Leaves & Shadow + Rework

REWORK:

ORIGINAL:

The shadow of the big leaves of Indian rhubarb, along with the light on the leaves, caught my eye as I was cooling my heels in a creek last fall. I converted to b&w because the color (mostly green) didn’t add to the light/shadow story and it is easier to bring out the light/shadow contrast.

Specific Feedback Requested

What about the dark area to frame left of the main leaf - there’s some detail there, but it looks sort of odd. If I were to totally darken it, it would be too much of a dark blob, I think. I can’t decide.

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
a7r3, 105mm, f/8, 1/200s, ISO 400, hand held.

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I really like this small scene, Bonnie. It’s very cozy and serene feeling. About the darker area on the left. Could you make it a little lighter and then be able to show what looks like some more layers of leaves in that area? I think it looks great as is though!

Oh playing with shadows is so much fun and I really like this Bonnie. It isn’t often that a B&W serves the light better since so much of light is color variation, but this does. The textures and the tonal range is really right for it. The dark areas at the bottom serve as anchors to me and I’m not bothered or visually snagged by them, but if you’re worried about the bit near the leaf, you could try just lightening the leaf in the center of that a bit. I wouldn’t do much though since it is in more shadow than the main leaf is.

Lovely work Bonnie. What makes this image for me is the shadow on the rock. I always shoot these guys on the Sacramento River in color so this is refreshingly different.

Thanks, @Vanessa_Hill, @_Kris, and @Igor_Doncov for your thoughts. I went back and did some more dodging/burning on the “problem” spot to even out and bring the exposure back up a bit. It looks better to me now - thanks!

These plants are quite ubiquitous around here, along most streams and rivers in the hills; you don’t see them on the lower Sac or valley streams. They are interesting in all their phases - when they first start sprouting in the spring, they’re rather phallic! And their blossoms, although small, are lovely. Even in decay, or maybe especially in decay, they have a lot of character.

Lovely composition and light! I’d consider going halfway with the rework – evening out the brightness of the curled-up leaf but not bringing the shadows up so much – they got a bit flat.

1 Like