REWORK:
I took @TJ_Thorne’s advice and lightened the mid-tones, and then went a step further and lightened the darks-3 with a levels adjustment, also. I do like the lighter mood of the rework.
We finally stopped along this road that has the most lovely grove of alders, after years of just passing by, on the way to somewhere else. I love the textures on the trunks of alders and the way they tilt to and fro, making angular geometric shapes against the gentle green foliage.
What technical feedback would you like if any? What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Any critique welcome. I warmed up the greens, to make it feel more optimistic, although I kept an overall subdued mood.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Single frame, a7r3, f/16, 1/50s, ISO 2000 (must have been hand held)
I really like this @Bonnie_Lampley. Going the subdued route really helped the trunks to stand out against all of that foliage. The way that the trunks interact with the brighter white trunks having a V-shape to them while the darker foreground trunks have an inverted v-shape feels really balanced.
It’s always hard for me to step outside of that ‘typical’ forest processing with the greener greens and I really like how yours came out with the warmer greens. Inspiration for me to play around a little more.
There’s nothing that I would change about your shot. The chosen aspect ratio is nice and helps the composition. I DID take it into Photoshop and brightened the midtones with a levels adjustment through a Midtones 3 mask (I just moved the middle slider left to 1.37) and I feel that it made it even MORE optimistic. Maybe something to consider if you like it. It’s a very pleasing shot either way.
Outstanding, Bonnie. Your bringing out the form amidst the chaos is masterfully and subtly done. Like, @TJ_Thorne, I admire how subdued the greens are, almost like a water colour. I do like TJ’s rework but, in any case, very fine.
Beautifully seen and captured. I have a feeling for these groves as well. There were many along the creek banks where I lived.
This is to my mind a beautiful example of finding order in nature. You have the three major tree in the fg and all the fainter trees behind there. Well ordered, no confusion, and well balanced.
I also like your greens of these trees. This is how they are. I’ve been oversaturating mine needlessly. Well, this is an image that’s more about the tones than color.
Bonnie,
This is a gorgeous image! I think you really hit the sweet spot here as far as processing with the contrast and saturation. I always find it challenging when doing forest scenes because they are so chaotic, but you nailed it. Like @Kerry_Gordon this does have a watercolor feel to it which I find very inviting. I for one am glad that you finally stopped.
TJ, thank you for the rework. It does feel more optimistic. I actually was thinking about you (and Sarah Marino, and Alex Noriega) when I made this photo, because I’d just watched your webinar on photographing in the forest. Looking for structural elements and finding order in chaos was on my mind.
Bonnie you have done a masterful job of composing radial lines within the scene. Leaning trees in the background are usually are usually the bane of my forest photography. But by bringing those leaning trees front and center as the main subject, well now they become something meaningful. They create structure rather than disorder. I like the gentler mood created by @TJ_Thorne rework, backing off the black point softens the mood of the image considerably.
This makes me think of these Alders as Mother Natures teepee poles.
