan
1) I love it.
2) I agree with you about having the person there.
Pete
Peter
The fixed version looks much better, up my rating!
Travis
Another Magnificent work of art. The sense of scale and awe inspiring scene capture the imagination and tantalize the senses. Keep up the great work, it is incredible.
Travis
Rob
This completely blows me away; it’s stunning. I think this is your best work so far.
Doug
This is my favorite! I am so lucky to have found this site! Thank You!
Dan
I don’t mind the man standing there, I actually like both versions. It’s not a big deal to me, without the man it’s a more natural scene but with him it shows the size perspective and is neat. I rarely critique your wallpapers in detail but I will say about this one that the shadow or eclipse coming off the moon doesn’t look as natural as I might imagine it. It’s good but I don’t know how hard it is to achieve the most realistic shadow around that moon, it just looks artificial, but I still love the image!
Mello
The clouds are just amazing! The water and rocks are also stellar! I love this one! Either way it’s awesome, with or without the person! Both are great!
Darren
Great image.
Re. people in image….whatever you decide, it’s your vision.
No-one spotted the error because they are too hung up on having/not having the person in the image!!!
Aurelyn
Great job on the cloud rendering on this one – it looks really good. Unlike many of your pieces, I think the figure in the foreground in really adds a sense of scale to the shot. It might be just my monitor, but centre of the piece comes out a little blurry? Keep it up!
Ryan
I felt it that it had to be a “gas giant” eclipsing the sun so I made the edges of the planet a little blurry to reflect this.
Justin
I really like this image. For some reason lately, I’ve been really interested in photographs of eclipses. Maybe it’s because we recently had a total lunar eclipse, or simply because good photographs of eclipses in general (solar or lunar) are extremely cool. I especially like the fact it seems you took special interest in the sun’s corona. Reminds me very much of pictures such as this one on National Geographic:
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/photos/full-moon-gallery/solar-eclipse-moon.html
Joe
I love the latest project. There is only one thing that I don’t like too much … the person. I just think that when there is a person in your images it takes away from the overall appearance. I seem to focus more on the person than the beauty of the rest of the image. If you could make one without the man that would be awesome. I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks this. It’s much like “lonetree” where I prefer the one without the person.
But I love the latest image.
Overdrive
Impressive piece of art. These kind of pictures are my favorite. The thumbnail shows even more contrasts and deserves 10*.
About the man: It does gives a sense of scale, as stated before. But without a person there’s less distraction. I guess I like it both.
9*
Mark
Thanks for the new wallpaper. I dont know what to think about it to be honest. which isnt a bad thing!
Its surreal. Very lifelike while not at the same time. Its hard to explain lol, good job!
Markus
Usually I don’t take pictures with a high contrast as backgrounds. But this one really caught my eye and went straight to my desktop!
Will
this is amazing! this may very well be my most favorite piece of yours. its really cool! ive always loved your planetscapes
Labanimal
WOW!… I’ll comment later when i’ve caught my breath!
Shahea
I love this one, it’s fantastic! I have an odd sized desktop (1440×900) so it’s not quite the right sizing for it, but I don’t really care. 🙂
Saranna
10! 10.5! Wow. I don’t know how to describe this image, other than I think that it instantaneously became my single favourite background ever.
And given the full moon yesterday – also so fitting.
Saranna
Oh and after reading the reviews – I want to add that I LOVE the person you have. I can look and pretend it’s me, and feel so much more ‘in’ the image.
Anne
Love this one- only one slight issue.
Somehow the two globes in the centre seem to be slightly unreal compared to the rest of the picture.. I understand its an eclipse, but somehow it doesn’t fit in perfectly.
On the other hand i’ve never seen an eclipse before, so I may be way off the mark here.
Brilliant clouds, one of my favourites again!
dafaolta
Very cool. Definitely one of my top faves.
I was distracted at first by the man and the smaller orb, but they add depth and interest at second and third looks. It might be interesting to see what their absence would do, but as a picklejar candidate, not to replace this one.
Eddie
Amazing – right up there vying for top spot. Looking forward to a tri-screen version……please
Blaise
I love all of the space images you have done, and this one is by far your best work. It’s my new favorite!
