I enjoyed the contrast of a sapling set against the solid trunk of older growth. What stopped me held my attention after the sun came out from behind me. Only a few hours before, a thunderstorm had came over the mountain and forced me off the trail. (I spent that time enjoying wine and lunch in town not far away) The dampness of the tree and speckled highlights are from the little droplets of water that are still clinging onto the leaves. A very unorthodox image, but I had fun making it!
Specific Feedback Requested
Does the image work given the harsh light and falloff into the background? How do you feel the image has impact on you as the viewer?
I like the narrow depth of field to emphasize the sapling as the main subject. My only suggestion is to crop or clone to remove the orange colored branch that is just peeking in along the top edge and the edges of leaves that are along the lower left edge.
This one really caught my eye. Nicely exposed and processed! I’m with Dean on the depth of field, I think it really complements the subject. Aspen images are everywhere, and many of them follow a pretty standard formula. I love that yours is different. Like Dean said, I would clean up your edges to keep the eye in the frame. If it were me, I would take out these elements:
I appreciate the feedback and have incorporated it into a rework I put as the image up top! I don’t find the URC as distracting, but I certainly see the things creeping in on the boarder. I have learned over the last year that boarder control is just as important with smaller scenes as it is with the grand landscape!
