Torn (+revised)

Image Critiques
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1

Revised Version

Revision 2 (latest)

Revision 2 - IMG5DMarkIV_1629NPN3MB-NPN3Meg-2.jpg
Revision 2 - IMG5DMarkIV_1629NPN3MB-NPN3Meg-2.jpg1440×1800 1.34 MB

What changed: I played a little more with the contrast and luminosity in the ground vegetation and used generative remove to take out the tangle of small branches near the lower left corner.

Revision 1

Revision 1 - IMG5DMarkIV_1629NPN3MB-NPN3Meg-7.jpg
Revision 1 - IMG5DMarkIV_1629NPN3MB-NPN3Meg-7.jpg1440×1800 1.33 MB

What changed: I increased luminosity in the sky, decreased it in the trunk, and reduced contrast/clarity and increased brightness in the foreground “ground cover” vegetation.

Added after receiving feedback from the community.

Original Version

Original - IMG5DMarkIV_1629NPN3MB-NPN3Meg-2.jpg
Original - IMG5DMarkIV_1629NPN3MB-NPN3Meg-2.jpg1440×1800 1.36 MB

Weekly Challenge

Natural Calligraphy
9/20/26 - 9/26/26
Critique Style: Standard

The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.

Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical

About This Image

I was going to post the color version of this, and then I saw the weekly challenge and decided to play a bit with a black and white conversion. In color the scene is very golden, with a gray, misty background.

Feedback Requested

I’m not sure there is enough tonal separation between branch/bark and leaves in a monochrome treatment, so I’m up for suggestion. I did the conversion in LR, so I have heavier-handed options available (SilverEfex), but I chose the yellow filter, as that separated the yellow and brown a bit more. I love the gnarled, leafless branches reaching to the right as the tree leans left and bends back up to the right.

Questions:
Does the gesture of the tree work for you? Is it interesting enough?
Does the base of the tree detract too much? There is a splintered trunk (I think some roadside brush clearing or perhaps wind)
Can you recommend an alternate crop? a tonality shift?

Thanks, as always, for the generosity of your time and feedback on my work.
ML

Technical Details

Canon 5D4 with 24-105mm at 35mm cropped to 8x10
ISO 320, f/13, 1/80s
Processed in LR for BW Conversion

2

Marylynne: I like the subject and the comp very much. A tiny bit more light on the trunk would work better for me but not by much. I do so very little B&W that I don’t feel fully qualified to comment but I do think this works very well. Nicely crafted image.>=))>

3

Certainly well crafted - i do like the black n white option. Just wondering how this would look with less contrast in the background - lower vegetation

4

A fine image, Marylynne. I like the form of the tree a lot and the splintered trunk doesn’t bother me because it pretty much blends into the brush with the B&W conversion.
For purposes of the weekly challenge, if you can get a good mask of the tree including the leaves and bring them down to almost a silhouette it might evoke the calligraphy idea even more. The area of the tree in front of the smoother background might be difficult and I wouldn’t worry about the part in front of the brush as it’s minimal and blends in there anyhow.

5

Thanks @Dennis_Plank , @Bill_Fach , and @Karl_Zuzarte!

Dennis: I tried to do what you described with the making the leaves the same darkness as the branches, but I wasn’t able to get that to work. I see how that would make it better for the challenge in particular, but I think overall, I kind of like the differences as it makes some branches recede into the mist.

Bill: I did a lot of black and white a while back, but not in a while. I’ve gotten lazy with it, just playing in LR instead of using SilverEfex and other plug-ins with more control. I am adding a revision above with the central trunk darker. There’s something about it that feels a little inconsistent, but I’m not sure which direction works better–more silhouette or more detail? Showing more silhouette, just in case.

Kurt: Yeah, I’m going to play with that lower vegetation. It’s distracting, and I don’t know whether it’s the contrast or perhaps just the tangle of other branches in the lower left. Right now AI remove appears to be struggling in LR, so I’m guessing there’s a problem at a server somewhere. The revision brightened the lower vegetation and reduced its contrast, thereby increasing its contrast with the trunk (see darkening trunk in comment to Bill above).

I’ll keep playing with this one once AI remove works again. That branch tangle on the left bothers me.
ML

6

The original poster added a revised version of their image.

7

The original poster added a revised version of their image.