It has rained a lot here in northern California this winter. We are now beginning to see the hills in their green glory. This is in Contra Loma Regional Park east of San Francisco and near Antioch, CA.
Canon 5dM3, ISO500, 96mm, f/16, 1/250 (HH). Processed in LR and Photoshop.
Great shot Kathy I love the comp of the rolling hills and reflection. The foothills were looking beautiful the last time I saw them a few weeks ago. For me the greens could be slightly desaturated, they have a nice glow from the sun so they don’t look outrageous but I think small bump would work well.
Kathy, what a lovely image, this one of my favorites that I have seen of your work. This is a really strong composition, I like how all the lines funnel everything to the stand of trees in the center of the image. And I think you included about the right area of sky, just enough to define the ridge-lines.
I think the saturation is right on the edge of being okay, you could try dropping it a bit but I would try to retain the luminosity on the hills if you can. One nit is that I would clone away the road on the left, it’s small enough to not add anything, but large enough to be a minor distraction. I also wish you had left just a little more breathing room to the right of the trees in the LRC. But these are minor nits, overall this is a very pleasing image.
Kathy,
Oh my goodness. This makes me want to get in my car and explore the Tri-Valley more! I LOVE this. I especially love the reflection - only wish there was more. I’ll bet any amount of money you have more from this location including some wonderful reflections!
I struggle with this and am guilty myself (in my recent oak and green grasses post) with color, sat and luminosity. I would agree with the others that this is just a hair on the neon side (extreme description.) Just like my ridgeline, it’s a combo of brightness/luminosity and saturation. I think the color/hue is accurate. Any of us photographing these spring greens in the CA hills, or the gorges of PNW know this… Even with all that said, this is just beautiful!
Can’t wait for the oaks to start leafing out - adding another fun and beautiful element to spring in California.
Lon
Kathy,
This a beautiful spring scene! It makes me wish for some greenery here in the midwest but we are still months away from spring. The others have offered constructive suggestions. I have not witnessed scenery in this area of California but the greens do look a touch over saturated.
Nicely done!
Wow. Loving this, Kathy.
I have a saying when about the greens in Oregon: “Some places truly are greener than the eyes can bear,” so to me, this is consistent with how I perceive places like this in conditions like this. Is it on the edge? Maybe, but does it provoke the feeling of awe one experiences when seeing these greens? Definitely. I guess the question is how you will display this: screen? print? how will it look in each medium.
I agree on the bit of road on the left. The pace on the right could be a tish wider or just clone out the branches that get too close. The sky? I wouldn’t mind a tish more, but of course, I wouldn’t know until I see it, and you probably already have ;-).
Like Lon, I’m betting you have more, and I can’t wait to see them. I love how the reflections look like northern lights. Wow.
ML
Hi Kathy - nicely composed!! I agree with others re: saturation/luminance and road on left. Love how the eye is pulled from bottom to top. A couple of things to consider: the shrub on the right to my eye is over saturated - I’d consider cropping that out along with some of the hill on the right. Might provide a little more balance to the comp which to me seems a little heavy on the right. I’d clean up the 3 little posts in the middle of the scene as well. I’d also consider a pretty tight crop to just above the top of the hills while retaining some of the blue portion of the sky in upper right…that naturally brings the eye up and through. Just minor suggestions… otherwise gorgeous!
Fantastic composition. I feel like the sky is a bit dark as compared to the light hitting the hills and it makes me wonder where that additional light is coming from. Not sure if the hills were brightened in processing. Second, the green is just a too saturated for my tastes. I know the hills get incredibly green after the rains here in the SF Bay Area, but I might back off on the saturation a bit.
