Monterey Cypress Grove @ Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, California

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
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Image(s)

FGisin_NPN_1213_Roots_And_Branches.jpg
FGisin_NPN_1213_Roots_And_Branches.jpg1500×1000 787 KB

Image Description

The Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) only occurs naturally in two places in the world, both of which are located along the central California coast. One of which is the Allan Memorial Grove along the Cypress Grove Trail @ Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

I captured this image a couple of years ago in early spring, before the branching beach asters (Erigeron glaucus) started carpeting the ground. I wanted to capture the grey tree trunks in a more limited color palette. In this case, during a morning fog when only the green grass contributed a fresh touch of contrasting saturation.

Feedback Requests

Overall impressions. If it was your image, how would you process it differently?

Pertinent Technical Details

5 image focus stack processed in Helicon Focus. Camera mounted on a tripod to eliminate registration artifacts during the stacking process.

Each exposure 1/30 sec @ f/14, ISO 64, 55 mm

None of the tripod legs were planted on the grove side of the fence that flanked the path. [Point Lobos is a nature reserve, after all…]

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Franz, They went that way! Very nicely done. The focus stack brings out even the background trees pointing together. I might try to crop in from the right to just clear the small vertical/curved tree in the midground, near the right edge. To me it stops me from continuing to look in the direction almost all of the limbs are pointing. I really like the parallel branches up front.

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Franz, I too am grabbed by the “reaching” of the branches from left to right. Your processing looks good, showing lots of detail in the trees. The overcast lets the detail show well and it fits into the overall color scheme.

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The image is a very interesting contribution to the topic of “Focus on the foundational and far-reaching structures of trees.” I also think that focus stacking is a good idea here. Looking into the distance between the branches, you see ever more layers of complexity.