Namaste'

I took this at Cass Park near Ithaca on a deary day. This park is on the banks of Cayuga Lake Inlet which is the second largest Finger Lake of the five. What caught my eye was the two dead trees that looked like they were bowing in perfect uniformity and the tree leaning over them that seemed to be honoring their life, thus the name Namaste’ “the divine in me honors the divine in you”.

Specific Feedback Requested

This photo doesn’t have a natural path that the eye can follow. I hoped that my processing leads you through a path of triangles to the tall tree and it’s not just a confusing mess of trees. Here’s what I was hoping the path your eye would follow. The small path through the middle triangle, then the 2 trees bowing in which the top of their triangle would lead you to the honoring tree.

Was I able to do this? Anything else.

Technical Details

Sony a7r iv 24-70mm @ 60mm
f/11
ss 1/160
ISO 800 handheld camera
ACR - tone and masking colors
Photoshop - Cleanup, D&B

1 Like

Pretty composition! I think the shapes work well, though I kind of wish the right hand “subservient” tree wasn’t cropped. I’d be tempted to boost the luminosity on those oranges to make them stand out even more, but perhaps doing so would be too heavy handed.

Just love this Donna, and your story to go with it especially. Beautiful subtle tones, colours, and detail, a good anchor at the bottom edge, and the angles and shapes of the tree trunks fit perfectly. I have a lot of trouble keeping the sky out with this type of scene, and you have done this really well.
I don’t know Namaste…Hindu isn’t it? I have Buddhist leanings so it’s not a word I have come across before. I just enjoy your image very much. Cheers.

Wonderful image, Donna. The repeating patterns of the trees and the wonderful soft light make for a very relaxing scene. I see the path you describe too. This would be a great print.

I disagree. The two leaning left trees are a great starting point for the image and they give the eye access to the bigger tree and the branches above. It works for me in that regard. Nice work.

@jefflafrenierre @Phil_G @David_Bostock @Matt_Payne I was very happy to know that viewers are liking this image. I thought it was unusual. I worked hard on D&B to get the effect I wanted. I also wanted to keep the BG toned down enough to reduce some of the business. Thank you for taking the time to critique this image.

Jeff, I did have the oranges a little more saturated, but the brightness drew the eye right too them. With so much going on in this photo, I decided to keep the bright colors at a consistent lower sat. to keep the eye moving up the photo. Glad you liked it.

Phil, Namaste’ is Hindu. I heard this from a friend awhile ago and it stuck with me. I was having a terrible time naming this image and then this name came to me and I thought it described the story I wanted to tell perfectly. Yes, the white and boring skies are a problem for me too.

Donna,Such as great image and the Namaste title. Made me think about those trees.
Look at their roots. So close to each other . It’s a community of life where most trees grow and get old.
But some die and give new life .And some are protecting and celebrating life.
To me a very strong image.

I’m so glad you like this one. Since I live in an area of forested hills, waterfalls and gorges, I have been working hard to include trees in my photography. You have a gift for seeing beautiful tree/forest compositions. It’s not easy taking the mess out of the forest and simplifying it. Thanks for your nice comments.

This image really drew my attention with the geometry and color and texture contrast. I find my eye naturally going from the lower left with the smaller trees to the upper right with the larger tree. Very well done.

Thank you, Dean. I’m glad I could create a path for viewers in this image. Glad it drew your attention. That makes me feel like maybe I’m getting better at compositions.

Yes, there is a picture within a picture here. There is a small disconnect between the lower half and the upper half. I also feel a bit more room on the sides would be good as the sides of the frame feel like they’re pushing the branches inward. I like the bottom half more with the arch being formed.

What a powerful image, Donna. When you have angles and form, you really don’t need leading lines. Those two lower branches that are either bent or broken are the story here. Then you have the rest of the tree leaning over in a parental and protective way for those injured branches below. The fall colored leaves running up and down the trunks and branches leads the eye as well. This couldn’t have been done without the soft light that you had on this day. Wonderful, cloudy conditions help to really pull this off. The composition is stellar. I like this very much

Hi Igor. Thank you for taking the time to critique my photo. When I first started to process this image I thought about cropping it close to what you did because I was afraid the scene was too busy. The crop took away the story I saw in this composition, so I decided to keep the original aspect and attempt to process it so the eye would be lead through the story. I think your crop works well too.

Thank you so much, David! I really didn’t think I could pull this photo off. I figured it was too busy, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I got a lot of practice D&B :smile: . Thanks for your kind words.

Very nice Donna. I don’t think all images need a path, and those three trunks work very well together as complimentary patterns.

I’ve enjoyed your images from your area. My wife and I drove through there a little prior to COVID, and although the trip was brief I really enjoyed the beauty there. We were stopping to visit friends (the Dean of the Veterinary School is an old buddy) on our way up to Toronto, and your area is wonderful to drive through.

I like this image very much with its pattern opf tree trunks, green and orange colors and the light. I also like a lot Igor´s crop proposal, making the image more concentrated.