The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Yesterday my son and I headed out in the rain to visit a tree that has captivated my attention lately (not this one) and then to explore a couple of other areas. We passed a small canyon and I spied a waterfall so we stopped and hiked in. Just as we were getting ready to hike out I spotted this gambel oak and was immediately attracted to it. It wasn’t easy to compose and though I was already soaked from the non-stop rain, I had to dedicate some time to it. I’m glad I did as it’s probably my favorite image from yesterday.
Specific Feedback
Love to hear any and all thoughts!
Technical Details
Sony A7IV
Tamron 28-200mm lens @ 40mm
ISO 100
f/18
2 second exposure (thankfully, there was zero wind)
No polarizer because my dumb self forgot it in my other backpack
Processed in Lightroom Classic
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I love oak, and Gambel was what I grew up with. What great trees, and this is a charmer. There’s just something about complex trunks backed by a palette of fall color. The lighting is working well too, letting those colors stand out.
One suggestion is to tone down the red earth at the bottom of the frame. I find my eye snagging there, and it might be worth adjusting. Here’s a rough go at it.
Bret, the shape of this tree is wonderful as it flows so well throughout the frame. The soft lighting does a fine job of setting the leaves aglow, best seen in the larger views. I’m somewhat with John, about the lower left, although my thought is to dodge that area a bit (maybe just the mid-tones???) so that the main trunk is the strongest eye catcher along the bottom.
@John_Williams Thank you for your thoughtful comments and re-work of the image. In the original file that bottom left corner was even brighter and I used a radial mask to lower the exposure and slightly reduce saturation. I prefer your version and will go back to the RAW and give it another go.
@Mark_Seaver I appreciate your comments. I hadn’t considered bringing out the midtones a little more while leaving the rest alone. I might give that a shot. Always fun to experiment!
This turned out rather nicely Bret. The lighting is exquisite and renders a wonderful glow to the leaves. I also like your placement of the tree as it fills up the frame beautifully. I do like @John_Williams small tweak with the rework as it makes an already excellent image even better. This was well worth getting wet for!
