Pertinent technical details or techniques: Canon 7D, 10-22 @ 10, 1/200 @ f10, ISO 400
This scene lies in a stretch of wet woodland near the banks of the river Mersey. The area is a floodplain, and the woods of mostly willow and alder, their branches often bending low, are lined with gullies that become rivulets after rain. Parsley and hawthorn give some extra colour in the late Spring. The woods are rich in bird life and make for some great walks.
This is a very overgrown area, pockmarked with fallen debris - this shot is one of just a few I have felt happy about, and I do wonder how others feel about an unspectacular view such as this.
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
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Hi Ian! This looks like a really beautiful area. As you mentioned, it does seem very overgrown, and I think this effect is really accentuated by the high contrast. Personally, I would recommend softening it a bit in terms of both saturation and contrast. This would make it easier for the viewer to focus on certain parts of the composition, such as the branch in the center of the frame and the flowers in the corner.
An eye-popping spring image! I think the horizontal branch/trunk really makes this scene unique; adding a bit of tension and dynamics; works for me!
Bold and brilliant with all the back lit leaves and bright flowers in the LRC. I do think given the conditions with all the tiny leaves so strongly lit that this is coming across as a bit “crunchy” - but I don’t think it’s a sharpening thing - or at least if it is, it’s amplified by the thousands of points of light. I think this is what Jack commented on as well - and so perhaps yes, the high contrast is contributing.
It’s a fine line because the scene is naturally bright, you’ve got back lighting and to top it off you have the vibrant spring greens.
I love the scene and I think you actually processed and presented well with respect to the light and conditions. Maybe just as simple as backing off saturation and contrast a little bit is all that is needed. Again a fine line - you don’t want this going flat either…
I like the composition very much, Ian. It’s a lovely forest scene. I do agree with other’s observations and suggestions. I do think you did a good job with wide dynamic range.
–P
This looks like a great place to explore. I like the vibrant spring look to this image. I find the composition to be a bit awkward with that sweeping horizontal tree intersecting all the verticals.
Ian,
The greens here are wonderful and contrast beautifully with the patches of blue sky peaking through the forest canopy. I also think that you handled the wide dynamic range in this scene very nicely. I know that there was nothing you could do about it, but I find myself wishing that the fallen horizontal tree was not there. Just my personal preference of course.
