Well, just about played out the dogwood images. I have several from this particular tree and part of the river, but none different enough to post. I have a couple that I really think came out beautifully - bummer, the branches and flowers are dancin’ in the wind. As it is, you can see in this one a couple branches are literally inches above the water - and in fact would touch down as the river waves and wind combined enough for the branches to drag in the water. Then, you wait long enough and a calm will settle over the scene and allow enough stillness to capture some decent ones. This was captured about 20 minutes prior to my last dogwood post and about 40min after the last post of the cedar trees.
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Any/all - color, sat, processing
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
I’m mostly excited about the flow, the swells and less so about the dogwood as the arrangement isn’t quite as graceful or eloquent. A crop in here somewhere?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Hey Lon, overall I really love this shot. The shutter speed you used for the water is, in my opinion, perfect. Silky smoothness while retaining texture for interest.
The two things that catch my eye:
The branch that’s coming into the frame from the upper middle left. Might be somewhat tricky to remove where it crosses water texture and the branch that’s hanging from the top of the frame but I think adding that bit of open space by removing it may help balance the frame overall.
The tiny little twig sticking into the frame on the middle right side. It’s small enough it doesn’t really add interest and is just poking its nose in where it’s not needed. Really minor nitpick but the same could be said for the two little nubs that are poking into the frame just below that little twig, too.
Lon,
The blue and yellow color palette of the water of the Merced is really lovely as is the gentle graceful lines of the wave action. This scene has a wonderful peaceful mood that I find very inviting; as did the other dogwood images. Kudos for sticking with it and waiting for the lulls in the limb movement. My only suggestion; very minor stuff; would be to clone out a tiny limb intruding along the right edge about 1/2 way down. I have thoroughly enjoyed your dogwood series.
Lon, I am going to compare this image to your prior dogwood post, although that may not be fair to do. I prefer the prior dogwood post for several reasons, I think this one is not quite as successful. The prior dogwood image had a diagonal orientation of the tree, which was more pleasing to me than this one where the branches are more vertical. The prior dogwood image had more water on three sides of the image, it created breathing room for the tree. This image feels a bit tight, and various mergers of the branches with the left and right frame edges create some possible distractions for me, @Michael_Rung also noted this issue in his comments.
The color of the blues and yellows in the water here is different than the prior post, but I like the color in both images. The color in this post creates a more gentle, calm feeling, and I think it creates a nice mood here. The green leaves also look very nice in this image. While I like the white balance and color in this image a lot, the more chaotic composition is not as pleasing to me as the prior post. Sorry, just my $0.02 worth.
I wrote about the relationship between direction water flow and branch shape in your previous image. This doesn’t have it. I would consider it when composing these images.
Michael - yeah that branch coming in from the left is somewhat problematic. This is cropped slightly from the left to remove a couple of branches in the ULC. Not sure I’m game for that much removal… , but for sure I should clean up the other edge. Thanks Ed Lowe for confirming as well.
No worries Ed, I agree. The branches here are certainly more chaotic, lack elegance or any real eye-grabbing features. In this case, it’s in hopes the water/bg makes it more cohesive; but as both you and Igor point out, there’s a cohesive flow that’s missing.
This was going to be my last, but maybe I’ll post the next frame from this location; much simpler and maybe some flow back in.
Lon, even though I agree with the other’s posts that the branches and water don’t quite have the unity between water and branches of your previous post it it still a nice shot. I am mesmerized by the water itself. I could see a shot of just it without the dogwood branches.
Just noticed the awkward wording of my first sentence so I’ll leave it there for comedic effect.
I like this image! It is quiet and still energetic. I love the colors of the water, and the pastel appearance of the branches. Yes, the stick on the right could be (probably easily) removed, but I feel the one on the left can stay in place… Personally, I like images that are not “closed”, with elements that come in from the rest of the world. Overall, a beautiful picture!
Really minor nitpick but the same could be said for the two little nubs that are poking into the frame just below that little twig, too.
, but for sure I should clean up the other edge. Thanks Ed Lowe for confirming as well.