The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Early one morning, I went to a local park called Boyd Pond, and found this log in the water. The tree had fallen from the winds from Hurricane Helene last fall. I liked the very calm look of the water. I did a few frames with the polarizer to get the water to go completely white, but I liked the tones from top to bottom – OK my wife was the one, and I’m glad she talked me into it.
Specific Feedback
I played with the crop, but I think I like having space around the tree. I also see a little banding, and not sure how to deal with that. Suggestions are welcome.
Technical Details
This is a 5 photo focus stack since I was shotting at an angle.
Canon R
24mm-240mm at 123mm
ISO 400, f/11 at 1/21 sec
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Patrick, this is very original. At first I thought I saw banding in the lower half, then realized (I think) that these were the natural colors beneath the water. There is something surreal and antediluvian about this and the color gradation is beautiful. You remind me of the army general who said “Those were my orders” when he lost the battle (meaning I followed s.o.else’s) and “Those were MY orders” when he won. However, here you followed good advice - and won!
Patrick: Like @Sandy_Richards-Brown my first impression was that this was a pine cone and wondered why you would title it thus and post it in Landscape. Even the small image gives little hint of the true nature of the beast but in the large version the tiny sprouts reveal the real. The color gradient is marvelous. Kudos to your wife for seeing this and for you paying attention and capturing it. Intriguing and superbly crafted image.>=))>
Intriguing and wonderful! The bottom half reads realistically, while toward the top it becomes increasingly surreal! The gradient is wonderful and the textures in the log give the eye lots to explore.
The posterization is likely from JPEG compression somewhere in the posting chain. At the pixel dimensions and almost 3 MB I wouldn’t expect posterization from JPEG compression in the file itself. If it is in your initial JPEG and you stretched the gradient in PS, sometimes it will posterize even at 16 bits. The solution is to do the stretching in the raw file where there is more tonal overhead or, in PS, to “paint” it with a solid color layer rather than stretching original tonalities.
That is just dead cool Patrick. It took me a good while to figure out what on Earth it was. Just love it, love it, love it. Not exactly comprehensive criticism, but then again as far as I’m concerned there is absolutely nothing to critique.
Hi Patrick,
I am absolutely loving this image. Just like @Sandy_Richards-Brown and @Bill_Fach, my first thought was a pine cone. Only after opening it up did I realize that I was looking at a log floating in the water. The color gradation starting at the bottom from dark to light works beautifully in this scene. I also find the bits of vegetation to be another wonderful element in this scene. I only have one small nit. There is a small area that looks to be OOF by the bit of vegetation on the right side toward the top of the log. I am thinking you could clean that up just a little with the clone or remove tool. I only mention it because it did catch my eye a little and everything else is just so stellar here. IMO that would elevate an already outstanding image another notch. Very nicely done!
Thanks all for the nice words. I’ve had people think it’s a spaceship or a crocodile. So, pinecone is a nice new one. @Diane_Miller , looking back at the RAW image, it is a little tough to tell if it’s banding, little waves or as @Mike_Friel says, it might be colors under the water. Might have to do a test print to really see. And you make me think to pull this in at 16 bits and work from there. See if that helps. And @Ed_Lowe, thanks for catching that spot. Yup, have it sharp in a layer – just didn’t come over on the final stack. So, can be fixed. Thanks again.
Me too. It took me awhile to realize it was a log. I let my imagination run wild and saw a crocodile ready to ambush something.
I also thought there was some haloing around the log but now think it’s water that bends around objects. I can’t remember the name for this phenomena but we studied it in physics a very long time ago. Capillary adhesion I think it was.
A very unique photograph. Very well seen and executed. I love how the sky reflection isolates the tree trunk making it look like it is just floating in the sky. Its just a joy to stare at.
