Incense Cedar that is. Another b&w tree image from my Yosemite trip a couple months ago. Yeah, more trees.
Your comments, critiques and suggestions always welcome.
Any/all comments on processing appreciated.
Off centered comp ok?
Nikon D800E, Nikon 28-300mm @160mm f/11
This is a very beautiful photo Lon. I love how the larger tree is extending its branches toward the smaller tree, almost like a parent encouraging or comforting their child with a hand on the shoulder. I like how you managed to isolate those trees against the chaos of the other branches, and how those other branches form a wonderful pattern in the background. This works great for me as it stands. Really lovely work.
Lovely and delicate. The off-center composition works for me. With regard to processing, perhaps burn some of the brightest twigs along the edges - maybe just the few in the upper left.
That’s OK Lon, you’re an expert on theses type of scenes. With me, Yeah, more rocks…
This is excellent for what is a group of very stark and battered looking trees overall. The main cedar is the key attraction here no doubt and you’ve got it isolated as good as it gets. An obvious B&W conversion and extremely well worked in the end…
Lon, I really like this B & W and the delicate details are really the highlight for me. I have no nits. Well done!
Yeah more trees; but you do them so expertly, Lon. I have no suggestions as this is a beautifully crafted image. The off center comp works nicely as does the B&W processing. I particularly like how the limbs of the one tree seem to be reaching out to the surrounding trees.
Beautiful glow and excellent processing. This turned out really nice. I might clean up the lighter branches coming in on the left edge (burn or clone). Good eye to capture this one.
This is quite lovely Lon. There’s a glow to these trees that must have been achieved with processing. They’re white but not chalk white and I think that makes a huge difference.
Really beautiful Lon. For something that has a lot of complexity in it, it retains a very delicate feeling due to the graceful shape of the “glowy” tree. The luminosity on that “glowy” tree is perfect IMO, even if you did add some Orton type effect to it. It’s a nit pick, but I would crop a bit off the left to eliminate some of the distractions that others have mentioned.
Thanks for the comments everyone! Good call on the clean up, especially upper left. There’s so many branches in this one! Lot’s of little things that could be fixed if this ever sees print.
Any glow would be a result of tweaking things in Nik’s EFex PRO2 conversion. There’s just two other layers, a burn layer and a brightness/contrast layer concentrating on reducing some contrast on the the right to make the brighter tree stand out a little more.
Glad you like it! Thanks for the feedback!
Lon, you certainly have a great eye for these kinds of comps…I work that group of trees whenever I’m in Yosemite, have yet to come up with anything I like. Excellent work!
This works great for me Lon. It makes me feel like I’m looking at the skeleton of the forest. The minor clean up comments are a good call, too.
Very nice black and white tonal work here! The luminance and silvery look to the main tree is awesome. Works very well with the less pronounced light and darker towns of the background.
This one looks dead and a bit ghostly in the presentation. I like the image just fine. My only comment would be that the crop at the top feels a bit abrupt or not quite right. Although I’m not quite sure what would look right. Maybe one more side branch lower. At least with a scroll crop if feels a bit more balanced.
Lon, I think the off center comp works, however I might prefer just a hair more room on the RHS, seems to feel a little imbalanced. I’m thinking you could also do some judicious burning on that brighter branch coming into the frame near top left, or alternatively cloning it out. This is a compelling scene that works quite well as B&W.
