The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I made this image years ago on Boulder Mountain south of Torrey, Utah. It’s one of my favorite places to explore in the fall, even though I don’t get over there as often as I’d like, and in the winter there are plenty of great opportunities, too. I shot this while prowling around with Guy Tal. The fog was so thick that you could just barely make out the trees. I added quite a bit of contrast to give them more prominence while retaining the foggy mood. Processed in B&W because…I’m colorblind and tend to “see” scenes like this in monochrome.
Specific Feedback
Love to hear any and all thoughts!
Technical Details
Canon 5D MKII
Canon 24-105mm lens @ 105
ISO 100 (I think)
1/125s @ f/16
Lightroom/Photoshop
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
This is a lovely photograph, Bret; very well balanced! I imagine these aspen are from a high elevation location, I find they grow more “stubby” like this there.
Classically gorgeous – and classy!! Isolated trees like this are such a fantastic subject and these are so well-spaced, with the tighter group on one side and the looser group separated a little. The level base is perfect, with the hint of debris to outline it and a clean FG and BG. Processing looks just right. Super wonderful!!
I’m just going to fall in line with what’s been said. I really enjoy what winter can do for scenes like this, and you’ve framed and processed this very well; simple, yet elegant.
Wonderful job processing; you brought out the trees enough to stand out against the fog and snow.
Such a simple, yet engaging scene. Beautifully captured and processed. And with such simplicity, you get to avoid any nitpicks! ha ha. Or for me, dang-it, nothing to suggest! Love this as presented.
Hi Bret,
Over the years I have always wanted to capture a scene such as yours with a tree or a grouping of trees in a snow storm; but alas I have always come up empty and it is still my white whale. Seeing this makes me want to keep on trying. This image has a quiet delicate beauty about it with the trees being isolated in the fog with the freshly fallen snow. The clutter at the base of the trees helps ground them and makes for a wonderful element in this image. I have no suggestions other than make a large print of this and find some wall space for it as this is gorgeous!
I absolutely love this area, Bret. One of my favorite areas to explore in the fall although I’ve never been there in winter. I have to do that sometime. The trees are so nicely isolated from everything else that it makes this a perfect winter scene. No clutter to deal with and even the ground cover under the trees starts and ends where the trees start and end. There is enough separation between the snowy foreground and the the sky to tell the two apart. this is beautifully processed. I don’t think I would have known these were aspen as others have mentioned. This is very calming. The contrast is low which makes this a soft and easy scene to look at. Terrific processing. I have absolutely nothing for you as a way to make this better. Well done.
Dear Bret Edge, thank you for posting this image. The foreground and background are both around Z8 and isolate the group of trees completely; as far as I can see, only the trees themselves vary slightly with regard to tonalities (Z4-6) — the lower part of the tree trunks being the darkest parts. The slightly shaded ground under the trees, and the group of trees themselves, form an almost symmetrical half circle, giving the composition stability. The negative space around the trees is well balanced and extensive — so extensive that the image becomes almost surreal in appearance and mood, because one rarely finds trees so isolated from their ecological context. There is a danger of such an image with such a solid composition becoming less dynamic, but an interesting dynamic is in fact introduced by the variation of the trees themselves — the ones to the left being more isolated and lonely in the group compared to the ones to the right, which stand closer. Well done.
Bret, this is an excellent, minimalist look at these trees “almost lost” in the snow. While I think you could crop this and retain the minimalist feeling of the trees and snow, a cropped version would not feel as spacious.
I like the simple, graphic nature of this photo. Though one could say that its “just” a simple composition I still find it very engaging, and I love exploring the shapes and details in limbs and tree trunks. The placement and grouping of the trees is also very pleasing to the eye, so yeah, a big thumbs up from me!
