This small maple tree along the shore of a pond in Massachusetts had some nice fall color, but what attracted me to this scene was the shapes and texture in the grasses along the waterline. We have had a lot of rain and wind this autumn, but this location still held some nice leaves despite the onslaught of the wind. This scene is somewhat chaotic, so I’m interested to see what peoples reactions are to this one.
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
I am especially interested in peoples thoughts on alternate crops / compositions. Is this too chaotic, or does the composition hold together?
Hi Ed! This is a very beautiful scene. I like how the wonderfully colorful maple leaves are set against the more neutral color palette of the reeds, and the green leaves in the background. You are very correct that this is indeed a very chaotic scene, but I think it’s that color separation that helps give it a sense of organization. I also like the green lichen on the tree trunk. That color goes so well with the maple leaves.
This photo does very well on its own, but I think it would do even better when paired with other similar photos in a collection. Imagine three photos all along this same theme printed, framed, and hanging on a wall next to each other, or perhaps a book. So in short, this might be the start of a wonderful project.
While there is a lot going on, I am not finding this too chaotic at all. The color and tree branches hold the composition together nicely. I would either burn or clone the branch leading out of the frame to the left. I find it pulls my eye out of the scene. This works quite well for me.
Ed, I agree with the others and do not find this too chaotic. I have these reeds in abundance near my home and have yet to put together a scene I liked, well done! I MIGHT be interested in seeing a bit more of the foreground reflection? The branch on the left did grab my eye a bit. Nice work!
Oh yeah. This is excellent. Give me one of these any day over a grand landscape. There is chaos in this image and it’s perfect. The maple leaves are mixed into a background of green leaves and branches. Grass blades overlap maple leaves. It’s a blend of colors and textures. Yet there is no confusion about what this is about. And those cyan lichens really add a lot. They’re really a secondary point of focus. I also like the WB choice here. It would have been tempting to warm this up because of the warm colors but that would have been a mistake.
I like the water at the bottom. I think it’s absence would also be good but the format (LxW) would suffer. I wouldn’t bring the sides in. Just a lovely image.
This is flat out gorgeous, Ed! There is a lot going on, but everything just works hand in hand with all the other elements in the scene. The details in the large version are a real treat as is the color palette. Great eye to spot this beauty.
At first glance and especially with the smaller view, it does come across somewhat chaotic and I was thinking the maple was kinda lost on the overall scene. But the larger view helps take care of that as we can appreciate the maple AND the surrounding color and detail. I think the maple shows well. I was also initially thinking of a square crop, but then opening the larger view reveals some extending branches and things that I think cropping wouldn’t improve; in fact cropping might increase the chaos…
I think you did well to visualize and capture this.
@Ben_Horne, @Harley_Goldman, @Alan_Kreyger, @Ed_Lowe, @Igor_Doncov, @Lon_Overacker, thank you very much for your very kind and helpful comments. I thought this one had enough color and texture to stand on it’s own. But I think Ben Horne has an interesting point about this also possibly being stronger as part of a collection or group of images, that has given me something to think about.
@Igor_Doncov, I thought you might enjoy this one, you and @Lon_Overacker are masters of these small scenes, and seeing your work here at NPN has inspired me to slow down and look for more scenes like this when I am out shooting.
“In Wilderness is the Preservation of the World” by Porter / Thoreau has been an inspiration for me as well, especially given the Massachusetts connection. I live about 10 miles from Walden Pond, and have enjoyed walking and photographing there many times over the years.
Ed, the mix of colors, shapes and textures work beautifully here. Yes, it’s busy, but it’s also very typical of an Eastern forest where much of the joy of exploration is in taking time to enjoy the details.
