It was my first visit at this Laurentian site and I was lucky enough to get great weather conditions. The sun tried to poke in from the right side but never quite made it that morning. It is always exciting to discover a new site and I tried to find the best possible composition before I made this picture. As always, comments and suggestions are welcome.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any feedback regarding the technical, artistic and post processing aspects is more than welcome.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Nikon D810 with a Nikkor 28-300 at 55mm. I often use this lens when visiting a new location because of its great flexibility. I used ISO 64, f/11 and the shutter speed was 1 second (there was no wind). Image processed with LR and PS.
Richard, I think you have a strong image, with a great composition. You maximized the potential of the stream to pull the viewers eye thru the scene. I also love the variety of tree shapes dispersed throughout the fog. The foreground reeds could easily have been a distraction or barrier to entry in this image, but I think you handled them well.
The fog and light certainly add a lot of mood to this image. Scenes like this can be magical, I’m glad you found this one. I think the somber mood works well as presented. But I could also a different interpretation that has more of a lighter feeling. I did a rework where I increased the luminosity of the midtones (to brighten the fog), added some warmth (since its in the sky already), and added some color saturation. Not better, just a different interpretation…
Nice image, Richard, I like the swampy and remote feel you presented here. I enjoy the background, it does look a little soft though, the marsh gas /fog no doubt, But you could play with the contrast maybe and get those tree profiles a bit darker. To my eye , they are the heart of the image.
Would you be able to get anything more out of the slightly warmer tones in the low sky line through and above the trees in the ULC and extending to the right side? The immediate foreground of grass blades is too much for me…though I like the little peninsula curving and sticking out into the water course, it seems a good anchor to the image , with some diverse textures and shapes that work nicely. The lay of the land looks like it would be difficult to move around in and select your composition sights. Thanks for the post.
This is a beautiful scene. I really like how the curving water leads us to the patch of stark, dead trees. I’ll offer a different take on toning. Although there was some warmth in the sky, I wondered how warming up the foreground and cooling the fog would work to create more depth. Here’s my idea.
Hello Bonnie, thank you for your visit and comments. I like your interpretation. It’s amazing to receive so many great suggestions in such a constructive fashion.
