# A Fresh Crop of Pinecones **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** weekly-challenge\ **Created:** [September 2, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005 "2025-09-02T03:29:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![franz](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/franz/32/74013_2.png) [@franz](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/franz)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/1 "2025-09-02T03:29:05Z")
### Image(s) ![FGisin_NPN_1205_Seasonal_Change.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/e/9/e9f6046563014243b01af1a296ef41b09873ce8d.jpeg) ### Image Description Down here in California’s Central Valley it was 102 degrees yesterday. Today it was 103. It’s not the place to go looking for seasonal transitions from summer into autumn. But an hour or so east of here, higher up in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, early signs that summer is all but over are beginning to show up. For example, fresh (seasonal) pine cones starting to blanket last year’s crop. ### Feedback Requests It’s catagorized as a “texture” in my Lightroom catalog. I cropped it as a pano to encourage the viewer to visualize many more pine cones located beyond the edges of the image. Am interested if you find the simple color palette and image contents more “laid back” than “epic”. ### Pertinent Technical Details 0.8 sec at f/22, ISO 100 Modest amounts of texture and clarity applied. Tripod legs fully extended, camera was about 6" or so above the ground. 4-image focus stack since f/22 still did not get the DOF reach I was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![marlindmills](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/marlindmills/32/61867_2.png) [@marlindmills](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/marlindmills)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/2 "2025-09-02T13:58:08Z")
@franz , I really like this image. I grew up in the valley and cherish the days spent up in the mountains. We used to pick up pine cones like these, paint and arrange them for Christmas wreaths, etc. So this brings back good memories. This feels more laid back and comforting. The low perspective with the focus stack do show the bed of pinecones nicely and it looks like it goes on and on. I like that although their are new and old ones mixed in together, there is nothing that is overly distracting or that breaks up the feel of this being a bed, although not one I would like to lay down in:) Picking out what group of elements to include in an image like this can be challenging and I think you did a nice job of selecting the right grouping. I also think the pano idea makes it a little more inviting. Looking hard to find anything constructive to add, there are 3 bright leaves in the LUC, RLC, and LLC that I might try to tone down or remove, as they can become a bit distracting , but great job. Enjoyed your website and Ebook also. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Fach](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/bill_fach/32/78290_2.png) [@Bill\_Fach](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Bill_Fach)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/3 "2025-09-02T14:41:29Z")
Franz: Frame filling fantastic IMO. There is so much to explore and savor. Good choice on the stack and good execution. My only tiny suggestion would be to burn down _slightly_ the bright center cone which tends to grab my eye and keep it there. I could see this as a large print that would captivate for hours. \>=))\> ---
**Author:** ![Preston\_Birdwell](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/preston_birdwell/32/374_2.png) [@Preston\_Birdwell](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Preston_Birdwell)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/4 "2025-09-02T17:11:57Z")
I love this! The newly fallen cones really show up against the old cones. These look to be mostly Ponderosa Pine cones with perhaps a few older Sugar Pine cones in the mix. The color looks spot-on, and I like the pano crop. Nicely done, Franz! It’s been toasty here in the Foothills-98 yesterday. Woke up this morning with thunderstorm with lightning strikes and some rain. A couple of fires are burning near Copperopolis; is 1,500 ac. so far. I am so ready for Autumn! -P ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Peters](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/don_peters/32/87970_2.png) [@Don\_Peters](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Don_Peters)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/5 "2025-09-04T12:35:42Z")
This is a good one, Franz. I have no suggestions that haven’t already been made. ---
**Author:** ![franz](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/franz/32/74013_2.png) [@franz](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/franz)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 2:14pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/6 "2025-09-04T14:14:07Z")
Marlin; Your comments in my last paragraph about the three leaves having too much visual weight is right on. Until you pointed them out, I did not notice them at all. On a related note, Bill Fach also noted the same distraction about the cone in the center in the image. I throttled all of them down and the image now looks much better. Cheers, Franz ---
**Author:** ![franz](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/franz/32/74013_2.png) [@franz](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/franz)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 2:16pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/7 "2025-09-04T14:16:25Z")
Preston; You’re not the only one who is “so ready for autumn”!!! Cheers, Franz ---
**Author:** ![marlindmills](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/marlindmills/32/61867_2.png) [@marlindmills](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/marlindmills)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/8 "2025-09-04T20:36:03Z")
Franz, Glad that helped. Looking forward to seeing more work😊 Marlin ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Baird](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/chris_baird/32/72124_2.png) [@Chris\_Baird](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Chris_Baird)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2025, 12:53am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/9 "2025-09-05T00:53:26Z")
Great image and appropriate to the challenge. This would make a crazy jigsaw puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2025, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/a-fresh-crop-of-pinecones/48005/10 "2025-09-05T12:49:49Z")
Franz, the details in this view are excellent. You’ve got a fine mix of new and old cones and needles. This does a fine job of telling about the pine’s annual cycle.