I happy how the image came out technically. I don’t see anything i could change. (update is the yellow leaf left corner above a distraction i should remove?)
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
I took this image during a dark period in my life where i was looking for more color. Did i translate it well in this image? How do you feel seeing this image? I need to find another name 2 I guess.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
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You translate the feeling that your wanted in this image. As I looked at it what I saw was a dark, damp forest with a splash of light coming through the cloud cover and lighting up one little tree to give is a bright spot in a dark day. Well seen and presented. Our human experience does affect what we see and how we see and as photographers how we photograph them.
I think this is a a very different type of autumn image, and one that a lot of impact for me. Yes the yellow leaf in the ULC (upper left corner) should go, and there are a couple more in the LLC that should also disappear. These bright yellow leaves near the frame edge pull ones eye away from the mass of of yellow leaves in the center. With those tweaks, I think you have a really interesting image that works really well.
Now I’ll offer a few suggestions that are more subjective, and a matter of personal taste, you may or may not agree with them. I would crop a bit off the left side, there a few branches near the left frame edge that I also consider minor distractions, since they might be considered to lead the viewers eye out of thee frame. I also think I’d like to see slightly more detail in the mossy tree trunks, although I would not go too far, or you would risk losing the strong contrast that otherwise makes the image work. Here is a rework reflecting my comments, subtle changes to be sure.
The subtle lighting and details are exquisite in this lovely scene, Ken. I would suggest the same subtle tweaks that @Ed_McGuirk already suggested as they make an already fantastic image even better IMO. Great eye to spot and isolate this scene from a chaotic woodland.
What i like in this image is the fact that the background caos creates a sort of texture and those beatifull yellow leafs jump right into the viewer eyes. Nicelly spoted indeed.
As told on previous coments, those leafs on the edges (left side) are a bit distracting, and @Ed_McGuirk rework keeps the image a bit more simple and tidy for my taste.
Thank you very much and this is a huge change, it looks a lot better with just those small changes. Now i had a hard time with those spots in lightroom. And i am learning photoshop. not quiet sure how to remove it. maybe selection and content aware fill?
The cloning tools in Photoshop are vastly superior to the clone tool in Lightroom. Whenever I do cloning beyond removing dust spots in the sky, I move to Photoshop, which gives much better results. Content Aware fill could do the trick, but for small things like the yellow leaves, the PS spot healing brush can usually do as good a job more quickly (I used it for my rework of your image). I reserve the use of Content Aware Fill for dealing with larger areas. Be sure to use a soft edged brush when using the spot healing brush, it helps with transitions.
When you are trying to elevate an already good image to a great one, it’s attention to the small things that make a big difference. Many of the people here at NPN are already very accomplished photographers, but they are seeking input on the small subtle changes that can help a good image get even better.
