This is another image from the Hoh Rainforest. I wasn’t sure whether this is good enough to post but have nothing else to offer this week. This image still has some processing issues but I don’t feel like putting in the effort until I know it’s worth my time. Basically, I was attracted to this emerald burst in the darkness. It’s a pretty straightforward image in that it is what you see.
GFX50R, 32-64mm
Igor, I like the mood of the image. Well done to get a composition in such a complex forest scene. The soft light works very well for the subject. There is a good range of light and shadows. The end one the fern leaf con the bottom left side is just a bit too tight to the edge of the frame for my taste. Looking forward to see some more of your work.
Beautiful, Igor. I can certainly see why it caught your attention. The fern is screaming for attention. The darkness of the tree behind it helps put the focus on the fern. Definitely worthy of posting, IMHO. Nicely seen.
Really nice capture, Igor. I love the intense greens and subdued light. The composition is fantastic and works really well for a forest scene. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Dark, somber, moody, mysterious, and beautiful. Those adjectives might portray the scene as sinister, and I would think that many people would consider the setting that way. It’s not. It’s quiet, meditative, and a gentle calm … something we need more of right now.
This is not a criticism but a legitimate question.
[quote=“Igor_Doncov, post:1, topic:23735”]
but I don’t feel like putting in the effort until I know it’s worth my time
[/quote] What is it that would make it worth your time. It gets to the question of why we make images in the first place. Just curious.
Fair question.
Everyone comes back with a batch of images. Some you process immediate. Some you reject immediately. And some fall in between. So you think to yourself: Should I put energy into this one or should I use it to look for what may be a superior image? I suspect everyone goes through this sort of thinking after every trip. I’m not one to post most of my images on NPN anyway. I certainly don’t want to post variations on the same theme. I’m also leaving for Alaska in 2 days so that’s influencing how much time to devote to this image.
I think this is worthy of some of your editing time, Igor! The fern is naturally brighter than its dark background tree trunk, a nice contrast. And as others have said, it is a simple, elegant scene.
You know what’s interesting? I photographed this because I liked the background. There were ferns everywhere. I chose this one because of the atmosphere the bg provided. Ain’t that a kick in the burro.
I enjoy this composition a lot. I may try darkening the brighter fern on the LRC area just a little bit to balance everything out, but this looks really nice as is. The big trees, the fern, and the sorrels pretty much sum up the PNW to me.
This is a very good small scene, and I like it a lot. It is good as it is, but if it could be improved it is worthwhile to put in some more effort. And I think that the most important aspect if to put in some more effort is if you find joy in it, and not what I and others think!
I like how the fern stands out against the darker background. Look forward to your images from Alaska. Safe travels Igor.
I totally know what you mean @Igor_Doncov … and find myself asking the very same question as you. When I have the time, I choose to proceed with processing if it has stood the test of time and I haven’t deleted it from my collection. I usually don’t know if I’ll find it a complete image until I’ve done a complete process.
As for this, I’d proceed. There’s changes I’d personally make, but this isn’t my image and your question was whether it warranted taking the next step and I do believe I would.
I like the concept of the fern emerging from the gloom of the forest, and I like the interplay of ferns, sorrel, and moss. The way you have processed the light on the ferns and sorrel looks great. The part of this that works less well for me is the high visual weight of the dark tree trunk at the top edge. I know you need a dark background to meet your concept, but that part of the image just feels heavy to me. I think the composition is fine, and would not crop the top, but maybe some very slight dodging of the tree trunk would reduce it’s heaviness a bit.
Ignor, not just aesthetics here…majestic and mysterious. Feel immersed in this lushness. Thanks for sharing this.
This is a lovely fern and the forest behind it is magnificent as well. My question regarding more post processing is this – do you want to print it? It looks great backlit on my computer, but my experience with similar scenes is that printing causes them to lose brightness. So if I were going to print it, I’d probably do a little to the brightness and contrast. Keep the lightest part on the big fern, but also bring up some shadows.
I haven’t attempted to print this specific image. However, I reprocess all my images for printing in the manner you describe. I typically do 3 adjustments: levels, contrast, and saturation.
I’m actually pleased with the response to this image. It’s more than I expected. I’m re-evaluating this image.
