The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I had the pleasure of being in the woodlands during a foggy morning just before sunrise. The tree in the foreground caught my attention in conjunction with the trees in the background. I find trees to be inspiring as they survive as a community for decades in all sorts of weather. I am located in northern Illinois.
Specific Feedback
My main focus is if the composition works but I am more than open to other feedback. I played around with warming up the image a tad but the trunks are really accentuated in this version and the cooler processing emphasizes the strength of the trunks, perserverance.
Technical Details
ISO 100, f/16, 2 seconds
111mm
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Hi Bill,
The atmospherics with the fog are quite lovely and you certainly made the most of it with this woodland scene. I too find trees to be inspiring so this definitely resonates with me. Woodlands are usually quite messy and chaotic by nature , but you did a pretty good job organizing everything IMO. I only mention this because this image is pretty darn nice as is; and I don’t know how you feel about removing a couple of limbs; but there are four that catch my eye a little and I would remove if this were mine. I could see removing one each in the LLC and LRC as well as two on the main tree toward the bottom edge of the frame. I hope you do not mind, but here is a rework with what I was thinking. This is just my opinion of course. This puts me right there; I can almost feel the dampness.
I more than agree that those relatively small changes significantly helped the composition. I personally have no issue with tweaks of that nature. I also sincerely appreciate that you took the time to alter the image. More than fine by me!
Hi Bill,
What a beautiful Woodland scene you captured here. I love the depth of field or rather the lack of depth of field in this image and how the trees in the background sort of fade away into the fog. You talked about warming the entire scene but I might suggest that you try and cool the entire scene because I tend to associate foggy scene’s with a cooler white balance temperature. I also agree with Ed regarding the branch and limb removal if you are in to that sort of thing. This may be just me but I might also darken that dark right branch of the main tree so it feels more like it’s part of that main tree. Your composition is good and the foggy atmosphere is super nice! Nice capture, Bill!
Such a beautiful foggy atmosphere and the range of soft green tones make this a wonderful image.
It would be interesting to see the effect of darkening the main tree slightly to make it pop a bit more and separate it from the background. Loving the serenity.
A beautiful image, as others said one can feel the fog, the humid atmosphere and, for me, the silence and a sense of temporal suspension… I like it a lot.
Dear Bill Bomberry,
Congratulations, this is a very fine image IMO. I concur with Ed Lowe’s comment about the removal of a few limbs, especially the one in the lower left corner, which suggests a strong diagonal that, in my eyes, detracts from the figure of the main subject, the triangle of the tree trunks in the foreground. To me, this triangle in the foreground creates a sort of grid, which is echoed by the trunks behind it; the mist emphasizes this grid structure by obliterating the background. The depth of this image, combined with the quiet, desaturated and cool greens, invites me to move deep into the background of the image. For that reason, I was wondering if the centrifugal title ‘branching out’ should be replaced by another title that underscores the movement into the background and/or the deep community of the trees? Anyway, thanks for sharing this image.
