re-edited to incorporate some suggestions
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I recently posted a “Pep Ventosa” style photo of a winter tree. I’ve been waiting for spring to find a blooming tree to try the same style on. Pep Ventosa shoots “in the round”, going around his subject taking photos as he goes. His style is intriguing to me. I’m still learning this style, and have much more to learn. This is 15 photos taken going around the tree just 1/2 way (there was a ditch preventing me from going all the way round it). I then blended the photos in photoshop using different opacities and blending styles.
Technical Details
15 photos. AV setting f.8 on all.
2 Likes
Very painterly looking. I’m glad you explained how you created it. Quite a process. I’d say this is a successful image. The green in the LR area seems a little intense and draws my attention. What about cropping some to put more emphasis on the tree and move it a little off center…perhaps some off the right side?
1 Like
Judi, I love how you are using the technique. The amount of work to blend them in post-production must be considerable. The soft, painterly look is unique and lovely. I wondered how it would look with the green grass toned down and how a crop that would move the tree more to the left would look. This is what I came up with. I like the grass; it adds to the composition when it is softer, like the rest of the image. I only want to make suggestions if I have tried them. Here is a screenshot of a hue/saturation layer with a black mask painted with the change in the value and shade of the green. I tried cropping just at the left and the bottom of the frame. I like the background trees on the right.
The painterly quality of this image is exquisite. The colour palette , the textural variation create a wonderful backdrop to the star of the show - the white tree. I have to agree with @Barbara_Djordjevic, that the tree being dead centre is problematic. The obvious solution is, as Barbara suggests, to crop so that the tree sits more on the third line. But there might be an alternative solution. I would be hesitant to eliminate so much of the background from the left side - some but not quite so much. What I might try is toning down the brightness of the white tree. For me, considering the subtlety of the background, it feels a little too forceful. But really, I love the way you’re experimenting with this technique and where it is taking you.
1 Like
Thanks much for your input. I am playing around with the image now. I have taken Barbara’s comments, and yours, and made two different edits. First I cropped, then on the other image I darkened the white tree a little bit. Will post new pix soon. Thanks again for your thoughts. Its appreciated.
Good morning Barbara, thanks so much for your comments. I did go back in and re-edit the photo. I did a crop as you suggested, and toned down the greens in the foreground. I made a copy of the image, and also took the white tones down a little bit as well. I’m really enjoying learning this style. I’m going to drive around and look for some more opportunities to get some other images to do this with. Its fun, and processing really isn’t that bad (which means I’m probably not doing as much as I could be doing for the image). 
Today is a rainy day, so the rain may saturate some spring colors. Thank you again, I always value your input.
Judi, I like what you did with the greens. I like the tree in the first version, but the toned-down one still sings.
1 Like
Thank you Barbara! I like both images for different reasons. I just went in our drizzly, breezy, super cold day of weather to our park and did a super quick shoot of a pink flowering tree. Will see what develops.
Judi:
Sorry to be so late to the party here, but this is wonderful. It looks very much like a painting. Nice technique and really nice subject. I do like the recrop and rework you’ve done. This is art.
