Another tree image from my early November trip to Yosemite Valley. This is an autumn image, but yet not about autumn color. It’s an image about trees, but not about any one tree. It’s order from chaos, but still chaotic. Can’t put my finger on why I really like this one.
Your comments, impressions and feedback always welcome.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Processing, color/sat, etc.
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
does this hold your interest?
Any pertinent technical details:
Single frame, Nikon 28-300mm @65mm f/11
Edit: Thanks so much for the comments and suggestions! I did what I could with toning down the granite wall up top. I don’t disagree that the brighter granite wall is less desirable, but at the time it was the entire tree structure and canopy that I wanted in tact. Most of the rest of the changes are hardly noticeable, but I did tone some other things down, bumped the color/contrast selectively elsewhere, including some cloning here and there to remove some hot spots. Changes are slight, but I like them and so thank you very much for the suggestions!
Another nice Overacker tree image. I am finding it a bit chaotic. I would consider a top crop, removing just about all of the sky and cloning out the the remaining bits. The stretched image and blue sky keeps pulling my eye up and out of the image. I find the meat of it is down below. As always, YMMV. Processing looks good to me.
Lots of detail here. It is slightly chaotic, but I like the look, especially the warm/cool color contrast between the autumn leaves and the pines.
I can see where Harley is coming from, but cropping out the granite wall at the top disrupts the flow of the tree branches. Perhaps you could bring down the tonal value of the granite a bit, Lon?
Lon, I think you like it because it is really yours! I too enjoy it a lot. While the trunks make for a nice anchoring, I take time to explore all the delightful details. The subdued colors create a specific atmosphere that I really appreciate. Thanks for sharing.
Lon, I agree with Preston, I would reduce the luminosity of the granite rather than crop it away. I think chaos like this works better when you can achieve some foreground/background separation to create depth. The strong shapes and colors of the tree trunks and yellow leaves achieve this in the bottom half of the image. But as you move to the top half the branches and granite are too similar in luminosity to get separation.
What works well for me here is the contrast between the dark (moss?) and light areas on the tree trunks, and the contrast between the yellows and greens. I initially thought a top crop would emphasize this more, but Preston is right, it would disrupt the flow of the tree.
This image has a nice flow to it from bottom to top. There’s a nice horizontal comp in about the center of the image. And another one in the top right corner. I guess you can find many in a subject like this.
Don’t know what to suggest. Some of the yellow leaves on the left margin seem intrusive but cropping generates a tall narrow image. I’m sure you’re aware of that however, and made this compromise (full tree vs leaf absence). Virtually all images are compromises from what you want and what’s there. You could drop their luminosity?
Yeah, I have to agree. It’s hard to say why you (or anyone) would photograph this. I know I would have passed it by. But then I would have missed one of the more complex and interesting tree photos posted here. I think the dark trunk and branches provide some structure to the scene and the rest of the scene sort of hangs on that framework. Sort of like and overly decorated Christmas tree maybe. I’m definitely enjoying it. It certainly looks like one of yours.
Sorry, Lon, I little late to the party… yes it is a bit chaotic but I find all the details exquisite. Almost like a tapestry. Like others have pointed out, if it were mine, I would crop off the top to remove the sky. I would also burn the bright leaves along the left frame edge. Kudos for you to see an image in this scene.
This is a nice tree image! A lot involved visually to take in. I like comp as presented because of the diversity of color. I think Igor’s suggestion works well to simplify the comp too, if you wanted to go more vertical pano. I also think a tad more contrast, or slightly deeper shadows would add a little more depth.
Its very Monet-esque. I think that is why I like it. I don’t need so see all the detail even though it is there and if I did I would just be in awe of it, yet its just chaotic enough that the details don’t matter, if any of that makes any sense.
I recognized this as your right away Lon. I am really enjoying the detail and painterly effect. I agree with Preston on darkening the granite wall a bit but none the less I am really enjoying this.
Lon, I can see the suggested points for change as positive thoughts for different looks. However, I’m going with my first impression and leaving things as is and totally buying in on the comments about a “painterly” look…
I saw the top photograph and was about to make the suggestion about burning the wall in the background a little but you already did it! I like the second photo quite a bit. The oranges, yellows and greens and the browns of the trunks look really good together. I also like the composition with the trunks starting on the right and radiating out and upward.
