Driving back from the coast in December, I stopped on a side road to let the dog have a break. Standing there looking at this scene, I liked the way the vegetation came together. It was pretty saturated; the vegetation was wet and it was heavy overcast, and I like the deep reds of the bare branches. I snapped a couple verticals and horizontals, but wasn’t really happy with either. In the end, I merged two of the verticals to box in the stream, and cropped it square.
This is not a typical image for me, more of a “homebound because of COVID” type an image. Regardless, I’d love any feedback. Feel free to rip it apart.
Here is a second take slightly edited with some of the suggestions below:
FUJIFILM X-T30
FUJIFILM XF 10-24mm F4 at 18.2 mm (27 mm equivalent)
1/35 sec. at f/13 and ISO 800
I cloned out a blade of grass that stuck too far into the stream, and removed a bit of sky, by puppet warping and cloning, from the URC.
I really like this John! I think the subdued winter vegetation colors in the foreground work well to compliment the lichen/moss greens on the trees. I found my eye following the water to the bright moss on the log/tree and wondering what lies upstream? Adds a bit of mystery for me.
there is some nice texture in this foliage. When I first saw the image the colour opposites of the greens and the magenta’s caught my attention.
I thought I’d present another option where I’ve de-saturated the oranges to allow the green magenta interplay to be more prominent. I added a slight vingette and some negative dehaze at the top in an attempt to provide some depth. All subjective choices but I think it’s interesting how it subtly changes the mood.
Lots of lovely details and colors. I’m like Nathan’s suggestions. What struck me first was the strong color of the grasses in the LRC - they were the most prominent color block in the scene. But those greens and magentas at the top are more interesting (to me anyway). Nathan’s edit brings them out more.
Not bad. I think it could maybe use a vignette to draw more attention to the center since the scene is so evenly light. I would especially darken the bottom portion where you have the grass in the foreground.
Great eye! This is one of those scenes that many would pass up and even consider photographing. Truly understated, yet a beautiful and strong image. I think the square crop you did was a good choice.
I really like Nathan’s edits. Excellent call to bring out and emphasize the color contrast between the greens and magentas.
John,
That is what I would call serendipity when you stop so that the dog can take a break and you come away with this lovely gem. I am enjoying @Nathan_Klein’s couple of small tweaks as they seem to have accentuated the lovely greens and magenta even more. Good eye on this one as I am not sure I would have noticed it.
Thanks again all. I’m adding an edit to the original post that incorporates the suggestions. My preference is for the changes to be subtle, so the effects are less dramatic in my revised edit.
