When I saw these roots by a creek, I liked the way the orange leaves made a semi circle around them. I also liked the triangular shape the roots made. I tried to compose the photo in a way that accentuated the roots and the shape the leaves made around the roots.
Specific Feedback Requested
I wasn’t sure if I should crop that little bit of sky at the top. It was much brighter so I used a mask to darken it. Still not sure if it’s a distraction because when I look at the photo my eyes go straight to the roots which is my intention. I also wanted to make it look like fine art but not sure how to do that or if it would be considered fine art as is. Any feedback is welcome.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Taken with Sony Alpha 7, a tripod, and standard 28-70mm lens. Settings were 28mm, 1/40sec, ISO 250, f4.5
Welcome, Erica. This picture has a lot going for it and certainly draws my attention according to your intention. My main suggestion would be to follow your intuition and crop from above removing all of the sky. I would also try cropping from both left and right. What I’d want to accentuate even more are the roots and the lovely arc of leaves that curves around from the left to the bottom of the frame and frames the roots perfectly. I’ve posted a very down and dirty version of what I’m thinking for your consideration. Again, welcome aboard.
Eric, welcome to NPN, I am sure you’ll get lots out of this site and hopefully contribute a lot as well.
I think your initial image is a wonderful study in the intimate landscape. The roots pointing to the leaves surrounding the roots is a terrific synergy. I like @Kerry_Gordon’s suggestions, as they would have been mine as well. This is a very strong image and a wonderful first post. I hope to see much more of your work.
First off Erica, I would like you welcome you to NPN. I think you will enjoy giving and getting feed back and the learning that comes from it.
I like intimate landscapes like the one you presented here. I agree with your initial thought on cropping the sky. I like Kerry’s take on a crop since it showcases redial arrangement of the roots. The leaves serve as a nice anchor.
Welcome to NPN! Great to have you here and a great first post.
The roots and the curved line of the leaves framing those leaves - is the main attraction, and that’s pretty clear. So you’ve done a great job getting the viewer to see what you are intending. And dropping the brightness of the sky and actually just acknowledging the distraction, is a positive in identifying issues photographer’s face all the time.
I would agree with the others, that taking that to the next step with the crop completely removes the distraction - yet doesn’t take away from what I think you saw and are presenting. Yeah, a little more of the main trunk for reference would be nice, but the story is about the roots and leaf interaction.
Well done - thanks for sharing and we look forward to more images and your participation.
Hi and welcome Erica - this is an image after my own heart. While paddling in a kayak I often see tree roots eroded by water and that’s what this looks like as well. The crop is definitely an improvement. I see you used some masking and you could play with that further to sculpt the bank surrounding the roots. To give it some more depth and dimensionality. I especially like the frame of leaves and that upper left root is quite knobby. Reminds me of a femur.
I hope you find your photography home here and will post more of your work as well as join in on other conversations you see happening.
Welcome to the Network Erica, great first image, thanks for sharing.
I would agree with Kerry’s comment that the tighter crop would be a really good way of concentrating the eye on the roots
Thank you Kerry for your insight and suggestions. Initially, I felt like part of the trunk lent to the story. Your crop rendition helped me to see the main subject more pronounced.
Thank you @Lon_Overacker for the welcome and your critique. I was really torn between the main trunk and the sky. I even went back to that same spot to try another angle that would result in the same effect but the leaves were no longer arranged that way and the roots didn’t look as pronounced.
Thanks @Kris_Smith, I see you spotted the “femur” root. I noticed that too after I took the picture. I like finding interesting similarities in nature. I like your idea about sculpting the bank a little more. How would you go about it? Adding more shadow?
@erica - Actually, I would like to have more of the trunk in the picture too but the sky becomes a problem. There are, however, at least a couple of ways you could approach this problem to include more of the trunk and still avoid the distraction of the sky. One would be to raise your camera higher and shoot down more on the scene in the field. Obviously that would change the perspective but with a wide lens it might work well. Another way would be, in post, to try using Content Aware Fill in Photoshop and fill the sky area in. Some people don’t like using Photoshop to alter a picture that much while others don’t really care so long as they are more able to achieve their vision for the image. Me personally, on Tuesdays I say do whatever it takes. On Wednesdays I deplore such flagrant use of Photoshop, so my opinion on the subject is pretty much useless.
