Looking down from a new boardwalk through a cedar swamp which has become the latest segment of the Ice Age National Scenic trail here in Wisconsin. The elevated perspective was great to get some straight down images of the forest floor. The scrim of snow had melted by this point, leaving everything saturated and colorful. These ferns (possibly ostrich) have reached that fleeting stage of yellow with a tinge of green still hanging on. I loved how the fronds stood out and showed their tapering shapes really well.
Specific Feedback Requested
I know it’s got a lot going on, but does it still appeal?
Technical Details
Tripod
Lr to smooth the tonalities with an S-curve, some texture and clarity, but not much. No saturation or vibrance needed. Cooled the white balance, added some sharpening. Boosted blue and red saturation in Calibration, but under 20 on the sliders. HSL panel to reduce luminosity in orange, but boost it a little in yellow and green.
Photoshop to remove the most egregious edge distractions. Oh and I ran a TK8 Triple Play for the darks.
Nicely seen, Kris. Love all the fall colors and the variety of foliage/textures. Yes, I would agree there is a lot going on, but isn’t that how fall is? Lots of transitions from summer to winter.
Thanks @linda_mellor & @Bonnie_Lampley - I got caught up in doing many of these up on the boardwalk. That limitation kept me from cleaning things up like I usually do if I’m directly on the ground so that was a bit of a challenge.
A great small scene of the ground. The image works very well since the visual “strongness” of the fernes could take a busy background. IMO the BG adds to the interest.
Thanks @Mark_Seaver & @Ola_Jovall for adding your thoughts. The big ferns worked well here, but I have a tighter view of some very small ones that I’ll put up soon. It was fun finding and figuring out how to compose these little ground scenes.
I love this! The shape of the fern is beautifully composed in the frame. I don’t think the BG is too busy – and I’m surprised to hear myself think that! Maybe because there is a lot of repeating of the same items, with none trying to dominate. I like that some of them have landed on the fern.
Thanks @Diane_Miller - I hadn’t picked up on the repeating shapes as an element of cohesion here, but I get it now. Being that I was on a walkway to protect the swamp itself, it didn’t feel right getting down there to do any “gardening” although it was dry enough for me to have done so. Plus the boardwalk was new and dozens of people involved in its construction so the edges were pretty well trodden.
Kristen, this is just lovely. You indicate that there is a lot going on, and there certainly is, but that is what makes this one so good. A feast for the eyes, with wonderful pastel colours and gentle tones. As a result of the latter, the fern doesn’t dominate (to me anyway) but just fits right in. Love it. Cheers.
