Calling

[Paul_Holdorf]

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Calling

This fallen monarch of the forest once stood regally on a distant shore. It now lies in repose with no less beauty than when it stood strong and tall. Time will eventually absorb it back into the earth from which it once pulled sustenance. For now, it lies partially buried in the loose gravel along the shore of Jackson Lake. Its branches refuse to give up and still reach for the skies.

As twilight sweeps in from the east, it carries with it the magic of light tinted in soft hues. It flits across the sky and is absorbed first by the towering peaks to the west. Slowly, the color pours down the mountains and begins to illuminate the lower regions. Fog, rising wistfully from the water, drifts across the lake as if answering the summons of an unseen voice calling from across the waters. Its motion is mesmerizing and mysterious. It makes me want to fall in behind it and find the source of this powerful voice.

Now, as the shadow of the Earth itself is chased across the landscape by the rising Sun and off into tomorrow, a photographer sits on the frosty ground. His camera pushed down into the very gravel that will eventfully consume this tree, he marvels at the beauty in front of him. Gratefulness washes over him in soft waves. Perhaps, much like the fog, I am also drawn to that same powerful voice across the waters. I am content to silently listen to the start of the day and occasionally push the shutter release.

Specific Feedback

This is an example of how in the moment, I got too excited and completely forgot what I was doing! I had set the camera right down on the ground so I knew that it was not likely, even with the correct hyperfocal distance, that I would be able to get the entire scene in focus. Instead of using the built in focus shift function, I just manually turned the focus ring for 3 shots. The result is bands of rocks that are not in sharp focus. How distracting is this? Also, I’d love some processing advice as far as how to avoid the halo around the tree against the sky. I am assuming this is chromatic aberration and is enhanced due to focus breathing and the stacking process.

Technical Details

Nikon D850
Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5
ISO 64, f/10, 1.6 seconds, 20mm

I stacked it in Helicon Focus. I used Photoshop to warp the image just a bit. Final processing in Lightroom where I used various masks to tweak a few things like shadows, saturation and the luminescence of the light on the mountains.

[Saundie (Don Saunderson)]

Hi Paul I can see why you got excited, this image truly grasps the serenity of twilight in nature’s lap. The palette of soft purples and pinks in the sky, contrasted with the rich tapestry of colorful stones in the foreground, creates a harmonious balance that’s quite enchanting. Your composition, leading the eye from the rugged driftwood to the majestic mountains and the calm lake, encapsulates a tranquil moment perfectly.

Unfortunately, I did notice the out-of-focus band, which slightly distracts from the image’s overall sharpness. This is a great image, and with such a compelling composition, it’s a minor hiccup on an otherwise beautiful capture. I do think selective sharpening in Topaz Ai would probably be able to remedy this.

[John_Williams]

Love those, as you noted, soft hues Paul. I’m not really seeing a halo; I must be missing it somewhere.

While I love the colored rocks and the soft hues in that sky, I do wish the fallen limbs weren’t blocking the view to the mountain. I like the way the larger trunk on the left helps to frame them, but the other two rob from the star of the show that is sitting behind.

I’m with @Saundie, the OOF area is noticeable at full size. At the smaller size though, I really can’t see it. If you cropped it out you’d still have a darn tooting nice image.

[Diane_Miller]

Beautiful light and a lovely morning! I’m wondering if you shot this from a higher perspective if there would be a connection between the pieces of wood? They don’t look like separate pieces of driftwood and my brain longs to see a connection between them – a fallen trunk, probably.

[Barbara_Djordjevic]

Paul, I can feel the rocks and get caught up in the soft unfolding of the morning. I am a bit confussed as to where I should find the center of interest in the photo. You mention the drift wood and I sense that is what may have drawn you to this composition. Yet, almost a half of the composion is the very colorful shapes of the rocks. The wood and the distant mountains get lost. I tried with various crops to feature a strong point of interest. The first crop leaves out the smaller mountain to the right which may be problematic for you. I feel it gives the drift wood center stage. I don’t know if that was your intent.

I tried another crop which just cuts some of the rocky foreground.

You beautiful word picture of the moments of that morning draw me into the scene. Thank you for sharing it.

[Paul_Holdorf]

@Diane_Miller I agree about the separate pieces. I love dead trees, whether standing or fallen, but unfortunately this one is buried in the loose gravel. The top 35’ of Jackson Lake is a reservoir, and by October it is usually 35 ft lower than full pool. In the Spring and early Summer, the storms cause a lot of wave action which has buried this tree!

[Paul_Holdorf]

@Barbara_Djordjevic I’ve been working on a crop like your top one. I also found another image to add to the stack which reduces some of the areas that are out of focus. Not sure how I missed it the first time around! Thanks for your input!

[Diane_Miller]

Interesting story about the tree being buried. That might make another interesting shot from a different angle and higher, to show better that the intervening space to the branches is covered with gravel. But that would probably miss the stunning BG!

[Paul_Holdorf]

Well, there’s nothing to do but force myself to go back down there next October

[Diane_Miller]

It’s tough but somebody’s gotta do it!