I’m not Tim or Matt, so I hope my thoughts will be helpful as well, maybe not.
I love being in forests like this and I am often moved to make photos like this but then after the fact when sitting at home a processing them, I tend to find them lacking the secrete sauce that got me to take the photo in the first place, and I quite literally ask myself, why did I take this photo?
In yours, I like the lighting, the colors, the depth, the detail, but I am asking what was it that moved you to make this photo? Its not bad, in fact it has something that makes me want to look at it, but I just can’t put my finger on it.
Hey @guy sorry I somehow missed this post this morning!
Here’s my thoughts!
This is a well-balanced woodland scene with nice layering of trees, subtle autumn colors, and a natural, immersive feel. The composition is structured in a way that makes the viewer feel like they are standing in the middle of the forest, taking in the details.
What Works Well
Strong Composition – The tree trunks create a good sense of depth and structure without feeling cluttered. The foreground tree on the right provides a natural anchor.
Subtle, Natural Tones – The color grading feels authentic, with gentle greens and yellows that complement each other.
Good Depth and Texture – The layers of trees add complexity, and the mossy bark adds visual interest.
Areas for Improvement
Lack of a Clear Subject
The image has great layering and depth, but it’s hard to tell what the main focus is. There’s no clear dominant element guiding the viewer’s eye.
You might consider framing more deliberately around a single tree or an interesting cluster of leaves to create a more defined focal point.
Minor Distractions on the Bottom Edge
There are a few small distracting elements along the bottom of the frame, such as stray branches and uneven patches of brightness.
A minor crop from the bottom would clean up the composition without losing any important details.
Potential for More Depth Separation
Right now, everything is fairly evenly sharp, which makes the background and foreground blend together a bit.
Using a slightly shallower depth of field or subtle dodging and burning could help create more separation between layers, guiding the viewer’s eye more intentionally.
Final Thoughts
This is a beautifully balanced and natural woodland scene, but a bit more emphasis on a primary subject and some subtle refinements in framing and depth could make it even stronger. A slight crop and adjustments to focus or contrast could help enhance the storytelling within the scene.
I think you did well to compose an image out of this beautiful fall woodland scene. There is certainly chaos but there is well placed vertical structure too. I like all four of the prominent trees in the foreground and midground and the nearly perfect spacing you gave each of them. They are each visually different in size , structure, bark and color. There is the same amount of room to the right of the right tree and to the left of the left tree. I think that makes this composition well thought out and very purposeful.
I guess I’m wondering why you chose f/16 for this image? I think less depth of field might have given a softer background while still giving the trees mentioned, prominence. As for the fall colors, I think you rendered them very naturally given the soft and dappled light you had to work with. There is no hint at over saturation at all and the hue and warmth appear to be about right. I do notice some yellow leaves that stand out and if you’re not apposed to burning them, I would darken that grouping of leaves on the left side of the image about halfway up. There are also just a couple of bright yellow spots along the bottom edge of the frame at the base of the darkest left tree and the base of the lightest left tree. These are super tiny nits and do not detract one iota from the image but I thought it worth pointing out if you’re interested. I’m really getting to enjoy your structure in chaos woodland scenes, Guy!
Hi Youssef,
There was a lot of discussion on this image the first time I posted it. You can read what was covered here: Savoy, MA
But in short, it is the beautiful yet slightly unsettled quality of a forest in drought that is my subject here. I enhance the sense of unsettledness by composing it to read right to left instead of the left to right way many people read an image. And because it is a more subtle than just a picture of a tree or a rock it rewards the deeper or more frequent gaze…
Thanks for being interested enough to comment.
Hi David,
I’m glad you enjoyed the image! Why f/16? To me the image is way more than the four most prominent trees, it is about putting the viewer in the forest a very immersive experience that requires every detail to be as clearly rendered as possible. When you see it on the wall printed 17" x 25" it really has the feeling you can walk right into it.