Randy
Erase the figure and I’ll give it a 9.
RobO
My initial impression was that this was a 9, but the figure in the foreground detracted a bit, so I rated it 8.
How about a version without the figure in the foreground?
Randy
Looks like it has a dark crescent on the side facing the star.
Medium moon would probably also have a thin bright crescent on the right, toward the star.
Josh_D
Looks great except the clouds by the moon, like the ones under it and overlapping the bottom, look kinda weird and fake.
Kieron
I think it would look better without the person, it’s not really my sort of image though, too dark.
Ryan
They always seem to be controversial. In this case I thought the figure was necessary to give the scene an epic sense of scale. It just wouldn’t be the same without it. I will probably post a version without the figure in the Pickle Jar in the near future, but this is the version I want for the gallery.Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Sam
Truly impressed – this is my new desktop for quite some time!
Adam
You must make this in to a poster! I will buy it yesterday!
shirty
I love this paper!
I’m hoping there will be a multimonitor version!
Pleasseeeeee
Jo C
This really is something else. Fantastic.
Greg
Awesome pic, but I have to say, I’m one of those who don’t much care for figures in your art, with the possible exception of “overseer”. If you were trying to convey an epic sense of scale, a small village, settlement, etc, might have worked just as well. But then again, that might have made it too busy.
Peter
I actually don’t mind the man, it’s the big honking eclipse that hurts the scene, it’s so big and flat that it takes over and imho hurts the overall picture, that could have worked out really well otherwise.
Jamie N.
Stunning. I love it.
JakeW
how many times have i said this?
wow
Joel
Roughly half of the time I prefer the person in the foreground, and half not, but usually I don’t find it has a huge impact. This time I can’t even imagine the picture without it… it fits so perfectly, and adds so much!
This is brilliant, thank you!
Steven
This picture is so great… all i can say is WOW!
I dont think this wallpaper would be as great without the person in the foreground. It adds a sense of scale for sure.
Would a tree or bush do this job too?
V–Z
Not sure how you managed the corona effect in Vue, but I’m sure that took nearly as much tinkering as the clouds! (and I fully agree with you on that subject).
I honestly can’t claim to find the figures distracting. Some of my favorite pieces of art are the one with more to look at than the obvious. Something where I can find an aspect I hadn’t seen the week before. Like the wolves in Song of the Sky =) Perhaps making a person more subtle would satisfy more people?
But then again, can someone please show me any piece of art in all of history that had a universal “10”? =) It’s art! It’s not always going to draw everyone, and demanding the artist changed something (unless, of course, it’s an exclusively commissioned piece) is perhaps a little audacious =)
Absolutely fabulous, Ryan, and thank you!
V–Z
Rob
This is fantastic. I love the monochrome feel to the image and the clouds look so realistic. Thank you, Ryan.
Tim
I really like this one. The foreground person is a very nice touch…it adds scale. The clouds look well done. Maybe remove the extra disks you have in the upper left? They distract a little.
S Harris
This is great. Any chance of getting one without the human figure?
Kana
I’d agree with Greg. Sometimes I like having the person, most of the time not. I prefer having nature in the scene, not humans. I do like it because it’s showing scale.
However, I might have put the human standing somewhat sideways to the screen, on the right-hand ledge. Because the human is darker, it’s more subtle.
Either way, I love this picture. Awesome job, once again!
PianoMan
I really, really like this one with one exception: the guy standing on the hillock is distracting. If I am the observer (and this sort of image just begs me to be the observer), why should I be interested in some dude looking at the eclipse unless he’s standing beside me, sharing the experience. It just seems gratuitous.
Beyond that, I really love the contrast. The corona surrounding the moon is beautiful, and the lighting on the clouds is nice.
Thank you!
Tril
I like the landscape, the clouds and the water…don’t like the moons/planets at all. They look very flat and unrealistic and so dominate an otherwise evocative picture as to ruin it for me. I’ll admit I haven’t seen many eclipses. But even if this is an accurate portrayal of an eclipse, the rest of the picture just doesn’t go. Without the big honkin’ disc+corona, it would be a peaceful scene. With it, I don’t know how to react.
