While on a walk last week, I found this juxtaposition of last year’s leaves, Juniper haircap moss and a bit of snow to be pleasing enough to have me photograph it. As I processed the image, I felt the snow, although part of the story, drew my eye away from the rest. I offer two images, one with the snow cropped and would love your thoughts.
Specific Feedback Requested
I offer two images, one with the snow cropped and would love your thoughts both as to which you prefer and why. Thank you!
Technical Details
Sony 6000, 1/125, f/14, 80mm, ISO6400 with adjustments to tone curves and sharpening in LR.
There is merit in both, but I prefer with the snow - mostly because the proportions are better overall. I like seeing the whole of the leaves on the bottom. If you noticed the snow in the field you could have placed more leaves over it to conceal it - something I often do if there is something like that in my scenes. But it’s kind of a harbinger in this scene - the green of the moss contrasts well with the fallen leaves which themselves will be subsumed by snow. An endless cycle.
John, I like the first image better. The second one seems crowded and doesn’t have much room to breath. The first one you get to see more of the environment surrounding the subjects. If the ice bothers you, try “content aware fill” in Photoshop to remove it. It sometimes does a great job of removing objects. If you don’t know Photoshop very well, there are many videos on YouTube that will teach you how to use content aware fill. It’s fairly easy to do, so if you have Photoshop installed on your computer, I think you could follow the YouTube instructions and try it out. If you have problems figuring it out, give me a shout and I’ll see if I can help. Nice photo.
I agree with Donna, John, that the seond image feels too tight. I do like the tones, colour balance, and textures of the first image, it is a lovely small scene.
However the small patch of ice seems to be too much of a contrast with the remainder. Apart from the tonal contrast, to me the ice radiates a cold, harsh feeling wheras the rest of the image feels warm and calm and is nicely balanced without the ice. Donna’s advice, or some cloning might be used to remove it. Cheers.
A lovely find! I loke the three patches of moss surrounded by the dead leaves.
For me, the crop is too tight, but the snow does pull my eye from the moss. I wonder about trying to remove the snow with CAF or cloning and then cropping from the top about halfway into where the snow had been. I’d heal before cropping in order to have the most material to pull from.
Hi John, these are two interesting images to review. First, kudos to you for spotting this scene. I love how the moss is framed by the leaves. The moss itself sort of forms an infinity symbol (at least to my eyes) which is a wonderful compositional element to keep the eye traveling through the frame.
I do prefer the first image with the bit of snow despite my eye being drawn to the snow at first glance. There is a really cool optical illusion with the snow. It feels like the leaves and moss are somehow way below the snow like I’m looking down on a frozen pond. It creates this nice depth to the image. As far as cloning out the snow, it really depends on what story you want to convey in the image and what you want the main subject to be. Without the snow, the image is about the leaves and the moss and their relationship to each other.
The second image isolates the moss and leaves well but I do agree that the panoramic aspect feels a bit tight to me.
Great job syping this! Love this little intimate landscape. The combination of the decomposing leaves and the sprigs of green just make for a terrific nature story. Your colors and processing are excellent.
To the crop and the patch of ice/snow. It is a conundrum as others have eluded - crop too tight, but the white patch is more distracting than a positive element; at least for me.
The good thing about a scene like this is that there are many cropping possibilities. I can see at least 2 square crops - one of the left, and one sq crop of the right where the green most would be central and surrounding leaves supporting. In both options, the snow is not present. I think you have many great resulting images awaiting in this one.
Oh, and I’m thinking that Macro or even landscape is a closer fit than abstract - but no biggie, just thought I would mention
