The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
Looking for any feedback even if it’s just an initial reaction, or if you really just don’t care for the image, I’d like to know!
Creative direction
In this image, I tried to capture the amazing color reflections in the water and the unique display of cypress knees with the various foliage growing on them.
Specific Feedback
How does this image make you feel, is this something you would like to see printed large hanging on a wall?
Technical Details
I shot this with my Canon 6D, 70-200mm lens @109mm - f/16, 1.6s, ISO 100. This composition is cropped in to a 2:1 ratio to help eliminate distracting elements outside the frame.
Description
The light hitting these cypress knees this morning was great, and it really drew my attention from quite a distance. I explored why exactly I liked the scene and shot probably 5 or 6 different compositions until I found one that captured what it was that I was seeing. Knowing I’d want to remove the distracting patterns that naturally occur in water, I closed down my aperture to be able to achieve a longer shutter speed to smooth out the water flowing in the background, which also really helps to display the colors being reflected.
I love this image because like most intimate landscapes, it’s not something you can easily replicate or predict will be there again. In fact, these specific knees are submerged in water 9 months out of the year. It’s nice to go somewhere with an expectation of getting a specific grand landscape scene and instead coming home with something much more personal and unique.
I too love cypress trees and cypress knees! These are well formed knees that appear to be almost sculpted. Being submerged the flowing water has smoothed them nicely, and the green moss offers a nice diversion from the smooth, bare wood, both in texture and color. I’m on an old laptop so it may just be my monitor but it appears to have some blown highlights in a few spots; if so, I would work on trying to overcome some of that. The dynamic range on some cameras today can do miracles with things that appear to be blown out but might still have some data left in there.
Hey Aaron: Basically, I like the idea behind this composition and I love the bayou where I’m always on the lookout for good ways to shoot or add cypress knees to an image. Ok, on the positive side, I like the direction of the composition moving from the bottom left to middle right side of the frame. Good job seeing the color to add in the background.
Needs improvement and solutions: First off, the direct sun hitting the rightmost knees is too hot. Using a diffusion disk, if reachable, would solve that problem. But, the sticks, some in bright sun (which can possibly be held back with the same diffusor you would use to diffuse the other area mentioned) are the main issue. Even in great light, the random sticks are an issue. Easily fixable. If you can get to them without taking any risks like falling into the water (where there are turtles and alligators), hand pick those sticks out of there. Also, try getting a little higher to shoot down on the subject, which would include more color reflection in the background. Go back on an overcast day, but you probably know that already.
Hi Bill, you are right about the highlights, but in this image they are truly blown. It doesn’t bother me personally, but I realize I should have pulled it back in the field.
