Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
A redbud blooming along Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Any and all comments, suggestions and critiques welcome
Olympus EM5 MK2, 124mm, 1/8 sec @ f/8, ISO 200
Mike,
The atmospherics are wonderful here and fit in beautifully with your recent landscape posts. To bad I missed that Shenandoh trip. 
This image has a peaceful serene vibe that I find inviting. As much as I like this as is I can see another tighter composition; not better just another option. I also moved the green slider just a little to the magenta side. I hope you do not mind, but here is a repost of what I was thinking.
Gorgeous!!! I see @Ed_Lowe’s point to remove the sky at the top, but I love the composition and I’d hate to cut off the top of the tree. I wonder if it’s possible to desaturate and darken the cyan up there (maybe even with a tedious mask?) and make the sky blend in with the trees. Maybe a TK mask could do the job.
While both versions, to quote Diane, are “gorgeous,” I prefer the Michael’s. A tiny nit for me is the light, bottom portion of the small tree in the URC. I noticed it in Michael’s, but more so in Ed’s. How’s that for being picky? Fantastic, beautiful image.
Thats a jaw dropper for me! I do see what Jim is talking about with that lighter stump. I dont mind the lighter sky area at the top, but am bugged a bit by the right side of the tree being cut off. There could very well have been something distracting there or even just another tree, but in general I prefer not to have part of the subject clipped by the edge. In the end though, it doesnt matter too much. I really love this and am super jealous of blooming trees out there while we still have seasonal snow on the ground here in Bozeman, Montana!
Another great image for your Mist-ical collection. Love the colors, nice work Michael! 
I much prefer the original image. It gives a sense of place rather than an in your face image. It would have been preferable to have the complete tree in frame, but heh whatever.
I do agree that the brighter trunk URC needs a slight darkening.
This is a classical image with a soft BG and it works a treat, even on M43!!!
A beautiful image that really says Spring to me. You had the right conditions to capture this, as the fog mutes the background greens a bit and allows the redbud to take center stage. I prefer the original to the crop.
Spring has sprung. What a beautiful take on this tree. The composition of the original works well for me as I love everything about the tree and don’t want to lose anything. The pink flowers really pop against that green, foggy background and the vibrant green undergrowth screams spring to ma as well. AS others have mentioned, the sky poking through in the URC is not ideal although not a deal breaker for sure. There is also a bright spot at the base of a tree trunk in the URC as well as a bright spot at the base of the red bud tree. I took this only into LR and with luminosity and color masks came up with this.
Yes! @David_Haynes fixed the issue with the sky in a very natural way!
Looks great, David 
Looks good Ed. I feel if a tree is to be cropped, it should be cropped on 3sides such as yours. I don’t know why I cropped the right edge off. Probably didn’t want to go any wider because of sky.
Thanks @Diane_Miller , @Ed_Lowe , @Saundie , @mark28 , @David_Haynes , @Jim_Gavin , @Paul_Holdorf , @WillR for the comments and suggestions.
Quiet and striking all at the same time. Certainly has stimulated a good discussion. For me, the greens in the foreground are so verdant that they feel too prominent. I tried PS Selective Color on the Greens in that area, pushing magenta and pulling yellow. But maybe the contrast between green and pink is more to your liking.
This is wonderful Michael. That is such a lovely tree, and that background slope is a great supporting cast.
I prefer your original crop; the tree is already “tight,” and I think it needs the breathing room you provided. I could see knocking back the brightness of that urc to better match the ulc, but I’d leave it.
I do agree that this appears too cyanish-green on my monitor; I’d consider moving the color even a bit farther.
