The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
It was a miserably gray, misty day, at least when it wasn’t raining hard. But these poplars, amazing in their golden foliage, were a regular bright spot along the tundra.
This one was alone, not much else along the way here (except the one I shared for the weekly challenge). I wanted to capture its solitude, and its gentle bend to the left. I took a couple of shots, but with a few weeks of distance, my favorite is this one, with the tree greatly offset to the right of the frame, gently bending back toward the left.
Feedback Requested
I’m curious about whether this strikes the mood I was after–
Specifically, a sense of somber isolation, longing for something past which may no longer be there (hence leaning to the left). I kept the gloom in the sky and lower background and didn’t brighten the dwarf birch (the yellow ground cover), to ensure the lone tree would stand out and be a little more lively than its surroundings.
As always, I’m grateful for any feedback you can offer–alternative crops, changes in luminosity or saturation, etc. Specific questions:
Does it feel somber and wistful? That’s what I was going for.
Do you see a way to enhance the mood, concept I described above?
Thanks for the generosity of your time,
ML
Technical Details
Canon 5D4 with 24-105mm at 58mm
ISO 200, f 7.1, 1/200sec
Gradient to increase sky luminosity (it was even murkier) and increase fg to a lesser degree
This reminds of the incredible scene from Virgin Spring. I believe it shares the emotion you’re trying to convey. It might help you in how to go about processing this image in terms of color. I’m boot suggesting you convert to b&w.
I’m not sure there’s anything to process here, Marylynne. Why mess with perfection? Whereas this doesn’t come across to me quite the way you expressed it, it definitely evokes the feel of looking back. To me, more prosaically over the past season of growth and warmth. I love the yellow of the birch and the way it works with the yellow of the poplar as it helped evoke that feel that the poplar leaves were going to join everything else.
Oh man, I just watched that clip. I don’t think I’ve seen the movie since college. There is a rage in that scene that I don’t want to convey here, or maybe I do? I’ll see if I get some additional feedback before playing with it again. Thanks for the reply and the reminder of Bergman’s black and white mastery!
ML
I like this and I think you did a fine job with it. To me it definitely feels somber and evokes the feeling of longing for what was beautifully. I like it a lot and to be honest, brings up strong emotions in me so well done! Mission accomplished.
