Mark, you have my number with this week’s challenge. Prepare for the onslaught!
This one is from a few years ago and is a favorite. Rock cap fern is so photogenic, even in winter when it curls and reveals its spores. The captured snow inside the leaves is just a bonus! I have another winter shot of rock cap fern that I’ll do next just for comparison.
Specific Feedback Requested
I’ve messed about with crops for this one and don’t know if it’s tight enough or if I should get closer still.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Handheld
Lightroom for everything including a rather large crop, wb adjustment, texture & clarity, a bit of exposure and sharpening. Also boosted the saturation some. Some cloning away of debris on the snow.
Love the detail and the contrast between the fern and snow, Kris. Only thought about cropping would be perhaps from the top to eliminate the UL portion of the fern? Or just take another shot closer? Two different views and two different feels. Nicely done.
Lovely, with beautiful detail! I’m a little bothered by the leaf exiting at the top corner, and wonder about a little crop from the top.
It might mess with the concept too much, but if it were mine (wish it was!), I’d play with lightening the top portion or maybe some subtle blur, to keep my eye from wandering up the stem and out of the frame. That’s a quandary because the curled leaflets (?) there are so interesting and lovely.
Thanks @linda_mellor, @Mark_Seaver, @David_Schoen & @Diane_Miller - I appreciate the feedback. I am torn about the top part - I love the textures and how the light brings them up, but maybe it’s not as interesting as the spore bits? Hm…
Blurring wasn’t doing it for me so I cropped it, but I still prefer my original. If I find some curly ferns again this winter, I’ll try something closer.
