This is from a recent trip that was timed to coincide with a couple of days of rainy weather in Blackwater Falls SP in WV. As I mentioned in my last post I had a few preconceived images that I had in mind and this is another one of them. I saw an image that my brother created a few years ago of some moss covered tree roots in the park so I knew that I wanted to be on the lookout for some interesting scenes. This immediately caught my eye as it reminded me of the alien in the Alien movie franchise. I was also amazed and humbled with the tenacity of this birch in its quest for survival as it grew from a tiny seedling many decades ago.
Specific Feedback Requested
Even though this is not an iconic scene I really enjoy the image for the story it tells along with the intimate details if one only takes the time to look. I am just wondering if anyone else feels the same way or is it just me.
Technical Details
Nikon D800, Nikon 35-70 @52mm, f 16 @ 0.8 sec, ISO 100, CPL, cable release
The gnarly texture is amazing. I think of birch in terms of graceful and gentle, but … tough??? That is news to me. Thanks.
The yellow color of the moss is a color that demands attention, distracting a bit from the toughness story. So @Igor_Doncov 's BW treatment addresses that. If you want to stay in color then the yellow might be manipulated a bit. Ambient light is obscure so shadows that might accentuate the toughness are not present. You might try burning the right side (or left side) of the roots to see if that changes anything to your liking.
Ed, I love the nature story here, Tenacious is the perfect word to describe this birch. Over the years I have noticed a lot of birch trees that have grown roots over a rock in the forest. I have tried for years to come away with a compelling image of that, and have failed to do so. You have succeeded admirably here, what a great nature story. Congratulations, I’m jealous
I see the tentacles of a green octopus here…
While I think @Igor_Doncov offers a valuable suggestion to process this in B&W (these graphic shapes were made for B&W), I still think the image can work in color as well. Here is a stab that I took at reworking the color version. I added a stronger vignette, and darkened the shadows, in order to further emphasize the shapes of the roots. I then slightly cooled the image, and using HSL, shifted green more green. I’m not sure if this is better than your color version or not, it’s just different.