You seem to be creating a number of images lately (this, Lone Tree, Maya) that have a flat, minimalist feel, in part or even throughout. They look very obviously rendered. Is this an intentional artistic choice? Personally I prefer the more rich and detailed work you were doing back in 2007. But I’ll stick around in hopes that the pendulum will swing my way again 🙂
Chris Jenk
That’s rather large for a solar eclipse, isn’t it? It’d have to be a rather cool sun for a habitable planet to exist so close…
I’m not fond of the figure though. On a scale like this, I just don’t see it adding much. It seems to me that in a scene like this, you want to try more for a sense of *majesty* rather than a human scale… more “Cosmic Shoals” than “Cathedral”. OTOH, if I can’t articulate it any better than this, I may be totally wrong.
I’d like to see something like this, only from low orbit of the non-eclipsing planet. (I’m assuming this is supposed to be a binary planet.) Two habitable worlds, city lights on the dark side of the eclipsing planet, and just a smidgeon of the sun rising above it.
Pauly
At first I thought “wow, that eclipse is WAY too big”. But then I realized that we were looking from the surface of a moon orbiting a massive planet (like Jupiter). Love it now!
I wanted to chime in and vote for a version without the figure. If you do go ahead and create one for the pickle jar, PLEASE create a dual-monitor version of it! Thanks!
Charles
Great picture. I really like it but would like to put my vote in for a version without the person in it. The figure just kinda detracts from the awesomeness of the rest of the landscape.
jmpond
A true work of art… I love it! Could you do this in an Ice Blue primary shade? It would look really cool as a Midnite Moonshadow.
phealy
I’ve had friends comment on the images I’ve had on my desktop before, and one person managed to sum up why he and I prefer it without the person – we don’t want to share. It feels like such an awesome (in the awe-inspiring sense) experience that having someone else there (in the foreground, not observing it with you) just seems to detract from it.
Otherwise, great work!
gunner
I
LOVE
IT
Daniel
The figure gives the image a sense of surrealism. It looks like he’s had a long journey just to see this awe-dropping sight. A sight that just makes the user fix his eyes onto it. It’s only him and this wonder, no one else. He looks at it in a trance-like state and he’s enjoying it.
Mark
I like the one with the figure and also the one without it. However, at this point I think the figure looks a little inhuman and a little robotic.
Great image though, and would love to see some more colors.
John
I like the image and I think I noitced the mistake as well, after reviewing the image. I didn’t think it was a mistake at first. However, is it me or is the shoreline remarkably similar to the Tropic of Capricorn one? I swear I’ve seen that shorline before.
The perspective of this rendering is interesting. I didn’t even notice the figure at first. I noticed the tiny third orb in the sky. Overall, this is fine work, Ryan.
John
It was tropical moon that the shoreline looks like.
Tuishimi
I really really like this. I am at times a monochromatic kind of guy and this fits the bill!
Steve
Ryan,
Every non-abstract image you create essentially could have a person, a tree, something in it to give you a sense of proportion. It seems to be a common dilemma for your scenery type images. I can’t tell you what’s right or wrong, but I can say that giving us two options might just be your best bet. The version you post should be the one you like best, because after all, they are _your_ images.
Keep up the amazing work,
Steve
alexM
This is pretty cool. I generally don’t like the figures in images unless it shows a sense of scale to some sort of monumentally huge structures. I am debating still about whether I like the one with the figure or not. Maybe I’ll just grab them both and let them both cycle through my wallpaper changer. I like it though and as always, keep up the good work.
P.S. I bet that it can render pretty fast with that processor and the RAM you’ve got.
SHv2
Doesn’t really matter. I think the picture has a real “I am legend” sort of feel. Much more epic IMO. Regardless, awesome picture.
Soulyouth
I check in everyday to check for messages and new images, but today when I click, OMG, incredible, this is beautiful, I love the soft edges, and tge cloud work in this one is one of your best.
Its my new Laptop BG and when I get home my desktop too. Thx for the image
Deatherage
wow just awesome, my favorite in a long time, also i love the images with a planet in them you do!
Pengman
WOW indeed. This is another example of why I’m going lifetime when my year is up.
Awesome