Composition, processing tips
how to make this scene more compelling
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
TK Panel Orton, adjustment layers
lana.max.cal
Lana,
First off welcome to the NPN community. I think you will find the photographers here very willing to share their expertise and knowledge and help you grow as a photographer. I think this is a wonderful first post as it has some lovely atmospherics with the fog. The processing looks good and I like the air of mystery as the trees fade into the BG fog. I hope you do not mind as I did a little rework and cropped a little from the right side as that seems to work better for me. I hope to see more of your work and I hope you comment on other folk’s images as it is a great way to learn.
Welcome to NPN. I like the scene, this little pod of ancient lichen covered boulders bathed in the morning mist. How many misty mornings have they seen together? What common geologic formation were they once a part of? What broke them apart? How many eons of time have passed since then?. . . The grass and the trees come and go. . . the rocks remain. very evocative. Lots of thoughts this brings to me. . .
One suggestion. . .not sure what is outside of this picture, but if possible a crop where the boulders at the bottom aren’t cut off might be worth a try. To me they are the main subject of the picture.
Again welcome.
Welcome aboard and real nice first post. Great mysterious mood. I like Ed’s crop, too. I look forward to seeing more of your work and reading your comments. As Ed said, comments are a good way to learn and it seems your own posts get more activity the more you comment on the work of others. Again, welcome.
Welcome, Svetlana to NPN. I am also fairly new and can verify that all said by the others is quite true. I also enjoyed the colors of the ancient lichens and the mystery of the trees. Nicely exposed. Spring morning in California’s oak savannah footlills? Enjoy your time with NPN. After enjoying the scene, the crop of the right side also was my desire. That crop reduces the mass of the foggy tree on the right, keeping eyes on the main subject tree.
Thank you, all! Cropping on the right does help a lot. Wish I left more space in foreground. We had unusually cold and rainy weather in San Francisco Bay Area with this beautiful morning fog few weeks ago. I am new to landscape photography. Many things to learn!
Lana,
Welcome to NPN! A terrific first post. Love the mood and atmosphere and my first thought was the NorCall hills - specifically I thought of Mt. Diablo area - but a scene that could be found most anywhere.
Honestly, I think I kinda prefer the more narrow original; it has a better pastoral look and feel to it, allowing the fog to be even more of the story.
I would agree with other comments that I’m wishing there was some space below/in front of the lichen covered rocks. But it’s entirely likely there was a good reason to frame the way you did.
Processing, colors look good as well. Looking forward to more images and you participation!
Lon
I like ethereal mood of the fog, and the way fog creates a sense of depth in the scene. I also think the interesting lichen covered rocks do a great job of creating sharp/soft contrast in the image. And your processing looks spot on to me, with just the right luminosity level in the fog. It’s a matter of personal taste, but i prefer a crop from the right, and I like how @Ed_Lowe did it in his version, leaving a little space to the right of the last rock.
My only other suggestion is that slight crop from the top would accentuate the foggy tree a bit by making it larger in the frame.
