The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
After one of our winter rains, this lovely moss comes alive with a velvet coating on old oaks. Then when it dries out it shrivels up to a barely noticeable brown coating. It is quite small and has been confounding me to be able to get a macro lens close enough to it, as most of it is on high branches. Last October, after the first rains, I finally found a patch I could get close to.
Specific Feedback
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Canon R5, Canon EF 100mm macro, ISO 1600, f/4, 1/250 sec. Focus stack. The wide aperture was to minimize the BG. The fast SS was so I could run an automated stack burst quickly as there was a slight breeze. Global shadows and Highlights in LR, into Zerene stacker, then the result into PS for some burning and dodging and a bit of a crop. Colors left as shot on daylight WB. The moss looks dark green but with the slightest bit of cloudy-bright light, it fairly glows.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Beautiful moss, Diane and I love the colors and texture. I think I see one stacking anomaly that I circled in red below, though it might have been a particularly wet area. Some of the out of focus moss to the left of the main body seems distracting to me, but cropping there wouldn’t leave much of a margin for the subject.
Thanks, @Dennis_Plank – eagle-eyes! Looking at the full-res version I don’t know what is causing that area of low contrast, but I think I have a fix with a small masked area of contrast increased with curves. Posted above. Does this do it?
Diane, I am not familiar with this type of moss, but I am glad you shared it. I’m originally from Maryland and my father used to cut oak for his sawmill, so I would have seen it if it grew there. I’m guessing it is a west coast type of moss. Nicely captured and presented.
Oooh this is dreamy. Moss lovers unite! The updated version is even better. It’s the type of little scene that repeats itself so much that it becomes like a watercolor wash over the landscape as you move through it. Such a fantastic little detail. No ideas to improve, just appreciating this little bit of green.
Beautiful, Diane. I love the contrast in colors and the different shades. The lighting looks great as well as the details that draw the viewer to the main subject
Diane: What a great find and a beautiful presentation. The tweak takes an already fine image up another notch. I envy you the auto stack capability. I’m trying to use that as an excuse to upgrade my camera but so far my conscience is holding me back . Really nicely done. >=))>
Thanks, @Shirley_Freeman, @Kris_Smith, @Dean_Salman and @Bill_Fach! I hope we have more rains that last long enough to make this stuff wake up – I’ve found another patch of it low enough to shoot.
Diane, the moss is lovely…what a glorious green color. Interestingly, clicking to the “larger” view and paging between your two posts, I couldn’t find the change. I had to go back to the main view and click on each view individually to get the really large view. Then I could see the spot, the extra contrast fixed it well.
Thanks, @Mark_Seaver! I hope I will grab another chance for this stuff – it is only like this for a few days so after a rain and then it needs some filtered sunlight to really be pretty.
. Really nicely done. >=))>