I was motivated to process this image after seeing @Igor_Doncov 's forest photo. I like the peppering of flowers that create a structure to the image. But I am wondering if it is enough to create an interesting image. As always all feedbacks are appreciated. Thank you!
Nikon D750
102mm, f/16, 0.8 sec, ISO 100, w/CPL
Single exposure
Hi Adhika, This is a nice image, and I can tell you used a polarizer with the saturated greens. It’s probably because I have some color-blindness, but to me it’s hard to pick out the flowers. I think they give the image its “soul.” I wonder if you can enhance/saturate the red/pink colors only to get them to stand out more?
Remember, it may just be my eyes, I’m sure others will have better thoughts.
I think in general this sort of image can be very nice, but here some of the blooms are falling apart, and are pretty small in the frame. I think the color provides good separation but the small size reduces their impact. This is a scene that is often shot in fog, which would probably increase its impact. I wonder about an artistic treatment with an increase in saturation for the flowers and something like Glamour Glow to subdue the BG a bit. I also brought down saturation of the greens a bit.
@David_Bostock that’s a good suggestion and Diane indicated the same thing below with increasing the saturation of the red/pink in the flowers. Thanks!
@Diane_Miller, indeed. I have resigned to the fact that forest photography sans fog is an impossible feat. The glamour glow is not to my taste but I see what you mean about some of the flowers falling apart which was the reason I chose to go small in the frame with this.
Adhika,
I don’t think you need to resign yourself to forest images in the fog. Sure it’s harder without it, but to me this is a nice vignette of the rhododendron and its surroundings. It shows nice texture. I think this is a great example of embracing the chaos. Though, you might try to simplify it by darkening down the lighter trunk area in the LLC to keep your eye on the rhododendron.
I actually think the pinks in the blooms stand out sufficiently to my eye. That’s a matter of preference though I guess.
Thanks for sharing!
I don’t think you have to resign yourself to fog either and possibly something between your treatment and Diane’s would be optimal. Another way to go at it might be with the color sliders - luminance and saturation can make some nice changes to an image without affecting overall tonalities.
Forest images are tough sometimes. You need to find a through-line for a lot of it. Whether it’s a strong anchor or another feature to dominate. There needs to be a definitive structure to overcome chaos a lot of the time. The flowers could do it here with some of the laurel leaves, but you need to choose them carefully in the field and then focus your processing to accentuate that. In Igor’s case it was a major branch and lighting on some foreground leaves and it worked. Your image is more uniform in structure and lighting so it needs more processing finesse to make it work. If that makes sense.
I like where Diane is going with this. I think the bottom right quadrant is making the image a bit busy and she’s trying to address it with burning in that area. I don’t think the dark left side needed to be darkened. As Kristen suggested, something between Diane’s version and the original because her version has really changed the feel of the image. I tried a vertical around the flowers but that changed things quite a bit. There is a nice funnel like shape to that bush which a vertical captures well.
I agree, fog is usually nice, but you can still make compelling images in forests without fog too.
This was also my first though on the composition, the LRC is not doing much for me. And the density of flowers is concentrated in the left half of the image. To me this image is more about color, and color contrast than it is about composition, or light. I would tweak the processing to more play up the color contrast. Take the greens slightly more green, and the pinks slightly more magenta. I would also consider using a square crop of the left half of the image. Here is a rework reflecting my suggestions. I started from your original version.
Thanks for the inputs here @Adam_Bolyard, @Kris_Smith, @Igor_Doncov, @Ed_McGuirk.
I am not convinced that the LRC is a distraction since I find it as a “cushion” for the leaning tree with the flowers to rest on. But maybe that’s just me.
Ed & Diane, I like the idea of shifting the colors but admittedly I am going back and forth with several rendition of the greens: I am not quite sure when to stop.
Adhika, I like the peaceful view. It’s pleasantly inviting and sprinkling of flowers well. I’m thinking that cropping from the left (including the first two blooms would give a nicely balanced look at these Rhododendron flowers in an inviting green forest setting. The scattered glowing leaves fit well with the flowers. Some mid-tone dodging would let the two blooms and leaves in the upper right play a larger (balancing) role.
@Mark_Seaver thanks! I have been looking at alternative crops but haven’t found something that I like. I do like that idea about dodging the blooms on the UR though. I think that’s a very good call to balance the composition. Some stuffs worth revisit in the field again and I think this is one of those.
