Sage, Etc

Here is another from the eastern Sierra last week.

I find the composition oddly but well-balanced (then again, I am a little prejudiced). I like the combo of colors and layers that stretch well back into the scene. A hazy bald blue sky lurks above the top of the frame, so including more background was not a good option. Any thoughts or suggestions are always welcome.

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The layering makes me want to get out and start walking back through the scene. For me the layering is even more prominent when I ā€œhand cropā€ the right side up to the right edge of the most prominent conifer over there. If forced to make a crop on the top or bottom to sustain the current proportions, Iā€™d do so equally from the top and bottom. You donā€™t lose much depth in doing that, as you meanwhile keep the expanse of sage in the foreground. Nicely seen, in what I suspect was a challenging setting.

There is such a nice palette of layered color here, @Harley_Goldman. The color is ā€˜gentleā€™, which I really like.

The composition does balance nicely, and I like the ā€˜veeā€™ of sage and grass.

My only suggestion is to perhaps burn down the pines in the far background so that the lighter-toned trees pop a little a more.

Nicely done, sir!
-P

I agree with you Harley - love all the color and depth of trees. My eyes want ot see more background but do understand about the bald blue sky :slight_smile: Would it help to crop a bit from the right to keep the deep red on the left?

I love the layering and colours in this image Harley. Really nice stuff!

Couple of points:

  • The bright red tree on the left distracts me because its colour is so prominent and itā€™s of a similar luminosity to the rest of the scene. It takes my eye a little out of the frame and away from the star of the image which is the layering in the centre background. I wonder if it could be darkened a little to guide the eye through the image.

  • Iā€™d like a little more room at the top compositionally and a little less at the bottom. At the moment it feels a little cramped at the top. I donā€™t know how much higher you can get without hitting the sky but it could be worth exploring.

  • A small hit of saturation would be nice too.

Awesome stuff!

Hey Harley, Well, this one is growing on me. Initially this one wasnā€™t grabbing me. I see the layering in the bg, but the prominence of the foreground trees kind of takes away from the interest in the background.

What actually catches my eye is the little sapling in the lower middle. Iā€™m thinking of a crop that removes the top layer of evergreens and a bit off of each side. I think that actually makes the bg layers seem to go on indefinitely. Just a thought.

The processing is excellent and I love the variety of color captured here.

Lon

Harley, the composition works just fine for me here. Different then a lot of our autumn posts that are a bit loud in colors, this one has a softness and quiet feel to it. Nice workā€¦:sunglasses: