Here’s one from a quick morning near home last month. We don’t get much fog or mist during the summer in the Ozarks, so this was a pleasant surprise. When the fog started to disperse and the sun started to peer through the canopy, I had just a few minutes to follow the light to where it was streaming through the trees.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Any welcome and appreciated
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Any and all
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
87 mm, f/11, 1.3 sec, ISO 200
Initial raw processing in Capture 1 before using PS to do some cloning, dodging, and burning.
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Very nice image! I love the colors and the light beams. My only nit is that the whitish tree just off center right draws too much attention because it is the only thing in the photo that is white. I would suggest either darkening it a bit or painting some brown onto it using a brush in Soft Light Mode (which will have minimal effect on the texture, as opposed to brush in Normal Mode which will obliterate texture), or both.
Adam, this image does an outstanding job of capturing the essence of the forest in summer. Your processing brings out the richness of the light rays, it’s very ethereal looking. Processing dappled light like this can be a processing challenge, but you have handled it very well. I almost feel like I am right there in the forest.
I agree with @Tony_Siciliano about burning the bright tree in the center, and in addition I would suggest lightly dodging the near with the ivy vine growing on it. It’s the dominant tree in the comp and some gentle dodging could help accentuate it.
Lovely, ethereal image. Beautifully captured and rendered. I like how the sunbeams hit on random leaves throughout the photo and make the forest floor glow. I agree about darkening the white tree in the center.
Hi Adam,
I’m a fan of the light through the lush forest. It definitely feels like a fleeting moment.
To me the balance of the composition feels right heavy as the implied diagonal of the light and the major trunk is on the right hand side of frame. This may be personal but I feel as though a slighter wider aspect ratio with more room on the left would feel more balanced.
Adam,
Simple beautiful. Light rays like this sometimes seem cliche - but they’re beautiful and that’s why we photograph them whenever we can.
I think this works wonderfully as presented. Having said that, any suggestions from this are purely personal choices and preferences. I think the contrast works as presented - although perhaps could be played with. Honestly, the slightly lower contrast I think helps with the dreamy, enlightened look. In fact, this is probably a great candidate for an Orton effect - my intent would be just to enhance the dreaminess ever so slightly - keeping it real without going overboard.
I can understand Nathan’s comment about the heavier right side - but for me, the light beams stretching across the frame all the way to the left balance out the composition nicely.
Love this image!
Lon
Great beams and wonderful dreamy mood. I like it as presented. The brighter tree works for me as is. Real nice work.
Beautiful work Adam and congratulations on the Editors’ Pick! The light shining through the mist is obviously the star in this photo, but the larger tree anchors the scene and you did a great job of managing all of the elements in the scene.
@Tony_Siciliano, @Ed_McGuirk, @Chris_Baird, @Nathan_Klein, @Harley_Goldman, @Lon_Overacker, and @Brian_Schrayer, thank you all for your comments and feedback. I go back and forth about darkening that lighter the. Below is a version where I quickly burned that tree on my phone in LR.
It’s funny but maybe I could try a heavier hand in my editing. I did many of the things suggested but maybe not to the extent they could have been. The vine in the main tree was dodged, there’s a very slight orton, etc. Anyway, more chance to play in post. Thanks again all. And thank you for the editor’s choice recognition!! 
Wonderful combination of contrasting lines. Vertical in the trunks, diagonals in the sunbeams. I like the processing but it feels a bit warm. That works for the sunlight, but wondering if a cooler tones in the shadows my work a little better.
Thanks so much for the feed back, Tony. I do agree that some cooling will benefit the image. Cheers
Oozes atmosphere very well done Adam and I like the delicate colours.
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