Reaching Out

Image Critiques Landscape Critiques
1

Tree Limbs stack copy.jpg
Tree Limbs stack copy.jpg2000Ă—1508 2.09 MB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

This was taken on a rainy drizzly day at Longwood Gardens, PA while looking for some emerging spring colors in the trees. I loved the character of the limbs as they seemed to be reaching for something unseen, just outside the left edge of the frame. I also thought the red backdrop of early red color worked well.

Specific Feedback

Does the one limb left of center that reemerges along the bottom edge bother anyone? I have been thinking about cloning it out but I thought I would see what others thoughts are. All C&C is welcome and appreciated.

Technical Details

Nikon Z7, Nikon 24-200 @ 200 mm, f 11 @ 1/13th sec, ISO 400, Kase magnetic CPL, cable release & tripod

Critique Template

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3 Likes
2

Nice work, Ed. The red and green/yellow set each other off well. I have no criticisms to offer.

1 Like
3

Hi Ed,
what a beautiful tree. I love squiggly branches like this.
And great that you saw and shot this scene. It’s easy to walk past and not realize that a picture could be worthwhile.

The contrasts are wonderful. I don’t just mean the colors (green and red), but also the difference between the naked tree in the foreground and the fresh flowers in the background.

No, that limb at the bottom left doesn’t bother me at all. It fits seamlessly into the existing repeated patterns of the other branches. The clone stamp is not necessary. :slight_smile:

So if you ask me: I have no suggestions for improvement.

1 Like
4

Love this, Ed. I’m a sucker for moss covered tree limbs. They are framed nicely against the red buds in the BG. I like your descriptive title and your thought process about the image. Very evocative. I feel the branch should be removed. Takes only ten seconds with the remove tool.

Tree Limbs stack copy
Tree Limbs stack copy2000Ă—1508 2.09 MB

1 Like
5

Many thanks @Don_Peters, @Jens_Ober and @Michael_Lowe for your thoughtful C&C as it is always appreciated.

@Jens_Ober : We were photographing something else when we turned around and noticed this lovely tree.
@Michael_Lowe : Thanks for taking the time to do a rework; food for thought. I may crop just a little more from the bottom to get rid of those couple of limbs along the edge.

6

I didn’t notice it until I read your question, so I guess I’d have to say it doesn’t bother me at all.

Lovely branches that guy has! I wonder about darkening the reds just a bit to let the branches pop out a little more??

Tree Limbs stack copy
Tree Limbs stack copy2000Ă—1508 2.09 MB

7

Ed, the reemerging limb suggests that the very large limb to the right of it did not disappear. I believe that the heavy limb, which initially leads the eye out of the frame, is “saved” by its return, leading the eye back into the composition. This is rather subtle but important in my estimation. It is really the only heavy, bright object that could potentially be problematic and might need to be cloned out of the frame otherwise. I find this image to be a peaceful promise of spring and a hint of more beauty to come.