While out searching for Mountain Laurel images on a rainy day in June, I came across this small scene in a boggy area at the edge of a forest. Other than the haircap moss, I have no idea what any of this stuff is, I would appreciate any plant identification anyone could provide. While this image has no subject really, I was just intrigued by the mosaic of color, shape and texture in this small scene.
And just to illustrate the ephemeral beauty of nature, I decided to return to this location 6 days later to shoot it again, and all of the yellow and orange leaves had mostly turned to green !!!
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Any critique or comments are welcome
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Canon 5D MKIV, Canon 100mm Macro lens, ISO 400, 1/4 sec at f 16.
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
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This is excellent, Ed. Quite a nice intimate, almost abstract. I would crop maybe 1/6 off the right. The bright green triple leaf is an eye magnet for me and a crop makes the moss (?) more uniform throughout. Real good stuff.
Gorgeous Ed! The variety of color is amazing and catching it with the dew/rain is an extra bonus. Reminds me very much of the Alaska tundra.
I can see any number of minor crops for edge cleanup including Harley’s suggestion. Cropping in a smidge off the left and bottom remove some darker areas, but not a huge deal at all.
Great intimate find and even better processing. Love this.
Lon
Ed, I really love these types of intimate delicate near abstract scenes. This one includes a rainbow of colors as a bonus and you have processed it beautifully. I agree with @Harley_Goldman on the green eye magnet. In my sneak preview I must have missed it. My memory is that I have seen this plant with the hair cap moss in our local woods as well. I am also curious why it is called. Wonderful eye on your part to catch this!
I really like this, Ed. The color is nicely dispersed through the scene and the variation of shape, color and texture keep my eye engaged throughout the scene.
@Lon_Overacker @Brian_Schrayer @Harley_Goldman @Alan_Kreyger thanks for the comments folks, as always you have made some helpful suggestions. I knew the green eye magnet was an issue, I previously had burned it down some, but obviously that did not help enough. Here is a crop / clone that completely eliminates the offending leaves…
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Bingo! Repost looks great!
@Ed_McGuirk, Ed this piece of beautiful nature you have captured grows in my garden. It is Photinia (little red robin). A rather appropriate name I think. For this plant with beautiful brilliant red and green leaves.
Hi Ed,
Gorgeous details beautifully composed and processed. I think the repost hit the mark. Illustrates that you don’t need a “grand landscape” to produce exquisite images!
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Ben, I’m not familiar with photinia, so I looked it up. I don’t think that is what this is, photinia is described as a shrub that grows several feet/meters tall. This plant was hugging the ground, and it looked like it was mature and would never grow more than an inch above the ground. Thanks anyways for trying to help.
@Ben_van_der_Sande your suggestion on plant identification prodded me to work harder at this.
I found a website called Pl@ntNet Identify, you upload a picture of the flora in question, and you get suggested identifications.
There is no question that this is Eastern Teaberry or Gaultheria procumbens , also called Checkerberry, so I finally got my answer !!
Ed, you are absolutely right . I was looking at the wrong label. We call it bergthee (mountain tea).
And it’s growing in a big pot in my garden.
Glad I was almost helping you.
Thanks for the repost and the plant research. Both were helpful!
This is great. The cropped version is very strong and the green eye-magnet was going to be a talking point but you’ve dealt with that. It’s done. Put it on a wall.
Excellent image Ed - I love the cropped/cloned version! What a wonderful combination of colors. I like how the crop also helped balance the composition by making it the placement of prominent red and yellow leaves more symmetrical.
I don’t know how I missed this one. I love it, Ed. All those wonderful colors … and the stars in between. It’s also great that you didn’t use a polarizer for it would have sucked the life out of this composition. Those leaves you cropped out would have a great counterpoint had they been more centrally located. As things stand, the crop is an improvement.
