Stand of Birch & rework

[Vanessa_Hill]

Original post….

Rework based on my original thoughts for a crop and suggestions by @Alex_Noriega and @Lon_Overacker ….

This is a stand of trees that is at the end of a wide field along a highway that I used to ride my bike on quite frequently, I love the way they catch the light. I don’t always like how they turn out in just a normal shot. So I’ve tried different ICM photos with them. This is one of them. I’m picturing and hoping that this is something that could look good printed large to be appreciated from a distance, if that makes sense.

Specific Feedback Requested

Anything

Technical Details

1/25, f11, 300mm (450mm equivalent), ISO 100. Very slight up and down movement to give it a slight impressionistic look, but more just a long ss look without a tripod.
Just did a slight crop.

[Lon_Overacker]

Vanessa,

What a great setup of trees - I’m guessing planted by man some years ago lining the road or property - Sure glad they were planted and glad you’re able take advantage of the opportunities.

Much to say about this actually. First, the repeating uniform pattern of the trees is wonderful and making for great subject matter. And to have them all leaning the same way? Even better.

I can understand wanting to explore other techniques when the “standard” views just don’t turn out that compelling. I liken this to “drive by’s” where a subject looks awesome driving (or riding along), then when you stop and look, it’s just not the same. Vineyards, crops and orchards come to mind. So kudos for bringing out the ICM out of the tool bag.

@Vanessa_Hill

hoping that this is something that could look good printed large to be appreciated from a distance,

It does make sense - however, my response is actually quite the opposite of what you’re hoping for. To me, when I step back, or simply don’t open the bigger image, it becomes more like the ICM’s that I have a hard time with - “like the tripod was kicked by accident…” The reality of the scene is only obscured by the sense the image is just out of focuse. So for me, stepping back from a distance - like hanging in a gallery, I get that sense. HOWEVER, quite the opposite, when I open the larger view and stick my nose in the image, it seems to come to life. Yes, the trees are still obvious, but the blurring of all the intricate branches, the colors, etc., really give the scene some energy. So much so, I think a closer crop that eliminates the sky and maybe 14 - 1/3 off the left really condenses what I see and am reacting to.

Said differently, by getting in closer, cropping and showcasing the finer, abstract details, I see a successful and intentional ICM - ie. the motion is on purpose. Stepping back from a distance, much less so and moves towards the kicked tripod. Now I’m not saying one is better than the other - to be clear this is just this one person’s reaction.

And so I did bring this in to PS to play around with the cropping - and thus my comments there. But another thing happend. I dropped it in to Silver EFex Pro and converted to B&W. Not sure if you have that, but I would highly recommend converting to b&w and pushing this towards a high key image. OMG… my reaction and for that I will NOT post in your thread because that wouldn’t be right; bu I believe the image can be transformed - but that’s for you to explore and you may or may not even have that intent with this image. PM me if you want.

In the end, this scene has great potential. As presented, I think youd bump up the vibrance and some enhancements to bring out the warmth and light, OR process towards a more high key approach. Lots to explore here.

Lon

[Alex_Noriega]

@Vanessa_Hill

Technical Details

1/25, f11, 300mm (450mm equivalent), ISO 100. Very slight up and down movement to give it a slight impressionistic look, but more just a long ss look without a tripod.
Just did a slight crop.

Hey Vanessa, I quite like the composition as presented! The edges are clean and everything is really well-balanced. I agree with Lon’s idea that a really high-key, clean, almost white black and white could be a powerful presentation of the image.

I also agree that if kept in color, it’s a bit dim/dull as is (except the sky, which is plenty bright and could maybe be darkened). I would play up the luminosity and warmth of the trees, while taking care not to warm up the mountain backdrop (in fact, that could be cooled down a little to make the warm trees stand out better).

As far as the ICM goes, I think it doesn’t quite read as painterly or surreal at a distance, like a more standard ICM does. But the lean of the trees and the slight blur does pretty strongly suggest movement to me, perhaps a metaphor about life moving fast or passing us by. I think this composition would work equally well with more ICM and less detail, or totally sharp.

I also think losing the sky would be a valid crop (that’s probably what I would have done in the field), but I quite like the curve/lean of the leftmost trees, so I would instead try to crop off the right. Just try playing with all of this! I experiment a lot in post - nobody’s watching you and there are no rules. Try everything!

[Vanessa_Hill]

Thanks so much @Alex_Noriega and @Lon_Overacker . Yeah, I would have liked to get up closer but this was the closest I could get and farthest I could put the lens out. Funny, though, that both you and @Lon_Overacker mentioned a closer crop which is what I had originally done….

But then went back to a looser crop. What do you think? Also actually I’ve posted this same stand of trees previously but way more ICMish….

Stand of Trees

[image] The light was beautiful hitting these trees but I didn’t like how my straight shots were turning out so ended up doing some ICM. They were kind of far away too. Specific Feedback Requested Anything Technical Details Is this a composite: No Nikon D3400, 300mm, ISO 100 , f/11, 1/25 - cropped and brought down exposure and highlights

curious what your thoughts are?

