Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I had a not in my calendar for March to be sure to photograph trees while their buds and leaves were emerging, Finally on April 22, we started to have Spring in western Washington. Especially after viewing Sarah Marino’s recent video, Photographing Spring Trees, it was great to get out. No dappled sunlight, just a lighter gray overcast than the past month. The challenge was to find a composition of shapes and colors that could be brought home and made to show how the scene felt to me. This cherry leaning toward the road and the cottonwood’s translucent leaves engaged me, and this is the fist of a handful of images to be processed. Enjoy Spring, folks, even if it is subtle.
Specific Feedback
I worry a little that the cottonwood is a little too saturated, but I want to separate it from the yellow leaves in the background.
Technical Details
Canon R5, EF100-400 , 135mm, ISO 800, f/13, 1/500
Lightroom for White point, PShop for lots of adjustments, Topaz Sharpen AI
1 Like
Well this is a fun little image! My initial impression of this was of a romantic era painting, I think mostly due to the rich warm colors which are great. I wanted to see what it looked like cooled off a touch and it completely changed the look and feel for me. Not necessarily better but I went from romantic era to Japanese Block Print! Compositionally, you’ve anchored that tree perfectly in the lower right hand corner just enough room all the way around. The small tree provides a bit of an echo in it’s shape. I could see some wanting to remove the triangle in the upper left corner, but with it cooled down for me it provides a bit of a contrast and depth. I’m happy to share my adjustments if it is something you’d like to tackle in a similar fashion.
Thanks for sharing!
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Oooooh! Your tuneup is delicious
I will play with it. Yes please send me the details of your work.
@Dick_Knudson Here were my steps:
- Curves Layer - Click the auto button while holding down alt/option on your keyboard, then select the “Enhance per Chanel Contrast” option.
- Color Balance w/ a Darks 2 Mask - Midtones - Cyan/Red -9, no adjustment to Magenta/Green, Yellow/Blue +11 - Shadows Cyan/Red -2, no adjustment to Magenta/Green, Yellow/Blue +10
- Selective Color - Yellows - Magenta -18% Yellow +19%, Greens - Cyan +21%, Magenta -41%, Yellow -22%.
If any of that isn’t clear let me know and I can send some screenshots. Essentially trying to cool the image off a bit, especially in the shadows, then pull some yellows back out while pushing the greens cooler.
Hello Dick,
I would definitively suggest that you remove/fix that dark ULC. It will make the tree “flow” more freely on the frame.
Thank you. Once I desaturate all that dark green, there is some nicely textured conifer in that corner now.
In the color balance adjustment, what Darks 2 mask are you referring to? I use TK8 for luminescence masking and its Darks 2 seems to give a result quite close to your tuneup.
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That’s it. I use TK as well.
