The Ent's Lament

[hminx]

First time out with my new Tonika 11-16 2.8, love the depth of field available with this lens. This is back in forest with the stump, to my mind anyway, seeming to lament the demise of its fellow pines

[GB1]

Hmmm. My first reaction is wow, nice supporting actors!.... the sky, the grass, the sloping hillside, and the trees. The lighting also works.

What disappoints me a bit is the subject though... It seems to deserve more symbolism, like a dying tree that was caught in a wildfire when everything else was spared. Something like that. I guess it being chopped doesn't quite do it for me. It also seems a tad bright, if that makes any sense.

I bet it's great having a 11mm lens. Even if it's on a digital sensor, you're getting at least about 18mm equivalent focal length.

G

[hminx]

Thanks GB, I tried this with various levels of foreground lighting and this edit was my preference but that just me. The cloud detail was pushed up a bit by using a luminosity mask and multiply blend mode.
The 11mm capability is great but I haven't had this thing out enough to see what it can do. Just regret not having it with me on my recent Europe trip.

[ksbryan0]

I guess I am there with GB, in that most of comp is really cool, but the subject is almost a let down. Maybe a young sapling considering its future could tell the story? Also, I have to wonder why a logger would cut the tree at that height, leaving maybe 4 feet of good saw log to rot!

[hminx]

Thanks Ken, I guess the narrative behind this one is that I image the tree in the fore ground as an Ent from the L.O.T.Rs lamenting the trees destruction. Wondering if cloning all but two of the branches so they look like arms would look better ?

[llewpics]

I think the composition here is very good - with the tree in the foreground being placed on the left side of the image. Also, the exposure is very well done, and there is a good sense of color, depth and space. The moody weather adds to the scene. Where this photo is interesting to me is that it combines nature with the "hand of man" - cutting down of the trees. Ergo, I find it contemplative in nature - and this is my kind of photography. If there is something that does not quite work - it would be the "miniature" nature of the cut trees in the background. If there was some room for exploration - cut trees being strong and in the foreground (the ones on the other side) may have worked well. Overall, I quite like it, though.

[ksbryan0]

Pete, I did you a disservice by critiquing something I did not understand, and for that I apologize. After spending some quality time with Dr. Google, I now know what an Ent is, and a little about their character, at least from a LOTR perspective. My new-found understanding now affords me the ability to better appreciate your composition. Nicely done!