Composition and as there was no light on this day, would it be best as B&W
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
This an exposure blend of 2 images.
1 for the foreground and the other for the tree.
I’d like to point out that I found the foreground exactly as it shown, I didn’t place these sticks or touch them in anyway.
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Rod, I like the idea here. I think it stands really well as a color image; B&W might bring up some more contrast to the scene but I would hate to lose the color of the sands here. I don’t know if you have cropped the image but I do wish to see more at the bottom. The dead tree arrangement is interesting but feels cut off to me, perhaps this is made more obvious by the unclean bottom edge. If you don’t have more at the bottom, I would suggest at least cleaning up that edge.
Rod, this is kind of an intriguing subject, and I really the general concept of the image. The triangle of dead wood pointing to the tree creates a strong composition. You did not have to disavow placing the dead branches there because I suspect that it would be nearly impossible to do without leaving footprints in the sand
I agree with @Adhika_Lie about the bottom, I wish there was slightly more there , it does feel slightly cut off, maybe you have in this or another shot.
To offer suggestions, i would consider a 5:7 aspect ratio, cropping away some of the sky. The sky has no interesting clouds, color or details, and IMO I’d crop some away. the crop also has the advantage of making the trees and branches appear larger. While I generally like your processing of this, I would do some local dodging on tree and foreground branches to draw more attention to them. In that same vein, i would also add a vignette to draw even more attention to the center. I have done a rework reflecting these comments…
I think you’ve composed and photographed this scene beautifully. And first, the processing sure looks dang nice - no nits or suggestions there. I’m glad you chose to leave this in color. Agree with Adhika that I would hate losing the earth tones of the sand. Besides, with the lack of light and contrast, b&w wouldn’t do the sand any favors, I don’t think.
I like the sticks at the bottom pretty much as presented. To me, it’s not about a near/far type of composition, but it’s telling a nature story. In my mind, the sticks at the bottom - are quite possible the same tree… only it succumbed to the elements a couple hundred years ago; it’s that circle, cycle of life kinda thing.
I agree also with a top crop. I do like the hint of color and the almost silvery/metallic look in the clouds (they’re at least not flat uniform gray…) But then again having so much up top isn’t adding to the nature story being told here. I might even crop a little further than Ed’s, but that’s getting picky. I definitely think the crop enhances the overall presentation.
Thank you guys for all your comments, I guess then really just cropping a little more of the sky wouldn’t go astray. In relation to the bottom, I did crop just an inch but overall it was the triangular sticks pointing to the tree that led me to compose it this way with them coming in from the bottom left and right of the frame.
