Emotional bandwidth (w/update)

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

A revised version with associated Layer stack in Photoshop in a separate reply -

Thoughts on the changes?

Critique Style Requested: Standard

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

Description

It’s been a long time since I’ve done any landscape work, but since I bring 2 bodies with me in the kayak, switching to the one with the wider zoom is easy and I still can catch wildlife opportunities with the other camera. This is why the Spirit River is my favorite place to paddle. If I could only go to one location with the kayak, this would be it for the very reason you see above - I get to paddle in the woods.

The river originates in a spring-fed lake of the same name many miles away and eventually joins the Wisconsin river, but is dammed to make a very large reservoir. This means it can spill over into wooded areas and oh, it’s magical to glide into one of these. This is a fairly open one, but many have islands of trees dotted throughout. It’s calming and the hidden quality of the experience feels stealthy and somehow out of bounds. I’ve had motorized boats pass by me in the main channel without knowing I’m there. Like hiding from your friends or parents when you were a kid. True privacy is hard to come by and I can’t duplicate this way of getting it many other ways.

Of course I wasn’t truly alone, surrounded by insects, turtles, fish, birds and even a young White Tailed buck made a brief appearance on the shoreline just out of frame to the left. He disappeared as soon as I clapped eyes on him and I waited to see if he’d reappear further down the shoreline, but he didn’t. Still, it was nice to have that moment.

Specific Feedback

Does the photo convey any of my blather at all? Is it inviting? Mysterious? Intriguing? Peaceful? That’s how it is to paddle in these woody enclaves and is one of the most amazing things about being in a kayak on this particular body of water.

Technical Details

Handheld w/CPL turned almost all the way on. A small branch in the water was holding the boat in place in the very slight current and breeze.

Lr for some pretty extensive use of masks to guide and direct the eye in the image. To convey expansiveness, but also an enclosed feeling. I think the trees do much of that, but managing tonalities and also color hues and saturation helped. Also a little crop to straighten my horribly tilted horizon.

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[Preston_Birdwell]

This is quite beautiful and conveys the serenity and quietude of a spring day. The details are excellent, and the reflection is perfect. I like over-arching trees that keep my eye in the scene. The color looks great, and you did a very job with the processing. No nits from me!
-P

[Ed_Lowe]

Hi Kris,
The greens in this scene are amazing and I love the way the trees are forming this wonderful canopy over the river. Yes, I do find this image to be both inviting and peaceful. This had to be quite the treat to kayak while soaking up the quiet solitude as you enjoyed all the visuals surrounding you. I almost forgot, the reflection is superb and compliments the woodland beautifully. Beautifully done; no suggestions from me.

[Diane_Miller]

Holy COW!! This is my kind of place! Serenity and beauty at its best. And those arching trees are icing on the cake! Absolutely no suggestions, except that maybe this would make an incredible huge backlighted print.

About a hundred years ago I kayaked on a river in Germany, in the Spreewald, that was like this. It was pure enchantment!

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

Thanks @Preston_Birdwell, @Ed_Lowe & @Diane_Miller - glad it resonates with you. Kayaking is a joy of my life and I hope I can do it for a few more decades. Living where I do means a short season for it each year, so I push myself out of inertia to take advantage of every day. Summer is the nicest month in Northern Wisconsin.

[WillR (Will Rabinovich)]

This is a lovely image that really captures the feeling of being on a lake in a kayak. I’ve been tempted to take a camera with me when I’ve kayaked, but I haven’t tried it yet. I think the reflection works well in this image to convey a sense of being surrounded by the forest. My only suggestion might be to darken the edges of the image a bit on the ULC and top.

[Mark_Seaver]

Kris, this is a great example of a quiet spring exploration by kayak or canoe. It invites the viewer to paddle into the distance and around the bend. The ripple near the bottom is a fun extra that shows your platform.

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

Thanks @WillR & @Mark_Seaver - reflections are part of why shooting from a kayak so fun. It’s not too hard to take your gear with you so long as you have a dry bag for unexpected splashes. I’ve been doing it for over a decade and it’s so rewarding.

[Tom_Nevesely]

The ripples in the water that slightly break up the reflection is what (for me) makes this image. That bit of distorted water adds some really nice interest to the scene. Other than that, this photo has a great sense of awe, wonder and serenity. I can only imagine what it must have been like paddling there and exploring.
What kind of kayak do you have, Kris? I recently bought a 16 foot touring kayak but still haven’t had the guts to pull my camera out while paddling – I’m still a bit unstable in the boat and when I let go of my paddle to fiddle with the straps on the seat I feel as though I’m going to completely loose my balance and go into the drink.