Lastly, I’ve tried so many ways to do this in b&w as you both mentioned, but I’m not sure I’m doing it right and I have no problem @Lon_Overacker if you want to show me what you did. I’m so bad at post processing! Maybe not bad but there’s so many ways it could go and I have no confidence in my abilities with it!

[Lon_Overacker]

@Vanessa_Hill

I’m so bad at post processing! Maybe not bad but there’s so many ways it could go and I have no confidence in my abilities with it!

Everyone has been at one stage or another in learning to process images. We’ve all been there. and the good news is, everyone is still learning with each and every image. So don’t beat yourself up too much!

I think my next question would be, what tools are you using? I’m not even sure what equipment you’re using in addition to not know what processing you’re using. So what I’m presenting here, you may or may not be able to do… but the assumption is using Photoshop, which is what I’ll describe below.

1. First, cropped as previously suggested.
2. Open a B&W layer without any prior adjustments. Played a little with blue/cyan, and yelllow, red sliders to get a desired effect. One trick is by sliding any adjustment all the way thru to their extremes gives you an idea of the effects. Then settle for less extreme.
3. With a simple Levels Adj layer I raised the white point and general luminosity - basically made quite a bit brighter.
4. Added Brightness/Contrast Adj layer to continue brightening the image, and reducing contrast. Going for a high-key presentation.
   5.Added a slight vignette, but that’s terribly minor, subtle

That’s about it. Oh, and this is where processing can get fun (if processing can even be called “fun”) - let’s just say experimenting, learning…

Not sure why I thought of this, but I decided to back off the B&W layer by dropping the opacity of that layer (transparency) to about 60%. This re-introduced the original color, mostly the blues. And almost by accident, I think I stumbed upon a fine art verion of your scene. So with all that, here are two versions. Please feel free to ask any questions and for sure would love to hear your thoughts.

By all means I don’t think this is finished. For sure starting from RAW, this could really be devloped. IMHO. Your original vision of this scene has wonderful potential, so you should be proud.

Oh, and one last thing. I think this processing result completely flips back around the notion of “appreciating from a distance” vs up close and personal. I think now stepping back the image comes across as more painterly and thus the details (blurry trees and branches) are less important. Getting up close to this now makes me wish for more and sharper detail. So merely by processing in different ways, you can affect how the image might be viewed - AND more closely match your intentions!

[Vanessa_Hill]

@Lon_Overacker

what tools are you using? I’m not even sure what equipment you’re using in addition to not know what processing you’re using.

Wow, @Lon_Overacker thanks for sharing! I was playing around too with b&w and then putting subtle back in. I really love your second one, I’m definitely going to be working more with this image! As far as my equipment. My camera is a Nikon D3400 that came with 2 lens that both have ranges. I mainly use the 70-300mm. I got it almost 4 years ago and it was the best I could do for what I could get. Right now I’m using Pixelmator Photo (because it’s free ) and it’s designed to work with an iPad, which is all I’ve been able to work with since I started doing photography 4 years ago. I know it’s not the best setup, but it works until I can get my dream setup! But I can kind of translate over what to do with my processing tools based off what you did. Thanks so much for taking the time to show me!

[Lon_Overacker]

You’re welcome Vanessa. YOu’re doing well with the tools and equipment you have. Keep it up and keep 'em coming.

[Lon_Overacker]

Well done on the new version Vanessa! I like this quite a lot. And going back to an earlier point this looks really good opened up in the larger view. I would say also that you’ve taken this a bit beyond just high-key, but this now has a distinct “charcoal sketch” and/or more painterly look to it.

Great job and thanks for taking the time and effort to work this.

Lon

[Alex_Noriega]

Lon’s suggestions have been spot-on for this image, and I love both of his sample renditions. I think the squarish crops felt a little tight on the sides, Vanessa, so it makes sense to me to keep the original composition (you also get more repetition of forms that way).

I would suggest lowering the contrast on your rework, as I like the brighter look, but it feels almost like a blown-out exposure. Just lowering the contrast should soften those tones quite a bit so it feels more like an intentionally-high-key rendition.

I should also mention that the high-key direction, while it works really well in this case, shouldn’t be taken as a rule of thumb that should be applied to all images of this type. If it was the light that drew you to the trees in the first place, you could also try a darker rendition where you emphasized the light and warm/cool color contrasts a bit more. But the lighter versions have the added benefit of making the contrast of the land/sky division a non-issue.

[Igor_Doncov]

@Lon_Overacker

I liken this to “drive by’s” where a subject looks awesome driving (or riding along), then when you stop and look, it’s just not the same.

I have had this experience often. I think that’s because there is a movement of lines and shapes that awes the mind in a manner that a still image cannot. Somehow our brain processes those small changes in time and interprets them in a 3 dimensional way that a flat representation simply can’t replicate. As a result when you stop you wonder ‘so what’s so exciting about this’. So I don’t think it’s due to a poor choice of subject matter as it is the manner of viewing the subject.