The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This place is amazing. When the conditions are right I’m not sure I’ve been to ma more “jackpot” location in my life. I was able to head up there twice while we were on the island of Madeira, once with the family to explore, and a second time for about 2 hours with my camera. It is so easy to give these trees almost human like feelings. It’s like walking in a fairytale where the trees are doing battle! Taking a camera on a family vacation can be a bit of a challenge at times but I’m so glad I did it!
Specific Feedback
Is the blue in the top right distracting? I could desaturate it a bit and probably brighten it to make it line up more with the rest of the scene and look more like the top left corner. I’ve toned it back some but could see needing to do more.
Any issues with the overlap between the two trees? I tried to create enough contrast between them that they didn’t just blend together into one tree.
As always, open to any other feedback that you think may make this stronger.
Technical Details
I hard to blend two images on this one due to the dynamic range. The left side is from a slightly darker image and the right from a brighter one. The fog helped even things out but when the sunshine started to break through the histogram took off a bit.
ISO 100, f/11, 1/200sec, 20mm
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Hi David,
Fanal is a real playground for photographers, especially when you find conditions like yours. This mix of sun and fog is great.
It’s sometimes not easy to find the balance between family vacation and photography, but I’m glad you brought your camera.
I don’t mind the overlapping trees at all. In my opinion, the fog provides sufficient separation.
But I’m not sure about the saturation of the right side of the image. I would try to desaturate the sky a little more. In addition, I would perhaps also take some saturation from the green tones in the bottom right-hand corner.
A wonderful photograph, David. The use of backlighting combined with the fog conspires to give this image a wonder filled moodiness. The gesture of the lead tree is splendid. I might be tempted to desaturate a bit from the right but I’d want to keep the tonal contrast between the leading tree and the one behind. I also might be tempted to crop from the top a bit as I’d want to further accentuate the breadth of the image rather than the height. Cropping from the top would also highlight the tension in the relationship between the two trees. If, instead, you wanted to highlight the isolation of the two trees in the midst of this misty landscape I think more space on each side would help. Anyway, I have posted a crop to 16:10 which feels a little stronger to me but a wonderful picture in any case.
David: This immediately caught my eye. My first impression regarding the merger of the trees was negative but when looking at the full size image there is plenty of separation of the two with the color showing on the FG tree. I’m OK with the sky and not sure I would have noticed if you hadn’t mentioned it. Wonderful scene superbly rendered IMO.>=))>
I like the added color in the URC. I would not desaturate it at all nor would I crop it. The FG tree has such character and its flow gives the photo a great dynamic feel. At first the merging of the two trees did bother m e, but I think they work as is.
David,
I love the way the FG tree seems to be bowing down and paying homage to something unseen and the fog is just magical as is the light. The fog has created some separation between the trees, but I do find myself wishing they were not merged together. The processing looks just fine to me. Sounds like you had a great vacation with your family.
Thank you all for the feedback. I’m going to let it sit for a while as is. Part of me likes the saturation part of me is concerned its just a touch too much. Some time away from it and a return in a few days/weeks will hopefully lead me to a conclusion.
Regarding the overlap. I’m sure there is a way I could have avoided it, probably moving closer and to the left and going a bit wider (17 is as wide as I can go). I try not to get too hung up on the rules but I know when possible it is generally speaking better to avoid. I guess a way to look at it in this instance is that the two are locked into some sort of struggle (or embrace). Maybe thats just me justifying it, maybe it is the “mystical” nature of the place, who knows!
After sitting on this a couple of days I do like @Kerry_Gordon’s take on this. I think he’s right on both accounts: composition and saturation. Elongating the frame does make the tree and branches stretch further, which I think is the point. Yes, the tree seems animated, almost moving.
I’ll provide a counterpoint David, in that I prefer the original. For me, it’s almost as if the tree is bowing center stage to a partner before they set off on a dance, and I like the room they have to move once they begin. That same dynamic fits with the color for me as well, it’s a showy scene.
I really like this, one of my favorites I’ve seen you post!
What an image, David. The distinctions between the original and Kerry’s suggestion feel minor to me. I like both a lot.
To me, the overlapping branches are part of the success of this image. It’s a great example of how rules are made to be broken. If the trees didn’t touch, they would feel less like a pair, and their touching is a kind of completion, a reaching that was accepted. Love it.
ML
It’s hard for me to not love this image. It’s almost cheating to find a tree like this! I think the image works but also wonder how a different perspective might work. Never having been there, I have no idea what the surrounding area looks like. Maybe stepping back and lower so that the background tree is below the limbs of the foreground tree. Or, maybe just moving to the left a bit, and attempting to separate the two. Having said all that, I also like the image just the way it is! To me, the blue area reveals the shallow fog and adds to the image. Beautiful work.
@paul@Marylynne_Diggs@John_Williams@Igor_Doncov Thank you all for your feed back and interest in this image. It is great to see such a lively discussion regarding potential alternatives and interpretations of it just the way it is. I appreciate your time and value your take. We will see where I ultimately land on this one.