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

Thanks @Tom_Nevesely - funny about that reflection. I sat as still as I could to see if it could become mirror-like, but I swear my heartbeat was enough to set up little ripples. So I decided that was not going to work and went with a bit of ripples, even rocking the boat slightly on purpose.

I have a Wilderness Systems 12 foot recreation kayak. It’s broader in the beam probably than a touring kayak and is very stable. At first though, I was very concerned about tipping over. Then I took a course that also taught simple rescue techniques, especially for getting yourself back in the boat in deep water. This meant deliberately flipping it and falling out. It was so hard to do with my kayak, that I had to literally throw myself out of the thing. Hard and persistent tipping wasn’t doing it. I suggest something similar for you to get a real feel for when the thing will go over. Just go somewhere that’s just over your head, but within easy reach of shoreline and have at it. You will be surprised just how stable they are. Tourers also typically have a rudder which mine does not, so retract or remove that if you can . It doesn’t help with stability as much as it does tracking and steering.

[Tom_Nevesely]

I also have a Wilderness Systems kayak - I think the is called “Tsunami”! It is supposed to be really stable but to me, when I sit in it I can get it to wobble side to side really easily and I have the feeling (probably wrongly) that just a tiny bit more wobble and I’d go over. I’ve only used it on three occasions so far this spring so I’m sure I’ll get more comfortable with it. And, like you say, I should try it and I most likely will but the lakes here are really, really cold so I might wait until a bit later on in the summer once the water has warmed up a little.

Can I also ask you where you keep your camera(s) while your in your kayak? I’m thinking of attaching a plastic waterproof pelican case with some straps to the boat right in front of the cockpit. Or maybe inside the cockpit but I’m afraid it would just be in the way there.

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

Since the Pungo 120 has a huge cockpit (a main factor in my choosing it), I keep this between my knees just in front of me -

It’s long discontinued, but has a camera insert that holds everything I need. A similar duffle-shaped dry bag with a camera insert should do fine. I keep one body lens down for wildlife and another with the short zoom on it next to that one. Assorted lenses and cleaning stuff go in it, too. I keep batteries and filters in a small Pelican case just under my seat -

I also have a small 3 liter dry bag for bug spray, ibuprofen, sunscreen etc. Phone goes in it, too.

[Tom_Nevesely]

That dry bag duffel looks really neat and I’ll see if I can find something similar. Thanks!

[Michael_Lowe]

I think your image is very inviting and peaceful. I feel like I’m embraced in a soothing, comforting blanket of green. I really like the ripples in the water. They keep it from being the cliched 50/50 mirror image.

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

Thanks @Michael_Lowe - it is a joy to find these little backwaters, they’re so different from open water paddling or even serpentine rivers. They feel like little worlds unto themselves. Glad the ripples worked and you’re right, it is a bit more distinctive than a perfectly flat reflection.

[Lon_Overacker]

Kris,

This is just gorgeous! Love the scene, very contemplative and by all means, yes, this accompanies your “blather” - the scene and your words bring this to life.

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but the ripples in the water remind of those early-day animated gifs that were so popular with reflections… I think you probably remember. But more positively, I love the ripples here giving a little dynamics to the overall scene.

In the vein of making a beautiful image “the best it can be,” I’ve done a few very small tweaks. Honestly, not even necessary, but what the heck. First, I think there is a 1 or 2 degree tilt based on the background water level. picky. I burned down the left side a tad and around the top/right to emphasize the “light at the end of the tunnel” and drawing the eye in. Personal preference… but also cloned 2 very small spots near the top edge. Really though, this image is so beautiful as presented.

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

Thanks @Lon_Overacker - I do remember those gifs. Funny. Ah the baby internet. Whenever I hear the Immigrant Song I think of the little vid with the kittens wearing lime helmets and carrying swords. Too funny.

Could be my lighting of that back space didn’t go far enough. I will probably tweak it more. Was trying for subtle, but probably was too subtle. Glad you had a play with it to make it even more lovely. Darn that horizon!

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

Update in the OP. Here’s the layer stack -

I felt it needed some oomph, contrast and that back bit opened and warmed up a bit so I used the TK9 panel to come up with some changes. Did I go too far? I want it to be soft and serene, but it was just kind of sitting there doing nothing in some ways. It’s the kind of landscape you could work with a thousand hours and come up with so many looks.