Versions
First
Second
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
What initially caught my eye was the swirls of foam on the river, but as I moved closer I noticed this tree. It was midday, and because of the steep rock wall it was only partially lit by the sun. I wanted to include both the tree and the foam, but was unsure about how much of the surroundings to include. Too much and it looked messy, too little and it looked unbalanced.
Technical Details
Settings: 54 mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO 320
Processing: Converted to B&W, slight crop, dodging/burning to enhance the tree. I’m considering reducing the whites on the top of the tree because it’s a bit distracting. Kinda wish I had a bit more space on the top, but I don’t, but at the same time I’m not sure if it’s necessary.
For me, this is a delicious photograph. I first enjoyed the asymmetric luminosity - plenty of black and white, and minimal grey. Then I enjoyed the asymmetric composition - the tree pushing the upper left of the frame, the intricate stream patterns in the opposite corner, with the flowing branch joining the two corners.
I wonder about the 5-6 lowest leaves on the left margin; they seem to be not joining the flow of the other textures.
1 Like
I think there is a certain poetry to this image. There is a patch of really bright leaves near the top edge I would crop out. And I feel that the bright grasses at the bottom need to be mor prominent. I tried to do both here. I don’t know if I succeeded.
1 Like
The flow of that lower branch grabs my eye, in a good way, and I love the little extras to explore. I do like @Igor_Doncov 's edits; they make it even better.
@Dick_Knudson @Igor_Doncov @John_Williams
Thanks for the helpful input and kind words! With a photo like this one, minimal yet detailed, I realized that I could spend hours tweaking all the small elements. Knowing what to include and what to exclude is an art in itself. Thankfully, I learn a bit every time!
In the second version I’ve cropped the photo slightly. It’s still a 4:3 ratio (in case I want to print it). Additionally, I’ve tried to balance the whites on the tree and made the grasses slightly brighter. I wanted to keep the leaves the brightest part of the image because, to me, they almost look like small flowers.
