The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
My second image from the recent Yosemite NPN gathering. This is an intimate close up of a couple of black oaks in or near El Cap meadow in Yosemite Valley. We had soft and diffused light for the whole trip due to weather systems but it made for low contrast scenes that were easy to shoot. The greens were off the charts on this trip so I converted this image to B&W. I included a copy of the color version and many may actually prefer that rendition even if I did desaturate the greens.
Specific Feedback
First, do you prefer the color version or the B&W version?
Next, Is the composition suitable for the scene. These are actually very large trees that I cropped into and these are just the lowest hanging branches. I have been told that each tree could be made into an image.
Lastly, there are some sticks and such near the frames edge. Do any of them deter and should any be cloned out? I did no cloning at all on this image.
Technical Details
z8, 24-120mm lens at 57mm, f/11, ss 1/15th, ISO 500, hand held
You get two gold stars here! I’m a sucker for the chartreuse spring greens, and you have some variation here with a few darker leaves so this in no way looks over-saturated. And the bones of the image are very strong so it works well in B/W also. The smaller tree has the same gesture as the larger one, with a branch gracefully draped toward the left. Kudos for finding that and framing it so well! I prefer the B/W slightly, as the lovely detail on the larger tree stands out more.
David, this one grabs me. Black and white is my clear preference. No twigs or other incursions bother me, probably because there’s so much detail in the image that any stray details aren’t distracting. Fine work.
What a great two-fer, David. I like both images, and I like the pair of trees. Yeah, you focus on just one, but there is something about a pair as well.
I’ll spice things up a bit by saying that I greatly prefer the color version. Both are excellent images, so I understand the appeal of each of them. For me, however, the color version speaks to the season, gives us a sense of mood that is more ambiguous in the black and white version. If ambiguity was your intent, then black and white provides that here. If a sense of place and time was more in line with your intent, then I think the springy greens in the color version tell that story.
Love this! Or I should say these… so glad you posted both versions. And they are quite different in my opinion; at least they showcase different things.
First, agree with others you did a great job showcasing and representing the spring greens of these might black oaks. And yeah, I’m sure you actually had to desaturate! The greens were just preposterous!
In the color version, I like the uniformity of the bg leaves and smaller branches that really help the main trunks stand out. With this one, I think the trunks are the main story here - and including the lichen/moss on the trunks. Most times, and especially in the overcast light we had, these trunks go all black real quick and so you did a fantastic job bringing them out.
For the b&w, to me it’s all about tonalities, contrasts, shapes, structure, etc. I get the same uniformity of the bg leaves, but here the structure and the branches really stand out. As Diane points out, I like the “gesture” of the smaller branches and their similarity between the two main trees. In fact, because of how the smaller ones drape towards the left, the two trees aren’t exactly centered, thus giving those smaller branches room to breath and tell their story.
Overall, great job on the processing of each. If I had any suggestion it might be to slightly dodge the upper main trunk in the right tree - not by much, the goal wouldn’t be to make them all equal, but just bringing up the darks a smidge. Very minor.
Hi Dave,
I love these kind of woodland scenes that showcase the character and graceful lines of the trees in amongst the emerging spring growth. Both versions work beautifully for me although I give the B&W a slight edge at this moment in time.The composition and framing look just fine to me as do the limbs. There is one limb toward the LRC and one towards the LLC that I might try to darken just a little; if possible; as they are lighter than the rest. Beautifully done; keep them coming.
Hi Don,
Thanks for the comment. I like your take on the B&W version. As far as your question, yes, those are lichens on the tree trunks. They are pretty much on everything.
I think what impresses upon me the most in both versions is the luminosity in the leaves. Not overexposed at all but with enough brightness that just spills over into every corner and crevice. The lichens and the detail in the trunks is second. It is a little more pronounced in the B&W version, but comes through in both wonderfully and contrasts very well against the bright leaves.
I think you all had optimal lighting to capture spring in the valley. This photo would not have worked in direct sunlight.
It was the drapeing limbs that caught my eye from both trees. I felt like they were mimicking each other in a way. When I first saw the color raw file I thought the greens were just exploding off the trees. As Lon says, the greens were just preposterous on this trip. Everywhere! So with that in mind, I desaturated the color version and thought this might actually make a good B&W. That’s how I wound up with the black and white on top.
It seems that most like both images but that the B&W comes out on top by a smidgen. Thanks for your help and your input on these two.
